Who is Jaime Vendera?

I fell in love with singing at three years old, sliding across the floor in my socks while my grandmother played Elvis Presley’s, "Jailhouse Rock" on the record player. I’d dance on coffee tables and sing for anyone who’d watch. Music was in my bones. I joined the school choir, studied piano, played saxophone, and by sixteen, I was fronting a local band, performing in nightclubs while still in high school, something nearly unheard of today.

But my voice couldn’t keep up. I was often hoarse in the mornings, which drove me to study voice. I started with local teachers, then moved to Hollywood and enrolled in the Vocal Institute of Technology at Musicians Institute. I learned a little, but I wanted more.

After returning to Ohio in 1991, I studied with three powerhouse coaches who shaped my journey: Elizabeth Sabine, Thomas Appell, and my vocal idol Jim Gillette from NITRO. Their influence laid the foundation for the method I eventually created, called the ISO Method. It all began in 1996 when I helped a friend sing “Pull Me Under” by Dream Theater. I improvised an exercise on the spot, a simple octave slide I called a Siren. It reminded me of both an ambulance and Gillette’s scream. That day, my friend gained five notes in full voice, and I discovered my calling as a coach.

I started teaching and began writing Raise Your Voice in 2000. It took four years to complete. Because no one would publish it, I founded Vendera Publishing and reignited my love for writing.

That love of writing began way back in the sixth grade, when my English teacher assigned us daily journals. I struggled until she told us we could make up stories. From that moment, I was hooked, writing about unicorns, werewolves, and anything else my imagination could summon. But it wasn’t until 2008, while working with my good friend Daniel Middleton (owner of Scribe Freelance and my go-to for interior book designs), that I stepped fully into the world of fiction. When Daniel mentioned he also loved writing fiction, I asked if we could write something together. We co-wrote several novels, and during that time, he wrote Seven Points of Write and I wrote The 11 Simple Steps. That’s when we formed 711 Press, a fiction imprint under Vendera Publishing.

I’ve since authored dozens of books, both nonfiction and fiction, and helped singers and writers around the world find their voice.

One of the authors I signed years ago was Karisa DeLay, known for books like Crystal Gate, Four Rivers, and Before the World Was Lost. In 2023, we decided to launch a podcast together called All Ways Write, and we’ve been an inseparable writing team ever since.

In 2004, Jim Gillette recommended me to shatter glass by voice on Good Morning America. That led to my appearance on MythBusters, where I became the first singer filmed breaking glass with voice alone. The performance caught global attention and led to appearances on television shows worldwide.

For years, I traveled the world hosting vocal workshops, where I sang live and taught performance and vocal technique. Though the 2014 accident in Tokyo, when a shard of glass lodged in my throat, caused permanent nerve damage and affected my vocal range, I never gave up. Surgery was risky, so I looked for alternatives and discovered DoctorVox.

After receiving their original glass version, I suggested making a flexible silicone version that could fold up and fit in a pocket. I named it the PocketVox. When it didn’t fit well on water bottles, I encouraged the creation of a custom bottle. Today, singers around the world, including vocalists from the Goo Goo Dolls and Dream Theater, use these tools to protect and improve their voices.

As a vocal coach, people often ask if I’m also a singer. The answer is yes. Despite the vocal nerve damage, I began releasing original music in 2015. You may have heard songs like “Lisa” or “Casual Suicide.” I also enjoy recording covers by bands like Aerosmith and Alter Bridge. Creating music takes me longer than most singers, but I’m still recording and writing more. I refuse to let the injury stop me.

Though I travel less now, I still write and record original music, which you can hear on my YouTube channel.

At heart, I’m a vocal strength trainer. I build voices with more range, power, tone, and stamina. I also help authors shape their stories and discover their unique voice on the page.

I live in southern Ohio with my wife Diane, our beagle Max, and more than 20 cats. I’m a proud grandfather, and my grandson calls me “Dude.” Honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.