Master Your Voice: A Full Review Project

A while back, I tried an online voice lesson with Matt Ramsey of Ramsey Voice Studio (you can see that here). I really enjoyed it and got great feedback on it. Several people asked if I planned on doing more lessons with him, and the answer is yes! Kind of.

Matt graciously invited me to try his Master Your Voice from Ramsey Voice Studio program in exchange for an honest review. I have now finished the course and I’m excited to tell you how it went!

Master Your Voice from Ramsey Voice Studio

First, I just want to say that “Master Your Voice” is not a unique course name. Freya Casey (another vocal coach I respect) and The Worship Vocalist, whom I don’t know, also use it. So, I’ll probably call it the Ramsey Voice Studio class from here on, just to differentiate it. Here is the page that explains the course, but I’ll use its own summary in a nutshell:

Master Your Voice is an online vocal course for students who wish to learn on their own or supplement our live classes. More than 60 online singing lessons and personalized help whenever you need it.

Ramsey Voice Studio

I assume this will be similar to my MasterClass projects, where I go through the course and review it for you. If you aren’t familiar with my MasterClass reviews, I’ve done Christina Aguilera’s here, Reba McEntire’s here, and Deadmau5’s here. This will not be an affiliate project, but I did get the class for free in exchange for my reviews on it, just so we’re clear!

My Current Vocal Problems

Here are just a few things I’d like to improve:

• I find myself getting sore and hoarse at the end of sessions
• My sustained notes tend to falter in pitch midway through
• I have too much vibrato at times (mostly at ends of phrases)
• I’d love to increase my range
• I’d like more power in my voice overall

A lot of these seem like simple fixes. Better posture, breath support, etc. However, since I do music full-time, I find that a lot of these things are just bad habits that are hard to correct. It’s muscle memory after years of doing the wrong thing, so I need some intense work to get me back on track.

The Vocal Lesson Plan

I’m not doing a weekly update like I do with my MasterClass reviews. Instead, I’m going to take my time with the course and measure my progress. Since I sing everyday, it should be easy to notice a difference. I’ll do a follow-up review once I’m midway through the course, and then a final overview and review once I’ve completed it.

Really, voice lessons never end for singers. We need to constantly practice and review what we’ve learned in order to keep our voices healthy and toned. The good news is that once you buy the class, it’s yours to keep forever so you can go back to it. If you don’t have access to in-person voice lessons (or you’re just an introvert hermit like me and hate leaving your house), online singing lessons might be for you!

Here is my video about the beginning of this project!

Master Your Voice – First Quarter Update

Well so far I’ve completely failed at the course, mostly because I keep forgetting to do anything. I even have it bookmarked at the top of my browser, but I just keep forgetting I need to even do anything. I need to keep myself accountable somehow.

When I do manage to work on the course, I have a few things I love right off the bat:

• The warmups go way beyond my range in both directions. Many warmups don’t go the full scale range and it’s frustrating. I feel these will allow me to stretch my voice and grow.
• The audio and video quality are great
• Matt is a great instructor, easy to understand and the videos are great

I’m going to make it a point to do the warmups daily!

Halfway Update

Well…I forgot to do the warmups daily, and then when I did remember I tended to overdo it and wear my voice out. I got a little better at remembering closer to midway and ramped up my practice. Before my work everyday, I made sure to go through at least one warmup and do it multiple times. Here’s a video of my progress:

Third Quarter Update

WHY AM I SO BAD AT REMEMBERING TO DO THIS? I am really struggling with accountability. I think part of it is that by the time I do remember, I’m not in a place where I can drop everything and do it. When I’m working, I’m already singing and not thinking about it. I know I need to finish this for Matt, but I need to finish it for ME also. I’m annoyed at myself.

Here are a few other things I love about the course so far:

• Matt explains WHY you do each warmup, which I think is really helpful. Simply going through the motions is frustrating because I like to know the reason behind things.
• There are karaoke songs you work on, which is super helpful if you’re doing a talent show or something. The songs also show you how your work will pay off in real life.
• I started taking another music course on Udemy and the video/audio quality is SO BAD, it makes me really appreciate how much time and effort Matt puts into the course. Everything is edited really nicely and flows really well. It definitely doesn’t feel like wasted time!

Final Master Your Voice Update – Class Completed!

Here is my video with the final review:

I am so excited to say that I finished the course! I’m going to break this down for you with my overall thoughts:

The Positives:

• I have definitely improved my voice (more on that later)
• The audio is very high quality and flows well
• The videos are extremely helpful explanations of why you do the warmups in the first place
• The karaoke songs are incredibly helpful and allow you to apply your newly acquired skills

The Negatives:

• Honestly, the only negative was me. I had a really hard time keeping myself focused. It’s easy to buy an online class and just forget about it, so I have some recommendations below.

How I’ve Improved My Voice:

• I hit a high G, which was never in my range before, so I’ve definitely increased my upper range
• My lower range hasn’t necessarily increased, but I noticed my lower notes are stronger and more easily accessible. I think the more I work on this, the more my range will gradually increase on both sides.
• I can definitely turn off or on my vibrato as needed now (this was one of my goals before the class)
• I definitely feel stronger vocally overall and I don’t have nearly as much strain or soreness after long studio sessions!

My Recommendations for Students of Master Your Voice:

• Set an appointment time and keep it! If you were to sign up for in-person lessons, you would schedule a time to be there. Do the same here and show up for your lesson!
• Hold yourself accountable somehow. Whether it’s blogging about it, vlogging, having a buddy to rely on, whatever will help you keep going. You have to be really disciplined to take an online course, so make sure you’re prepared!
• Record your progress along the way. I wish I had done this! Although I can tell I’ve improved, I think having audio proof would be cool and motivating.

Overall, Master Your Voice from Ramsey Voice Studio has by far been the best vocal course I have taken. The results are measurable, the lessons are actionable, and it’s well worth the time and money spent!