Believer Voice Program^TM

AWDI

I love singing since my younger days and often join my friends to sing karaoke. I did not know much about singing back then and only sung casually, until.... My cell group leader attended the Believer Vocal Program. It was then I realized there is more to learn about singing. I subsequently registered for the program at Primer level and was surprised that I could sing high notes, which I never knew about myself. All the “power” exercises really amused me but, at the same time, I am amazed at how they can prepare to help me sing better. Time flies and there is so much to learn. My coach is always so patient in making sure we understand and sing correctly using the proper techniques. I am glad that my coach has very sharp hearing abilities and a powerful voice to demonstrate and correct us. His feedback always helps me improve. I really appreciate the effort my coach gives and I always look forward to vocal classes every week after work, despite a hectic and stressful day. Thank you, coach! You know who you are! :)

The Week 8 lesson of Advance Worship Dynamics IIII (AWDIIII) was both refreshing and enlightening as the coach zoomed in on our singing techniques. In this final module, I listened more intently and many more times to the original songs as well as the backing tracks. More so than I have ever done in my entire life! I deeply appreciate what the coach has been training us all these time, i.e. laying a good foundation upon which we can continue to learn other songs on our own. Looking back, it was relatively easy to start the journey. I would recommend Primer, Worship Dynamics I (WDI) and perhaps even Worship Dynamics II (WDII), for anyone who enjoys singing worship songs. However, I think diligence, discipline and perseverance are required to make the most of the advanced classes especially if singing is not one’s strength and passion. If you are like me, skinny and completely new to singing with diaphragmatic support, much time is also needed before the muscles grow to a point that you can feel your “power generator” when you breathe in and hold it out. It was an amazing experience when that finally happened to me towards the end of Advance Worship Dynamics III (AWDIII)! It has been a most humbling yet incredibly enriching two years going through the Believer Music Vocal Program. Praise and thank God for His grace that has carried me all the way to its completion! For an inspiring, fun-loving and gifted God-sent coach as well! I have been blessed with the best, just the right coach for this intense and quirky student. Praise and thank God for my endearing classmates who have filled these two years with much laughter, and heartwarming memories! I have gained far more than simply improvement in my singing. The lessons were a tool in Father God’s loving hands for self-discovery, building friendships, and learning from my peers. At the same time, God has also revealed the attitudes and mindsets within me that needed change. I am totally convinced that our Almighty Creator has made the best instrument within each of us. We are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made to worship Him! For eternity, all glory due to His Name!

Piano-playing baggage (an extra sharing). It has been decades since I took piano lessons. Although I am now so grateful to my father for insisting that I learnt how to play the piano, I honestly did not enjoy the lessons and would just put in the minimum effort each year to practise the required examination scales and pieces (it was one of those extra things added on top of school work and multiple co-curricular activities). I not only dreaded the annual examination, I also dreaded the aural exercises that my piano teacher had to test me with. I found out recently that it must have been an equally awful experience for my poor teacher because he even secretly complained to my sister that I must be tone-deaf. But after taking vocal lessons, I now know that there is so much more to piano playing and music than what I was exposed to and I am surely not tone-deaf! Yes, my brain freezes when I get nervous (no sound registers whatsoever!) but God has blessed me with good relative pitch which comes in useful in quickly identifying the specific note on the piano that matches what is being sung within a particular key. I am so thankful to Coach without whom I wouldn’t have had the courage to face my fear. I am still freaking out during class especially when we have to sing in parts, in pairs or worse still alone but my singing has surely improved under your tutelage and more than that, I have come to appreciate the beauty of a music score and how music theory and practical singing cum playing come together. I'm thankful for such a great Coach! THANK YOU!!!

