Happy New Year everyone! Once again I need to apologize for the long gap between posts. The Holidays…bla bla etc.
Anyway, one of my resolutions for 2013 is to sing more, and with that is a constant reminder to relax and take it slow, or more accurately, keep it still. The calm is the power source. If you can be incredibly still while taking that first breath you are off to an amazing start but that is a lot trickier than it sounds. We tend to be very aggressive with the breath for many reasons. First of all it just seems too boring to be so passive. Singing is performing and that immediately brings a burden of responsibility to be exciting and electrifying. The secret is that the excitement and electricity lie in the calm. If your larynx is still, low and calm, the sky is the limit as to what you can create. If your larynx is engaged, lifted and tense, you already have a ceiling on your immediate ability. In 20 years of teaching I have never and refuse to ever use the word support. It implies a muscularity that in general is problematic. You would not believe the gyrations and contortions I have seen people go through for their supposed idea of support and correct breathing. Babies make more noise than any singer could aspire to and they have absolutely no muscle tone to rely on. It’s the freedom that allows them all that glorious sound and their immediate recovery. So, sit down, relax the neck, shoulders, chest and stomach and take a long slow breath. Then exhale, wait s few seconds and try to take the calmest breath possible and let out a long slow Ahhhhhhhh. Feel Good? Oh yes it does!!! Try working like that for about 5 minutes. Slow motion, 1/2 asleep , long slow calm breaths with long released vowels. Aaaaaaaa_____, Eeeeeee____, Iiiiii______ Oooooo______ Uuuuuu_____ Mmmmmmmm______ Shhhhhhh_______. NICE!!!!Now stand up and see what happens.
Happy 2013!
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