TechMates
I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing

If you love to sing but are embarrassed to sing anywhere but in your own shower, I have the answer to your dilemma.  The Carry-a-Tune software will teach you how to sing at your own pace and in the privacy of your home.  Singing Coach is a set of singing lessons that introduces you to the basics of singing.  The animated coaches are a bit hokey.  I really had trouble relating to talking microphone, but the tutorials are easy to follow and present the material in a lighthearted manner.  The program includes headphones with a built-in microphone, so you can train your voice.

First you learn how to control your voice.  After you perform warm-ups, you then sing using the techniques that you have just been taught.  On screen you see the correct pitch, as well as the pitch you are singing at.  To be honest, when I first started, my pitch was so poor that it was off the screen.  I had to go back and do the tutorial again, getting a little more serious about the breathing techniques and singing basics.  I fared better the second time.  

The Singing Coach lets you choose your own songs to sing. The Unlimited version comes with 24 songs on CD, and you can download 12 more from the Carry-a-Tune Web site at no additional cost.  In the Unlimited version you can also create your own songs, import MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) files, and track progress for six singers.

While this program won't take the place of professional singing lessons, it can make a difference.  I learned things about the correct way to sing and found that it can improve your singing.

Written by Sandy Berger