Sing: Register This
I’m noticing a trend which I am attributing, in part, to how crazy the world has become. That is the tendency in even well-trained singers to detach from the physical sensation of singing. This is most noticeable as the voice…
Mechanics: Contracts and Releases
We are here to talk musculature, not legal instruments but, in a way, the concept is the the same. One process binds and the other holds free. Neither is inherently good or bad. For the most part, the muscles in…
Observe: I woke up like this
You know that voice you have when you first wake up? The sometimes raspy, sometimes overly low, whathaveyou voice with which you greet the first people you speak to? That voice is showing you both what happens in an absence…
Friday Focus: Poise
I was at a networking breakfast last week where, as you do, I was giving my elevator pitch and starting conversations with strangers. This morning, in particular, I noted how many people associate voice production with "good" posture. I can see…
Hit that Note and other Pitch Fictions
Short on time? Try listening to this post instead here. "I can't hit that note!" "Let me try to hit that note again." "I think if I just try harder I could hit that note." The preceding three statements are…
Friday Focus: The Vocal Tract
Over the past weeks, I have described components of the vocal instrument working my way upward, and now we arrive at the source of sound, the vocal tract. First a definition, the vocal tract is the cavity where sounds are…
Friday Focus: Find your Wings
Today's focus is on your wings and how they work. Specifically, the Scapula and its muscle attachments. By now you have likely noticed how interrelated the parts of the body are when creating your best voice function. The Scapula (also…
Friday Focus: Breathing for Voice Use
In the end, it all comes down to the art of breathing. -Martha Graham The voice as we know it is the result of interconnected functions in the body powered by air, specifically by your breathing. Breathing is…