Jocia, lay on the floor, sing a little, and focus on how you are breathing now when you sing. Do your lift your shoulders when you breath in? They should stay relaxed and down. Can you feel your ribs expand and the lower part of your tummy move down and out? That is what should be happening when you take in a breath. You have to learn to relax while you are breathing correctly as well as while you are singing. It takes time and practice to retrain and strengthen the muscles that you are not used to using. Practice while singing scales on ooh or aah, then on singing passages of songs you know. Be aware of the phrasing of the melody and the logical breathing spots in the lyrics and tune. When the tummy pulls down and relaxes out, your diaphram moves out of the way so your lungs (and rib cage) can expand fully. Then, the air can be controlled as it is used to send a stream of sound through your vocal cords. This is much easier to understand if you have a teacher there in person to show you what you are doing wrong and how to do it correctly.

Good luck.

Alice Flynn