Micah Barnes: The Medicine Man of Vocal Coaching

MICAH BARNES
The Medicine Man of Vocal Coaching

Written by Shazia Islam

One Saturday night at a local Toronto watering hole, a very nervous singer-songwriter stepped up to the mic with her pink steel string guitar. Her turn had come after what seemed like an endless passage of time. One performer after another was called up by the ebullient host of the open stage event to share their musical voices with a discerning lot of friends and strangers. Unfortunately for this particular singer, most of the guests were strangers. From the stage, she squinted to look for the one friend who was brave enough to come with her, but the intimidating lights gleaming from above were too bright to allow her the comfort of a familiar face in the crowd. She jumped realizing that her audience was waiting for her show-stopping performance to commence. She had to get through two songs, which was a rather monumental task considering that her past live performances amounted to singing along with American Idol hopefuls in front of an outdated television set. Well there’s a first for everything and this might as well be it, she thought. Who knows, it might be her lucky break. A bigwig record producer could be in the crowd getting ready to sign the next Shania on the dotted line. That would be herself. Right.

She began singing in a tremulous voice the song about a very difficult transition into bleached blonde-hood. She kept her eyes focused on her guitar, not realizing that her voice was barely audible to her increasingly fidgety listeners. The few times she did look up, she kept her eyes closed and strummed louder with a fierce madness to drown out the wavering energies, critical voices and piercing eyes, all around the room, in her mind. At least this was what she sensed from the sheer nakedness of the stage. By the time she finished the tune, she was sweating something awful. The applause came but she started on the second song right away, and thus began her next solitary lament with the pink guitar.

When she stepped off the stage, she could finally see her audience. A few of them were looking at her but she couldn‘t read what their eyes were saying, others seemed to be waiting expectantly for the next performer. Her friend was nowhere to be found. She put on her jacket, and left the scene feeling disconnected. She had worked hard on those songs and had expected a positive reaction from the crowd. Perhaps they didn’t have the capacity to recognize true talent. She had seen loads of musicians pull off amazing performances with their eyes closed, performing as if they were the only ones in the room. They would drive their fans mad with delirious admiration. How wonderful it would be to give people something they could never forget. Isn’t that what she just did? She shrugged her shoulders and headed for the nearest bus stop.

Sounds like she could use some direction from Toronto’s very own Micah Barnes, the maestro of professional vocal and performance coaching.

Micah Barnes is a man of many musical gifts. He is an accomplished pianist, composer, a superbly talented singer, a formidable entertainer, and a passionate teacher. All of these talents were meticulously perfected through the years, from his childhood days to the present. He continues to make an impact on the world stage both as a performer and a coach, and divides his time between Toronto and L.A., where he runs his widely popular Singers Playground workshops. He also teaches privately, and offers his students the opportunity to take their vocal training to the next level by organizing performance nights at the reputable Statler’s Piano Lounge on Church street.

Singing is no walk in the park, and good singing, the kind that makes a crowd swoon and shout like wild animals for more, is definitely in a realm all on its own. The singers who dare to come forth from the privacy of their tubs must find their foothold in an industry where the bar is continually being raised by child prodigies and aged spinsters in reality TV hits like American Idol, Britain’s Got Talent and the infamous Youtube. There’s a singer in everyone, but does everyone have the chutzpah to venture forth into a sea where they join their voices with a million others waiting to be discovered? Why not? It’s like bungee-jumping, only it’s a free fall into the watery depths where failure and triumph both exist, sometimes appearing within seconds of each other.