Due to something unforeseen, this term turned out to be one of my most challenging work terms. Each week’s vocal class was a safe haven – Coach’s integrity, kindness and humour that we have become so familiar with filled my heart with much comfort and joy. His 200% passion for music and singing plus his 200% motivation to teach us well in spite of being tired, sick or having to work on a public holiday constantly inspired me to face my work challenges with renewed determination. Undeniably, AWD3 has been another ‘out of my comfort zone’ experience - unfamiliar and challenging songs, uncomfortable key raises, and what I thought was a ‘song fight’ was actually ‘3 powerful singers trying to hold their parts as they attempt to build up group dynamics’! Oh well, the extent of my ignorance surprised even myself! Although I find the curriculum in these advanced classes to be more suitable for aspiring and existing church worship team members compared to a singing newbie like myself, I am thankful for the exposure to singing experiences that would typically be available only to those serving on a church worship team. Having a smaller class size this term plus having to sing into a microphone have been very helpful in getting real-time feedback from Coach and the monitor speaker (reality check!) – I am now very aware of my glaring weaknesses! I can’t help but be even more appreciative of our ever-patient, long-suffering Coach who never gives up correcting us even to his very ‘last breath’… THANK YOU for being a true educator who does not compromise on standards, who gives us honest feedback and who goes the extra mile to cater your teaching to our level, no matter what that level might be. As a learner, I would rather know the truth that I am ‘off’ than to be misled into thinking that I have arrived. In mid-May, Coach fell sick yet he continued to teach us with his usual zeal that evening and told us we were to sing ‘Yahweh’ again the following week… “try again, can one”… There I was, recovered from flu and seriously entertaining the unholy thought of giving up on the ‘3rd higher, an octave lower’ harmony and Coach was sick yet he wasn’t giving up on us - that just left me speechless and obligated me to try again… gone was any fight that was in my mind! Thank you, Coach, for doing all that you possibly can to help me improve in my singing whilst accommodating all my idiosyncrasies with your amazingly good nature! For someone whose favourite school subject was physical education, who spent many school years running and jumping around on badminton courts, and someone who carries a piano-playing baggage (that’s another story in itself), standing still to sing and breathe properly in a vocal class requires focused, intentional efforts even after almost 6 terms of lessons, but I think I have finally, yes finally, understood what it means to sustain that consistent tension in my diaphragm when singing… quite a lot of credit has to go to the beautiful ‘Mr’ warm-up that you have created, Coach! Honestly I wouldn’t have come this far in the vocal program without you! Thank God for you, Coach!

I have just completed WDI of Believer Voice Program. In the short span of 2 terms, I realized that my vocal range has improved and I can sing better. I had to unlearn my past way of singing and re-learn to sing again by breathing from the diaphragm but every single technique and vocal exercise that was taught contributed towards making those baby steps of improvement. I have also learned to modulate my voice to bring emotion to a song and to interpret its varying intensity through volume control. I have honestly never sang like this before in my life and hitting those higher notes on pitch is just such an amazing feeling. Thank you coach for drawing out the voice in me and Believer Music for another quality and outstanding program! Looking forward to WDII.

In the beginning it was quite daunting as there were many singing techniques to learn. But as the weeks went by, I started to enjoy more and more. It is always a joy to me to sing as a form of worship to God. And I hope that one day, this skill that I have learnt will also be a blessing to the people I meet.

AWDII Week 7’s lesson was most inspiring! Coach did his own interpretation on the song "Stay Amazed" by changing some of the notes, a little bit of the rhythm, and added lots of multiple note slides. I already liked the song whilst I was trying to learn it before class, but I was incredibly surprised at what became of the song during class - there was now an Asian lyrical flavor to it, further conveying the emotions in an imaginative and beautiful manner. Praise God for such musical creativity! The next evening as I was cooking and pondering about my choice of presentation song, it finally dawned on me that I can be free to do something different with the song which had a simple, repetitive melody. I started singing the second verse with a new melody, offering a new song unto the Lord! The tune just came, it was as if it had been there all the while, waiting for me to just let go and be willing to explore new possibilities. I do not have a habit of listening to music and I didn’t even know what was a “cover” in music until last term, so this was really a breakthrough! A very big THANK YOU to an exceedingly patient, dedicated and gifted coach whom our Creator God has used to literally open my mind!

THANK YOU to all at Believer Music especially: For always being so cheerful and helpful with sorting out Open House slots, to handling all my different purchases and enquiries, and even helping to fit me with the right Believer Music T-shirt size! We always look forward to seeing your beautiful smile! =) Also, for servicing my acoustic guitar and letting me pay less than what I thought I had to pay for. Now, I’m motivated more than ever to keep my guitar clean always! :) Thankful to the customer service team for approving our appeal for Lesson Discount Promo and for handling all the scheduling work each term. We look forward to completing the Believer Voice Program by end 2017! Thank you so much to our coach for teaching from the heart, being so perceptive, and speaking the truth in our lives! We love and respect you!

Believer Music helps me discover my strengths and weaknesses and areas I need to work on. They have developed my skills in singing the high notes without my voice cracking. I started out from the Voice Primer course till AWDI and will definitely continue. Believer Music has not only taught me how to sing, but also taught me the Word of God which always reminds me the reason of why I’m doing what I am doing. I love Believer Music so much and thanks to my coach too.

WDII Voice has been thoroughly enjoyable! Around the 4th week into the course, I started playing the given chords on the keyboard and it has helped me to appreciate and learn the new songs within the specified keys. Thankful that God has led me to redeem my childhood in keyboard learning. My classmate and I earnestly look forward to our lessons each week, and we just can’t wait to continue with the next one! Singing melody and harmony parts in class has been really fun and I have never laughed so much in the process of learning! The sheer joy of taking WDII together under such a zealous coach motivates us to put in even more effort into singing the songs well! Indeed, the joy of the LORD has been our strength! Praise God and thank you so very much to our coach for all that you have sown into our lives! The harmony that you created for the bridge of ’More than life’ is beautiful and we are earnestly looking forward to AWDI! ;)