Brandon Kennedy
Vocalist, Teacher
Vancouver, BC
I’m a vocalist and vocal teacher that specializes in metal techniques. I teach in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and over Skype to students in different countries.
Here’s some new laryngoscopy footage demonstrating false cord, shout screams, fry, throat singing variations, and other sounds. It was mainly done to observe, learn about different phonations, and show the similarities between throat singing and screaming: goo.gl/M6HZeg
I started out watching Melissa Cross’ DVD’s, taught myself a lot over the years, then attended school for classical voice. I was very passionate about applying classical training to metal, to achieve the most proper techniques possible. After school I continued education by going to various seminars and courses, always with an open mind to learn. I’ve always been the science type but have felt creative callings, so voice science is very fascinating to me.
For a long time I sought to identify a bridge between singing and screaming, and discovered throat singing to be very effective for this. I eventually mastered false cord screaming with the finesse of throat singing in combination with fry. I couldn’t have achieved such progress without guidance from Melissa Cross (the ‘sweet spots’ align perfectly to create a layered technique).
I have also been pursuing shout/fry screams, but haven’t quite mastered them yet. Compared to others, my throat singing is relatively basic, as I have used it more as a learning tool than its own pursuit. Until recently I was always focused on heavy vocals, and never gave enough attention to my singing voice… but that is changing now. I have been actively pursuing a broader spectrum of vocals, but still have a lot to learn.
I established my basis on YouTube making vocal tutorials for the metal community. However, all my videos are very old, not good, and should be disregarded. I have taken a break for the last 3+ years to learn and grow. I am in the process of deleting old videos and revamping my channel with new content. The only decent tutorial I have to show for is one I put out in 2016 (goo.gl/DHsiVF), but even so I would update it if I could. Videos coming later this year will be much better, as I will be working with Melissa Cross and making sure all information is properly reviewed.
Although my past videos aren’t up to the standard I would like, and I have much to learn, I believe I currently have a lot to offer. My students typically achieve very quick results, successfully reaching their diverse goals. I approach extreme vocals from a universal standpoint – there are some basic sensory exercises that apply to all metal and rock styles, which if learned properly, can be combined with standard training to achieve various gritty overtones without any vocal damage. With this, vocalists have the freedom to apply the fundamentals to any unique sound they desire.
I am always open to new information, love discussing the voice with other passionate individuals, and am very excited to continue my education at this convention!