General – Amanda Kind

CBC Searchlight stage with performer singing and text that reads Toyota Searchlight. The hunt for canada's next undiscovered talent.

CBC Searchlight Competition!

May 15, 2021 by akind

Many of my current and former students are entered into the CBC Toyota Searchlight competition. Please give their music a listen and consider voting for them. It’s so important to support Canadian artists. We have tons of under-discovered homegrown talent. These artists are incredible. Please vote for them!

Elliot Jakob (Indie Pop)
Song: Dimmer Down
Listen | Vote

CJ Cooper (Indie Pop)
Song: Out of the Shadow
Listen | Vote

Lemon Cash (Country)
Song: Wine Tonight
Listen | Vote

River Town Saints (Country)
Song: Long Time Coming
Listen | Vote

Red Output (Pop/Rock)
Song: The Sunday Rose Bar
Listen | Vote

How to vote:
1. Go to the link in my bio.
2. Search the name of the artist.
3. Listen to the song.
4. Hit the vote button.

If you really like someone’s music, please come back and vote again for them in future. You can vote once a day!

white background with teal text Journey to Freedon A Story of Survival and Overcoming Human Trafficking Timea's Cause

Timea’s Cause: Journey To Freedom

September 8, 2018 by akind

General

I’m singing for an important cause – Human Trafficking. I’ve been friends with survivor and advocate Timea Nagy for a few years now. She’s an incredible woman with an inspiring story. Timea was trafficked here in Canada when she immigrated from Hungary. Her harrowing experience almost cost her her life, but somehow she got out. One of the things that got her through was her love of singing and music. She’s doing a special fundraising event at the Registry Theatre in Kitchener on Thursday, September 27, 2018. It’s a combination of songs and stories related to her journey to freedom. That’s the name of the event: Journey To Freedom. I’m going to join her to sing some tunes that she’s selected. Please help support my friend and this important cause … buy a ticket and prepare yourself for a night of impactful entertainment that will move and inspire you.

Buy Tickets | About Timea’s Cause

Please also listen to and download her song “Life Is Still Beautiful To Me.” Proceeds benefit victims of human trafficking.

Mason jar full of colourful straws on brown wood table

Singing with Straws … what?

November 23, 2017 by akind

General

Maybe you’ve heard of it, but you don’t quite understand what it’s all about … let’s talk about the straw exercise! It sounds ridiculous, but it’s a proven technique to help singers coordinate the muscles used for singing. If your voice feels tired, vocalizing through a straw can be an effective way to gently stretch and unpress your vocal folds. This is a Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract exercise. SOVT means that your mouth is partially closed. This creates resistance which sends energy back to the vocal folds and helps them vibrate more efficiently. There are many great articles online about SOVT exercises and the straw exercise specifically; I am fan of this one from Voice Science Works.

The straw exercise was invented by Ingo R. Titze, a voice scientist and executive director of the National Center for Voice and Speech. Watch the video below to hear his explanation of the technique.

P.S. Use up your supply of plastic straws and then invest in a reusable straw to use regularly for this exercise. Sustainability for the win!

The Contemporary Singer

October 22, 2017 by akind

General

I’m a fan of voice teacher Anne Peckham, who is a professor in the Voice Department at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Her book “The Contemporary Singer” is a staple in my studio that I refer to again and again. Whether you take voice lessons or not, this is a great resource to learn more about singing contemporary styles of music and how the voice works in general. I particularly love her conversational tone and clear, unpretentious explanation of the mechanics of singing. Plus, there are exercises and helpful diagrams to guide singers toward greater breath management, clearer tone initiation, focused resonance, and other essential techniques for commercial music styles. I don’t get any kind of kickback for promoting this book … I’m sharing it because I think it’s awesome.

If you are interested in The Contemporary Singer, you can buy it on Amazon or Indigo.

Anne Peckham has a number of great books published about contemporary vocal pedagogy. Click here to learn more about her.

I’m BACK Rockin’ with the GSO September 15!

August 12, 2017 by akind

General

It’s been two years since the Rockin’ at the GSO concert at the River Run Centre – can you believe that? I’m super excited to be back on stage performing with my buddy Tony Hastings and Euphoric Flight next month in Rockin With the GSO V! This time the show is at Lakeside Church in Guelph on Friday, September 15 at 8:00 p.m. For added punch and for the first time ever, we will be backed up by 18 players from the wind section of the Guelph Concert Band. This year’s set list includes Boston, Kansas, The Guess Who, STYX, Chicago, Queen, Billy Joel … and MORE!

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/rockin-v-tickets-35438746244

teal gradient background with black and white image of woman at a piano with the text Amanda Kind (feat. Jason White & Paul VanDyk) Wonderwall

“Wonderwall” Gone Jazz

May 2, 2016 by akind

General

I grew up in the ’90s obsessed with American grunge and Brit pop. Oasis has always been one of my favourite bands. I can’t decide if I love “Don’t Look Back In Anger” or “Wonderwall” more. My good friend and fellow musician Jason White and I often collaborate on jazz renditions of 90s tunes when we play live together. We’ve done everything from Alanis Morrisette’s “You Oughta Know” and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under The Bridge” to Spice Girls and Green Day songs. When we tried out this stripped down, moody version of “Wonderwall” something just felt so special about the cover. Our live audiences love it, so we’ve finally decided to release it as a single! The talented Paul VanDyk joins us on bass.

Listen via YouTube below, or on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms. Thanks for listening friends!

rockin with the gso and river run centre

I’m Rockin’ with the GSO October 3!

September 5, 2015 by akind

General

Hey, hey! I’m thrilled to be performing with Euphoric Flight and the Guelph Symphony next month in Rockin With the GSO IV! The concert is at the River Run Centre in Guelph on Saturday, October 3 at 8:00 p.m. The set list includes tunes by The Eagles, Queen, George Harrison, Heart, the Who, and many other classic rock artists. Plus, I get to sing with my good friend Tony Hastings, who is a KILLER singer. Join us for a night of throwback classics!

Tickets: https://riverrun.ca/whats-on/rockin-with-the-gso-with-euphoric-flight/