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Voice Care sửa

Sopranos whose natural speaking voices are quite low compared to their singing voices are sometimes concerned that this disparity may be harmful to their singing careers. Some of these singers are right to be concerned, for singing/speaking pitch disparity may contribute to voice problems.

Contemporary literature on singers' dysphonia (difficulty in producing vocal sounds) has identified speaking in a low pitch as a significant factor contributing to vocal problems.

It can lead to vocal fatigue because it affects the relationship between subglottal air pressure (below the vocal cords) and pitch production. It can lead to strain because more energy and muscle effort is needed when speaking at low pitches.

Mezzo-sopranos and sopranos are expected to have a speaking voice range of 230-262 Hz. Low-pitch speaking by sopranos may be age-dependent, with younger sopranos having a basic speaking voice at about 224 Hz, middle-age sopranos at 218 Hz, and older sopranos at 214 Hz.

Pitch production may also be affected during a woman's premenstrual period, with the speaking voice lower and a wider pitch distribution. Singers who experience any of the symptoms listed above may want to check with their voice coach or teacher or with a voice pathologist about the levels of the voice they are using for speaking.

Singers often experience voice fatigue when they have voice disorders. Common complaints include the voice feeling tired and full and dry when speaking, and an aching throat. Fatigued singers also complain of increased effort and whole body fatigue when talking or singing, and they worry that they are doing something wrong.

Vocal fatigue may be caused by a host of different factors, including incorrect voice use, misuse, abuse, or organic or functional problems.

Singers who experience heartburn or other symptoms of stomach acid reflux are concerned that this condition might affect their voices. Gastroesophageal reflux and gastrolaryngeal reflux, in which gastric acid moves back up the esophagus and may even reach the larynx, can affect the voice as well as causing other health problems.

Refluxed acid may cause damage to the mucous membranes of the esophagus. It can cause not only heartburn, but also a number of problems related to voice production, including common harshness, halitosis, sore throat, bitter taste, dry mouth, cough during sleep, chronic throat clearing, phlegm, prolonged warm-up time for singers, and a sensation of a lump in the throat.

The Tao of Singing sửa

by Bruce Schoonmaker

Please feel free to offer me your responses or suggestions. Send me email. There is an inmost centre in us all, Where truth abides in fulness... and, to KNOW, Rather consists in opening out a way Whence the imprisoned splendour may escape --Robert Browning, Paracelsus

I believe that singing is a discipline and art that opens out a way for the imprisoned splendour within us to escape. It is a means for finding what is best and brightest within the singer, what resonates most beautifully within his soul. When we open ourselves to the immediacy and joy of singing, we move closer to wholeness, closer to awareness, empowered by a harmony within us that lacks no love and has no need to find fault. By making music, man expresses what is noblest, deepest, and most worthy in life. Those listening, those experiencing the art, resonate to this beauty and move toward the same wholeness, awareness, and harmony within themselves.

How do we open ourselves to that centre where Truth abides? We do so by adopting the disciplines of vocal training and musical study, and by learning interpretation and the art of musical phrasing. We gain enough vocal technique to warrant moving beyond it, enough to make it second nature, enough to forget it and sing. The pursuit of these disciplines creates within our beings a polarity of positive and negative energies, out of which we create real meaning to singing, meaning both intimate and vivid. This meaning will be different for each singer, but each singer must have his creative reason for singing, a reason that reaches deep within him and brings forth energy in abundance. This raison d'être or "love for singing" integrates the polarity within us, allowing us to create something very beautiful from the many different motivations for singing well.

The scenario for opening ourselves to the centre within may be something like this: the student wants to sing. He believes that he wants to improve his singing because he likes the applause that he receives. So he starts lessons, discovering the hard work involved in getting better. At the same time he discovers the negative side of hard work (frustration, long hours of tedious vocalises and repetition), he also discovers the positive side (improvement in how he sounds, more applause, compliments from those who hear him, and the joy of studying music). In placing himself actively between the poles of positive and negative energy in the discipline of singing, he integrates the energies into something creative, something new, something that binds the two polarities of energy into a double-helix of energy surrounding his art of singing.

He learns in performing the integration of energy that happens before an audience. Negative energies include frustration, stage fright, fear of judgment, shaking knees, and dry mouth. Positive energies include the internal response to applause, the self-fulfillment in creating beauty, and the stimulation of performing. The student integrates these positive and negative energies each time he performs, and each integration of energy draws the artist into the centre where Truth abides in fulness. He draws from the richness of this centre each time that he performs. This integration of energy opens the centre, allowing "the imprisoned splendour to escape." Tapping into this centre and allowing the splendour to escape through musical vocalism create the art of singing.

