Developing your mixed voice is a complex task that is one of the most complicated vocal techniques in singing. Many classically-trained voice teachers cannot do it! If you're determined to learn how to do it, find a vocal coach with experience in this area to guide you. Chromatic scales are composed of notes in sequence, like the keys of a piano. Start with a scale a few notes below the break point in your register—the moment you normally switch from chest voice to head voice. Sing 5-note chromatic scales above, through, and below the break, in ascending and descending patterns.  Keep your tone even, and go slowly. Don't rush the difficult notes. You will naturally blend your head and chest voices if you sing below and above your register break without changing your tone. Play along on a piano as you sing, or sing along to a recording of vocal exercises. You can easily find free recordings of 5-note chromatic scales for vocal exercise online. While warming up, sing short scales. Rather than singing each note distinctly, "slide" your voice from one note to the next. Sing up and down a scale. Go slowly and do not allow yourself to vary your speed, so that you don't skip over your register break. Yawn widely to stretch your lips. Purse your lips and say "buh-buh-buh" while singing a scale. Try to make a good clear noise, not releasing too much air. If your lips keep losing the trill, stop and yawn, or put a finger in each cheek on either side of your mouth.  Use this exercise regularly. The beginning of your routine is a good time for it, as it warms up your mouth. Do your trills for a scale longer each time. When singing using your chest voice, focus on not straining your throat.

Summary: Find a vocal coach to help you learn this technique. Sing 5-note chromatic scales. Slur your scales. Practice lip trills.


Choose one type of paper in a standard size. It could be blank or lined, plain white or colored, depending on your preferences. Stack these sheets together, making sure that they are all perfectly lined up and the edges are even.  Try printer paper for a quick and simple notebook. Use sheets of colorful construction paper, measuring the same dimensions, if you want a more durable scrapbook-style notebook. You could use drawing paper for a sketchbook. If you’re using letter-sized paper or something similar, the long edge on the left will serve as the spine. Line up the stack of paper and cover sheets so that the left edges are perfectly aligned. Insert the whole stack into a 3-hole punch and press it down to create the holes.  If you’re using a handheld hole punch, feel free to create as many holes along the spine as you’d like. You may want to use a pencil and ruler to mark out the placement of the holes beforehand so they’re evenly spaced. Push the stack in as far as it will go into the 3-hole punch so that the edges of the paper press up evenly against it. Feel free to add stickers, photos, gems, or anything else you can think of to decorate your notebook’s cover.  Place a smaller piece of paper in the center and use this as a label or title card for your notebook. If you prefer, leave the front cover blank and use it as a canvas for doodles.

Summary: Stack up a few sheets of the same type of paper for your pages. Use a 3-hole punch to create 3 holes along the spine. Add embellishments to decorate the cover of your notebook.


Look through your clothes and think about which outfits look best on you. Think about what colors you get complimented while wearing and what shirts you’d wear on a date. Make sure to stay away from busy patterns, white, bright colors, and clothing with words or big logos.  When in doubt, wear a dark, solid color.  Don’t wear anything too low-cut. Go with opaque fabrics. Big earrings, watches, bracelets, necklaces, scarves, or other accessories will just distract from your face and smile. If you want to wear accessories, it’s better to choose small, simple ones that don’t immediately demand attention.  Go with a thin gold or silver necklace chain with a small pendant instead of a chunky colorful necklace with a thicker chain. Make sure to wear a watch that’s appropriate for your wrist size and isn’t too flashy. Have your makeup look as clump-free and natural as possible. Be conservative with the amount you use or else it might appear “cakey.” Keep in mind that you want a subtle enhancement, not anything too extreme.  Stick to just one light coat of brown mascara to give your eyes a subtle enhancement. Stay away from extremely bright or dark lipsticks. Hold off on making any major changes to your appearance, such as switching to a new acne cream or dyeing your hair an exciting new color. While you might love these changes, there’s also a chance that they won’t end up looking the way you expected or wanted. Try not to get too stressed about looking amazing. If you just lost your front tooth or you have a couple fly away hairs you can’t quite secure, it’s okay. In the future, you’ll want to look back on the picture you take and see what you really looked like at this age. A couple of endearing imperfections aren’t going to ruin that.

Summary: Plan out your outfit. Keep your accessories simple. Keep your makeup natural-looking. Don’t change your appearance too much. Don’t worry about looking perfect.


Tour guides work at parks, historic homes, sightseeing companies, cruise ships, and many other locations. Consider where you’d most enjoy working. Narrow your search to those types of positions. To get started, enter something like “Be a tour guide on a cruise ship to the Caribbean” into your favorite search engine. You can then browse through tour guiding jobs with different companies, job requirements, and salaries. In order to decide where you want to work, attend a variety of tours. Go to museums and historic homes in your area and book a tour on a sightseeing bus. Make note of the pros and cons of different kinds of tour guide jobs.  You may need to space these tours out, as some could get expensive. Budget in one tour every two weeks or so. While you’re looking for jobs, go on tours instead of going out to eat or doing other fun activities. Invite friends and family to take tours with you. They’ll be able to share their likes and dislikes with you, which will help you be a better guide once you find a job. When you go on tours, be sure to bring a notebook with you to keep track of your thoughts about the experiences. You can refer back to these notes later if you’re weighing different job offers. The notes may also help you develop your own tour guiding style. Many cities, countries, and regions have professional organizations of tour guides. These organizations help guides advance their careers and promote tour guiding as a positive aspect of international tourism. They can help you find educational opportunities, and they may point you in the direction of job openings. For more information and to find a list of associations located around the world, visit: http://www.beabetterguide.com/tour-guide-associations/. Travel agencies may partner up with local sightseeing companies for advertising. Take the brochures they keep in their office, and ask which companies they recommend to their clients most often. Contact the best companies using the information you find in the brochure and ask about openings. Be aware that travel agents may tell you they love a certain company if the two are in a partnership together, even if they know the company has some issues. Be sure to do your own research by going online or visiting the company’s offices. Especially if you live in a big city or even a larger town, there are probably sightseeing companies right down the road from you. Get in touch with these companies via email or phone and ask whether they’ve got openings. These local opportunities could be a great place for you to start your career as a guide.  You can also look online to see if the companies have open jobs, as many will list these positions on their websites. If you’re hoping to become a tour guide to travel, this might not be your favorite option. Remember that doing work locally can help you build your resume and gain experience while staying in your comfort zone. You can always keep looking for travel-oriented jobs while you’re working!
Summary: Look online for a variety of job postings. Take tours to see which ones you like. Take notes to record your thoughts about different tours. Check out tour guide associations’ websites. Visit your local travel agency to pick up brochures. Contact major sightseeing companies in your area.