Control Your Power & Sing Like Whitney Houston | Studio Session with Singer Brandi
When we think of powerhouse singers like Whitney Houston, Beyonce, Jennifer Hudson, etc we think about power and volume. So naturally when we start singing those kinds of songs, we also get pretty loud. Now, there’s nothing wrong with being loud when you sing! But we do need to make sure that you actually have control over your power and volume and that it doesn’t just turn into a “yelling on pitch” and wearing you out too quickly.
That’s exactly what Brandi felt when she brought in “I Have Nothing” by Whitney Houston. It’s one of those songs you dream of singing but never seems quite achievable—because it demands so much. The funny thing is that Brandi wasn’t taking the power in those high notes - even post key change at the end of the song. The problem was that she just couldn’t control the power and she almost blew me away with her volume! She herself said that she just gets so tired when singing that song.
So that’s exactly what we did - we worked on reducing her volume without sacrificing power so that she can still belt her face off like Whitney, but in a sustainable way.
A Little Background on Brandi
Brandi’s a singer-songwriter who I met years ago (we both think it was back in 2019) at a songwriter round in our town. It was both of our first time playing a show like that. We barely knew what we were doing—but we showed up, shared our songs, and immediately clicked.
She’s one of those voices that just has natural emotion and so much power in it. But for a long time, Brandi didn’t feel like she could share her music. Still to this day she struggles to release the songs she wrote because she’s worried that people wouldn’t like them - even after asking her repeatedly where they can listen to her music! The mind can play mean tricks on us sometimes…
It’s a fear and lack of confidence that shows up for a lot of artists—especially women. There’s this quiet conditioning that says, “Don’t take up too much space.” Brandi grew up feeling like her opinion didn’t always matter, like her voice wasn’t meant to be front and center. Writing and performing became a way to undo that narrative.
“I’m not trying to be trendy,” she said. “I just want to release something I’m proud of.”
And that’s what matters most—music that feels like you. Not what’s marketable. Not what fits in a label. And Brandi is finally getting ready to take that next step in her journey! She's releasing new music soon—songs that don’t try to fit perfectly in a box, but actually reflect who she is and how she sings.
First Verse & Chorus: Beautiful… But Already Working Too Hard
The first verse had a soft, breathy quality—light and vulnerable. It was absolutely stunning - no notes! And then came the chorus. I thought that I had a loud and powerful voice myself, but man oh man, Brandi was on a whole other level! She went from beautiful soft notes (on a scale from 1 - 10 she was probably at a 2 here) to a 11 in a matter of seconds. Don’t get me wrong - super impressive! But also…. where are we gonna go from here? There’s 3 more minutes in this song!
So we tried out a couple different things to help her go to like a 6-7 instead of 11. Here’s what helped:
Keeping volume closer to a 5 out of 10
Singing more with breath, less with pressure
Staying chest-dominant, but not overly compressed
Mentally resetting the idea that “less” means “weak”
“I actually like the tone better like this,” she said. “It feels more like my voice.”
Brandi was singing at a solid 5–6 instead of an 8–9, and the difference was clear. Her voice wasn’t tiring out—and there was still room to grow.
This also made space for artistic choices. Brandi didn’t love how “stay in my arms” felt in her voice. That’s okay. The melody stayed, but she adjusted the shape and intensity. It sounded more natural, and more honest. And that’s what great singers do—shape a song into something that fits.
Second Verse: Making It Her Own
Now that the first 3rd of the song didn’t already tire her out, there was space to alter the melody in the second verse and pre-chorus slightly and really make the song her own. She also created a lot of beautiful push and pull moments, meaning some phrases were at a 4, others at a 6 and constantly going back and fourth between them made it super interesting and emotional. Brandi wasn’t in survival mode anymore - and that’s where artistry can come alive.
I always tell this to singers - whenever you’re worried about hitting the notes, not cracking, sounding good, etc, you’re in your head too much and you won’t be able to focus on telling the story of the song and making it your own. Work on getting the notes and tone right first, then forget about everything and focus on artistry and storytelling ;)
Key Change: No More Strain
Reaching the last chorus is usually where fatigue sets in for Brandi—but not this time. Even after the key change, Brandi’s voice still had flexibility. She said it didn’t feel straining. That was the biggest win. And all of that happened because she was pacing herself throughout the song and reduced effort on the high belty notes.
The “don’t you dare run away from me” line—normally a big belty moment—came out softer and more focused. Still powerful, just… different. More centered. Less driven by muscle.
“That actually felt really good. Like, I didn’t have to fight for it.”
Custom HTML/CSS/JAVASCRIPT
🎵 Wrapping Up: Cool Down for Longevity
Before calling it a day, we talked about how to cool down the voice—because recovery is just as important as performance.
Here’s what Brandi used:
Lip trills
Vocal fry
Inside sighs
Slides on “wee”
Straw phonation in water
These simple tools help bring the vocal folds back to a relaxed, neutral place. Especially after a song that involves heavy vocal lifting, cool downs make the next day way easier.
“It’s like a marathon runner—you don’t just stop after the finish line.”
Custom HTML/CSS/JAVASCRIPT
Final Thoughts
Power doesn’t always mean pushing. And pulling back doesn’t make you a smaller singer—it makes you a smarter one. Brandi found a version of the song that worked not just for her voice, but for her. The emotion was there. The strength was still present. But the fight was gone. And that’s the kind of singing that lasts.
🎧 Want to hear how this all came together in real time?
Watch or listen here:
Prefer Listening To The Podcast On Your Favorite Platform? Listen Below.
