Book

Singing: Body & Soul

THE MIND: Grab Your Decoder Ring

Music itself is a code. At its deepest level, music represents the human inner life. Emotions are expressed with bursts of sound like cries, laughter, high wailing, long moans. These are coupled with the different heart rates that accompany these emotions. When these expressions became codified into repeatable melodies, measured beats, call and response games - music was born. Through music, music, a person can express the indescribable and recognize his or her own story in another person’s song - realizing that private human experiences are shared by others and no one is alone.”

THE VOICE: My Third Grade Teacher Told Me Not To Sing

Many beginning singers need exercises to stretch the muscles around the larynx “back and down” to shift the vocal cords into a new, more efficient position. Try this: Imagine a large, empty cone that starts at your neck and tapers down your back, to a point at the bottom of your spine. Sing a gentle “oo” and think of pushing the “oo” all the way down to the bottom of the cone. Notice how the sensation and the sound change.”

THE BREATH: I Sing Great In the Shower

Yeah, you and everybody else. Why is that? When you take your morning shower, you have just woken up from a good night’s sleep and feel relaxed. Perhaps you can still remember snatches of your dreams. You feel safe and secure, in the privacy of your bathroom. You are naked, hot, wet, and standing in a confined space filled with thick steam. All these elements contribute to ‘singing well in the shower.’ And some can translate to singing well on-stage.”