Sound catchy? That’s the title of a book by “America’s #1 Vocal Coach” Roger Love that I bought some dozen years ago. At the time, I was living in cramped quarters, and when I would try to practice the funny sounds that he has his students pronounce, I would hear snickers from the people walking by in the hallway. That killed my desire to practice for awhile, but since joining Songwriters in Seattle and living where I might have better luck hiding in my apartment to practice, I decided to break out the book and instructional CD once again and go at it.

OK, so you’re thinking, “Oh, this guy’s promoting a book that he hasn’t even gotten any proof of results from yet.” Very true. But since looking at all the profiles of songwriters who would really like to have someone else sing their stuff for them, I decided to let them at least have the opportunity now to make up their own minds regarding Roger Love, regardless of whether or not I’ve become an excellent singer because of him. This guy promises that with his instructional CD, you will, with regular practice, be able to sing three octaves in full voice, with a technique that he calls “Middle Voice.” I’ve only heard one guy sing three octaves in full voice, and that was Bob Seger doing the studio version of “Katmandu.” His technique was based on cocaine and whiskey. But Bob can barely get it today. Roger’s technique has eighty-year-olds singing like they were twenty!

So check him out. His web site is RogerLove.com. He’s got some other books besides the one I bought some twelve years ago, so you’ve got a lot to choose from, and they all have instructional CDs with the books. And who knows; with regular practice, you too may be able to belt out three octaves of “Katmandu!”

About the Author

Jay B. Scott

Jay played full-time with a touring top forty cover band in the early 1980s, playing keyboards, sax, harmonicas, and sharing lead and harmony vocal responsibilities. He developed a permanent vocal disorder, spasmodic dysphonia, and left full-time music. He has since multi-track-produced two four-song demos of his own compositions, one in the early ’90s, and the other in the early 2000s, in which he also plays electric and acoustic guitars and drum machines.