Category: Uncategorized

How many times are you asked…Diction! Too clean! Not clean enough! I can’t understand you!

Check out these cool visualizations of what happens behind closed doors ( or mouths!) on each sounded sound!

Consonants and Vowels

I’m always googling/youtubing/shazamming in search of great songs for singers. Recently, I came across this website that helps me out a bit!

http://myvocalrange.com/search.php

Take advantage of the search options to find your next fav song to sing!

While the USA are looking forward to the commercials, football plays, and more, I can’t help but celebrate the wonderful National Anthems we have witnessed. What I think is the ultimate rendition by the late Whitney Houston. Enjoy the story, vocal stylings and beauty.

Head over to https://voice.cassieokenka.com/contact/ to let me know if you’d like an invite!

Want to know where the popular music realm comes from?

https://www.cnn.com/…/national-museum-of…/index.html

This week, take a listen to artists and music from my favs Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, and Charlie Parker

Happy Tuesday!

One big thing I love about my voice studio is my studio classes. It’s a chance for my singers to come together, get to know each other, lift each other up, and sing some tunes. And every now and then, I bring in special guests from the industry. I try to expose my singers to people they may not normally know, but who I think are leaders and kind humans, on both sides of the table. This year included Alan H. Green, JoAnn Hunter, and Danny Sharron

But, I up the ante. Normally studio class is free, but with special guests, I charge a fee. The fee gets spent on a donation to the Guest’s favorite charity. And I am so so so proud that during this tough year, The studio has been able to donate over $350 this year to the Ali Forney Center, Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries, and Hole in the Wall Gang. This includes my mission that “artistic growth should not be dictated by financial stability”, and I’ve been able to have 2 students on scholarship to extend the ability to grow as a singer without going broke. Trying to change the world!

2020 has been a difficult year. A year ago, none of us could have seen coming, or prepared for how it would drastically change our lives. Who knows what our lives will look like in a year. In the darkness, humans reach for empathy, camaraderie, and escape. We have all had more screen time with zoom, Netflix, and more than our eyes had before.

While acknowledging all of the lives changed, I have to give thanks to all of my singers who have grown and moved forward in creating art. During what is a challenging time, they all rose to the occasion to continue to become better. Better artists, better communicators, and better societal members.

The final Studio Class of 2020 had the special guest of Broadway’s JoAnn Hunter. She filled our space with joy, laughter, and simplicity. In a world where headlines are in our faces every day, it was such a gift to escape into young artist’s pieces and see them grow in front of our eyes.

Happy Holidays, Happy New Year and I’ll see you in 2021!

XOXO

-Cassie She/Her

If you’ve been in a lesson with me, and want to work on a pop/rock song, chances are I have tried to throw a sweet 90’s jam in there. Can’t help it. I love the 90’s! I also love a good mashup. Looking at a song with a difference lens and intention can give it a completely new life. Share with me your fav mashups!

Join the Broadway community and beyond in an exciting attempt to BREAK THE GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the largest online video album of people singing the same song. Our goal is to raise everyone’s spirits, awareness, and donations for The Actors Fund across the globe!

Head to http://hdbcasting.com/bwayworldrecord for more information on how to learn the music, record, and send your tape to be a part of history!