Studio Sessions: Increasing Vocal Stamina With Singer Cam

Cam came into the studio wanting to build vocal stamina—not just for hitting high notes, but for staying strong through a full live performance set. If you’ve ever felt like your voice taps out halfway through a set or starts thinning out the higher you go, then you’ll relate to this.

Early in the session, Cam described a few of his upper notes as sounding “weak.” Classic singer moment. You sing something, it doesn’t come out like you imagined, and your brain immediately labels it as wrong. But just because something feels unfamiliar doesn't mean it's bad.

That was the starting point for a really cool conversation—and transformation.

💡 What Even Is Vocal Strength?

So many singers think power means volume. But if you’re just trying to muscle your way through a high phrase, all you’re really doing is setting yourself up for burnout. And let’s be real, it kinda starts sounding like you’re yelling on pitch, rather than singing at that point.

When your pitch goes up, your vocal folds stretch and thin out. That thinner sound doesn’t mean your voice is failing—it means it’s doing what it’s supposed to do. Of course there are things we can do to keep the sound strong and powerful, but just know that it is totally normal for the voice to sound a bit thinner up there.

Once Cam started letting go of the idea that “strong” had to mean loud, things started opening up. The sound got more focused, the breath more consistent, and suddenly the “weak” parts were working just fine. Just because something is less loud or less powerful than the low notes, doesn’t mean it needs to be MORE powerful. As singers we always want to work harder than we have to. I promise you, most people won’t even notice that you got more “mixy” up there - the only one who has a problem with it is your ego 😉

🎯 What We Worked On

Here’s what we focused on in Cam’s session to build true, lasting stamina:

1. Reducing Effort (Especially Tongue Tension)

Cam had some subtle tongue tension that was getting in the way. Releasing that effort gave his voice more room to resonate and helped avoid that tight, squeezed feeling up top.

2. Increasing Breath Flow

We leaned into more breath-driven singing to keep the airflow moving—especially in his mid-to-high range. This wasn’t about being breathy - though that’s how we initially explored this breath flow-, but about staying relaxed and flexible.

3. Tweaking Vowels for Ease

A few small vowel adjustments helped everything click. The phrasing felt easier, and the tone improved instantly. Vowel tweaks might seem small, but they’re one of the fastest ways to unlock vocal freedom.

🚨 Stop Labeling Everything “Weak”

This came up a lot. The voice would sound clear and balanced, but because it didn’t feel forceful, it got labeled as weak. That’s a trap so many singers fall into—especially if they’re used to singing at full tilt all the time.

If you’ve ever had that thought mid-phrase (“ugh, that was too soft” or “that didn’t hit”), pause. It might be exactly what your voice needed.

What we call “weak” is often just new. Different. More efficient. But still plenty powerful.

🧠 What You Can Learn From This

If your goal is to sing longer, stronger, and with more consistency, try this:

• Let go of the need to sound loud all the time - after all, you’ll always sing with a microphone

• Prioritize ease and efficiency over push

• Notice tension—especially in the tongue, jaw or neck

• Keep your airflow moving freely

• Don’t assume “different” = “bad”

Cam didn’t overhaul his voice. He just got more aware, more relaxed, and more confident in his ability to trust what he was hearing. And honestly? That’s where the real magic happens.

Want to see the coaching happening in real time? Check out the recording of our session here:

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