The Singing Athlete: Brain-based Training for Your Voice | Andrew Byrne

If you are a singer, you are an athlete. And the athletic skills that make you a great vocalist come from one source: your brain.

The Singing Athlete is the first book of its kind: a view on voice training through the lens of both the physical body and the nervous system. As one of the top teachers of professional Broadway performers, Andrew Byrne has developed a unique synthesis of athletics and neuroscience that will guide you to higher levels of performance.

In addition to his work on Broadway, Andrew is devoted to studying the training methods used by Olympic athletes as a Master Practitioner of Z-Health functional applied neuroscience. He has taken thousands of hours of research and boiled it down into an easily digestible form that will help you unlock amazing new vocal skills.

When you buy The Singing Athlete, you’re not just picking up a book. You’re getting a complete training system. With your purchase, you get lifetime access to The Singing Athlete Video Guide, a companion website that includes over 150 training videos. You’ll learn the correct form for every drill, explore awesome bonus content, and download PDFs to track your progress.

Through the fully illustrated book and the accompanying videos, you will learn to:

• Breathe correctly for stress reduction and optimal vocal support
• Exercise your tongue, jaw, and throat in ways that lower threat in your brain
• Use your ears and eyes to improve vocal range and stamina
• Heal any scars that might be holding you back
• Eliminate reflux, tinnitus, sinus problems, and other vocal stumbling blocks
• Move better, feel better, and sing better

FAQs

How is The Singing Athlete different from other vocal training systems?
When you study voice, your instructor is always practicing neurology—either accidentally or on purpose. A lot of voice systems can tell you about the anatomy of the voice, but The Singing Athlete provides a crucial missing piece—how to train your brain. Once you understand how your nervous system is in charge of your singing, the way you practice will shift forever, and everything your teacher says will make more sense.

I’m an instructor of a certain style of vocal training. Can I integrate The Singing Athlete into what I already do?
That is one of the greatest strengths of this system; this material can fit in seamlessly with almost any style of training. The Singing Athlete is designed to complement what you already do, providing a new framework to expand and focus your thinking. Lisa Rochelle (NYC Singing Voice Specialist) says it this way: “The Singing Athlete negates no other system, no other technique, and no other pedagogy. It can be used to meet a singer where they are.”

I’m not a Broadway singer—I sing other styles (pop/country/R&B/classical, etc.) Can I get good results from this book?
The Singing Athlete is independent of vocal style. You can apply these exercises to any vocal style, from heavy metal to grand opera. Whether you want to sing “Quando m’en vo” or “Call Me Maybe”, Andrew has got you covered.

How does The Singing Athlete Video Guide work?
Learning movement is a visual process. To get the most out of the exercises, Andrew has shot a video of each drill. This will allow you to make sure you’ve got the form right, as well as learn details about how to use and tweak the drills. Once you’ve purchased the book, you can get lifetime access to the video guide at thesingingathlete.com. (Plus, there are some cool songs there, too.)

Editorial Reviews

Review

--"I've turned to Andrew at many points in my career because he understands that there is no 'one size fits all' vocal toolkit. I have so valued the immediacy of Andrew's technique; he provides real, tactile exercises that I can do in mere minutes to prepare for my 'game.' In a single lesson, the additional tools and skills I walk away with are invaluable. Andrew creates one of the most efficient and yet extremely comfortable and trusting environments for a singer to explore and grow in. I cannot thank him enough."

• Erika Henningsen Mean Girls (Cady Heron, original Broadway cast)

 --"There are some people who are born to be teachers. Andrew is one of those people. The lessons within this book are a revelation and are sure to leave an enormous and permanent mark on the entertainment industry. It has been a personal joy for me to watch Andrew go from affecting deep change in individuals to affecting masses. And while there is a tiny part of me that doesn't wish to share Andrew - my secret weapon - with the world; the world will certainly be better for having read and put into practice the contents of this book."  

• Cecelia Ticktin Wicked (Elphaba stand-by)

--"Andrew is a vocal ninja and my savior! He understands the demands of the performer and also the connection between the body and voice. He's helped me focus my sound and support in places within my range where I've had a constant struggle. He looks at how your body or your mind can be affecting the voice or holding you back. His studio almost feels like vocal pilates for the performer. It's incredible!"

• Marja Harmon Hamilton (Angelica Schuyler)

--"When I work with Andrew, I know I am in the hands of a one-of-a-kind expert. His research and study have formed a specific and holistic approach to singing that is detailed and yet easily applied. He has found a recipe that connects the analytical with the physical, engaging the brain, the nervous system, and the whole body. I leave his studio with practical, innovative exercises that produce real results: even tone, greater vocal agility and ease, and a deepened connection to the material."

• Stanley Bahorek Company Broadway revival

About the Author

Andrew Byrne is the founder and author of The Singing Athlete, a training system that teaches singers how to use neuroscience and athletics to reach their vocal goals. Andrew's NYC studio is made up of professional musical theatre performers, and his students have been seen in over 75 Broadway shows. Andrew also has several Broadway credits himself, including the pit orchestra for Les Misèrables.

Andrew has served on creative teams for The Sundance Theatre Lab, Yale Repertory Theatre, North Shore Musical Theatre, and many others. On television, he has worked as a vocal coach for America's Got Talent (NBC) and Penny Dreadful: City of Angels (Showtime).

Twice named NYC's favorite vocal coach in Backstage's Reader Choice Awards, Andrew travels the world to bring his brand of brain-focused training to singers across the globe. In 2016, he was appointed by the U.S. State Department as the first Arts Envoy to the nation of Belarus, where he led the inaugural Russian-language production of the Pulitzer-Prize-winning Next to Normal. Other international teaching assigments have taken him to Singapore, Switzerland, Denmark, France, China, and four times to Australia. In North America, Andrew has enjoyed four teaching residencies in Canada (including The Banff Centre) and served as guest faculty for the prestigious University of Michigan musical theatre department. 

Andrew's side project is songwriting, where his work has been seen in feature films (IMDB page) and in prominent online sources such as Seth Rudetsky's "Obsessed" series. His youtube channel has over 700,000 views, and his parody of Heisler and Goldrich's "Taylor the Latte Boy" is his greatest hit.

Andrew is a master practitioner of Z-Health, a program of functional applied neuroscience for athletic trainers.