If you ever needed an encouraging push in the direction of this great melodious sea of voices, consider attending Micah’s Singers Playground workshop to help you discover your true singing potential. None of his workshops are ever the same. Every workshop draws in a diverse group of vocal artists, all with unique challenges to overcome, yet all united in their passion for singing. Micah starts the group off with intense breathing and vocal exercises urging the participants to utilize the ample space in the theatre where the workshops are usually conducted. He pays close attention to each and every one of the participants to ensure they all understand the basics of a good warm-up, and why all the warming-up lays the foundation of singing like a pro. As we work through the exercises, he speaks to everyone individually as a way of introduction. Some of the faces belong to his long-term students, while others are newcomers ready to experience Micah’s magic. He speaks to everyone like he knows them well, like a wise old friend. Everyone starts to feel more comfortable, even with the knowledge that they will soon have to sing in front of one another.

Micah takes a very personal approach to teaching. He gets to the heart of each student to find out what fears lurk in the shadows, what technical/physical issues their voices and bodies are grappling with, why they have made a particular song selection and what risks the singer is willing to take to develop their showmanship. He gives positive encouragement every step of the way, yet does not hesitate to give strong words of advice and direction to keep his students aiming for the heights of musical integrity. He encourages them to throw off their inhibitions through dramatic vocalizations and movement so that they may refine those sounds and motions into something powerful that must be seen and heard. Micah convinces the participants that the only way to reach the audience is to reach within themselves - to go deep - because personal experiences can be shared through song and become a powerful unifying force.

As the workshop progresses, and each participant gets up to sing something they composed or a cover, they no longer feel competitive or hear the negative voices in their heads telling them they’re not good enough. Actually, the workshop is open to singers of all levels, beginners to pros. The key is to be open enough to allow Micah and the other participants to be part of your personal journey. Through the workshop experience, participants start looking at one another’s special vocal gifts and learn to give, learn to really give, unconditional belief and support to all the performers. Each voice is worthy enough to be heard if everyone has the patience and the commitment to nurture them.

Micah gives his students the belief when they lack the belief. Gives them the direction when they’re running around with their heads cut off, not knowing where to start, and when to stop. Gives them the challenge and the courage when they are eyeing the easy and safe route. Gives them the knowledge and technique they need to develop their vocal prowess. Gives them the confidence to sing and to sing like a pro. As a vocal coach, he has made a difference in many people’s lives, not just in the lives of the singers he teaches, but to all the people who come to hear them sing, family members, friends, and strangers alike. He gives with heart and humour, engaging his students with his smile, all the while inspiring them to dream of the possibilities that singing may bring.

He too has a music career to maintain - performing with his brother, drummer, Daniel Barnes, and collaborating with other established artists, vocal coaching for reality TV stars (“How do you Solve a Problem like Maria“), organizing music biz seminars, and of course running the workshops and teaching privately. He is the perfect example of a successful artist, and we, his students, greatly benefit from his mentorship and tutelage. There is a strong sense of equality in his workshops, and he understands so perfectly that singing for many of us if not all is the key to our liberation. The workshops then not only become a chance for us to become better singers, but also a chance for us to heal through the power of voice and song the disconnectedness we often feel from ourselves, and from our communities. By re-connecting, we recognize the power we each have to create something positive and inspire others to do the same.

We find ourselves back on another Saturday night at the same watering hole, and the woman with the pink steel string guitar gets up to sing once again. When her name is called she bounces onto the stage where she had performed just a few short months before. She looks out into the crowd and smiles. She tells a funny story about the bleached blonde hair song, and the audience laughs with her. She starts singing in a clear and powerful voice. The audience is enjoying the performance and some people begin to clap with the beat. She steps off the stage during the instrumental portion, and plays to the crowd who cheer her on. Finally, she finishes with a nice long sustained note, which she has the confidence to execute because of proper breath control and support, something she worked on at the Singers Playground workshops besides many other things. The crowd gives her a prolonged enthusiastic applause. In fact, some of the folks she met at the workshops are there to show her support and ready to perform themselves. She waits for a moment, breathing deeply, and then she graciously thanks the crowd before beginning her next song - the one about dyeing her hair back to basic black.

Join Micah and meet some of Toronto’s up and coming as well as established singers at his next vocal workshop. You won’t want to miss it! For more information, please visit his site www.micahbarnes.com.