Having grown up singing in church, Charles Morgan's pipes have been thoroughly steeped in gospel music which, along with his passion for ole' school R&B, explains the soulful potency of his inspired vocal style. Appropriately, the path that led Charles from his Rochester, NY community to the LA Music Academy is dotted with footprints previously laid by a fellow musician from his church. At the suggestion of drummer Chaun Horton (8/06), Charles researched the Academy and made the decision to apply. Having known since the age of twelve that he wanted to be a career singer, Charles has already had the opportunity to work with major recording artists of both the gospel and R&B worlds, and has done a lot of regional gospel work singing background for various artists. He is currently a student at the LA Music Academy, learning even more effective strategies for professionalism.

"My first class usually starts at 9AM. I come to school a little early, just to get my mind prepared for class, whether it's Harmony and Theory, or Sight Singing and Ear Training. These are very, very valuable classes because they help you identify what it is in the music you listen to that defines it to your ear. In the years before I came to the Academy — even with a professional background — I'd hear something and be like, 'oh, I've heard that before,' and I could relate it to something that sounded similar, but still not know it from a music theory standpoint. It's like the difference between your ear's tonal ability to recognize that two melodies sound similar, and your brain's harmonic knowledge that can explain why they are similar. So those morning classes are pretty valuable!

Then, we normally have Technique Lecture. I find the technique taught at the Academy essential to the conditioning of anyone's voice. Some people take the technique and they make it into their all-in-all: they use it day in and day out, without trying anything else. I choose to find a balance in it by taking things that apply to me and using them in respectable and healthy ways to condition my voice, whether I'm singing or not.

Next, in Applied Techniques class, we work on our songs for the following week by applying the techniques that we're being taught to the current song we're singing. It is so helpful. I mean you can't truly understand a technique without also learning how to apply it, and imply it, to the action. In this class, you can really hear how much better you're singing the songs. It's really helpful to be accompanied only by a guitarist, not a full band. The reason is because usually, when you are newer to the school, you don't know your voice quite well enough, and a band can cover up all your mistakes. So basically, it's just you and the audience, and you have to be able to communicate effectively with the audience. So it's very good to start without using a mic, without a backing band, because it helps you learn your voice effectively, and it's definitely an extremely humbling experience.

In the afternoon we have Ensemble Workshops, where you perform in front of your classmates and your teacher. You're critiqued on your performance, which helps you know what you should work on. You're told how to do it, and if you're not sure then you can ask questions and try it again — you're able to sing your song over again and improve on the things that you didn't get right the first time."

"The vocal teachers have been especially helpful for me. When they teach something, they also demonstrate that they're able to apply it to what they're doing, you know? So they're not just talkers, they're actually doers — they practice what they preach. Many of them come from totally different directions and have totally different styles. They are all successful and are doing what they want to do — singing, and earning a living from it."

"The most important thing a vocalist should understand is that you don't have to do all those fancy riffs and runs to be appreciated. The greatest singers of all time weren't extravagant; I mean, they sound great without showing off. I think musicality is based on how well you govern three things: your appreciation of it, your understanding of what it really means, and your dedication to figuring it out. I can't stress enough that a knowledgeable love for what you do creates good music.