Ironically, opening to this centre becomes the real, vital reason for singing; the singer may have thought that he wanted to sing better in order to receive more adulation, but in actual fact he unconsciously sought the inmost centre. Performing and receiving applause are nice, but nothing compares with the joy of creativity, the joy of allowing one's imprisoned splendour to escape. It is a subtle pleasure, but one of immense power. It is a singer's reason for being. When you see a singer receiving well-deserved applause, know that his deepest pleasure lies in the moment-to-moment creativity during the performance, not in the way the audience thanks him for his efforts.

The principle of positive-negative poles, the yin-yang in life, enables and empowers art. How often people theorize that without hardship and tragedy, art could not be created. How often people believe that art emerges only from the depths of a tormented soul. But doesn't every man and every woman suffer torments? Doesn't everyone resonate to tragedy and hardship?

It's a tragedy when people never suffer.

Even the wealthy, even the famous suffer petty disturbances and pains in life. Everyone meets death and everyone confronts the fear of death every day of her life.

Death and birth are two of the polarities representing yin-yang, the positive-negative flux of life. An artist places herself intentionally within this flux, within this creative tension. Discipline and freedom are creative polarities important in singing. The discipline of singing requires hours of commitment daily: breathing exercises, physical exercises, vocalizing, learning music, practicing, and practicing performing. The freedom of singing involves forgetting discipline intentionally, allowing the artist to perform effortlessly and ingenuously, with spontaneity and personal charm. The singer places herself in the flux of positive-negative polarity by searching for the drama within the text of what she sings and within the grand gesture of the music itself. Seeking the dramatic conflict, she places herself in the middle of conflicting energies, allowing the singing to integrate creatively those energies. How often professional singers lose touch with an operatic role by forgetting to place themselves within the conflict!

Only the serene artist places himself in conflict!

This process, of placing ourselves between the poles, of integrating positive and negative energies, allows the ego to subordinate itself to the creative self in such a way that the ego experiences a form of death, a stepping back or giving up of power, so that the creative moment can come, not channeled by control, but channeled by intuition and love. Part of learning to sing is learning to experience this ego-death. It can be painful and can evoke the emotions of fear and revulsion surrounding the prospect of physical death. The fear of death becomes a barrier to progress for the artist.

This fear forms a locus of power in our psyches that draws many other fears and pains-too-intense-to-confront to itself, a whirling focus of energy rarely tapped by those who move near it within themselves. Instead, they shy away from such energy and power because to use it would bring the fear to consciousness and would require their confronting the fear. Perhaps we should practice dying in order to confront how much power, how much feeling, how much energy we contain and how we can tap it for use every day. By overcoming our dread and loathing at approaching this locus, we can use its energy and power in positive ways. Meditation, Reiki, Yoga, Tai Chi, and Feldenkrais are positive methods of exploring the ego-death and unlocking the power within this locus.

Death and birth are powerful polarities, between which life resonates, integrating them into creative action. Singing, the discipline and performance, becomes a means of approaching ego-death in a beautiful way, tapping the power surrounding our fear of death and bringing it forward, to share with others in the form of music. The ancient Greeks believed in the healing power of music, the power of certain melodies and scales to transform consciousness, to bring about a positive change in the personality of those who performed it and those who listened to it.

Birth and death are two sides of the same coin. In life we stand between the mirror of birth and the mirror of death, knowing we can't focus on unending images, but at the same time compelled to look beyond ourselves and to make meaning of what we see. And what we see is often confusing. But each of us has a locus of TRUTH abiding deep within, a place of great power and majesty. Often the fear of death forms a barrier to focusing in this centre; that is why teachers, directors, conductors, and coaches must understand the need for positive encouragement and patience in leading singers to this point. The art of building singers' capabilities integrates energies: stretching the body beyond the student's imagined limitations, stretching the psyche beyond what the student thought he could encompass, stretching the emotional being to encompass feelings and directive forces capable of bringing out of him colors and words that convey more than information, more than emotion, more than musicality, more than meaning. They bring out TRUTH. This is the derivation of "education," from the Latin "e-" meaning out, and "ducere," meaning to lead, draw, or bring.

Like the ancient legends of a language in which one cannot lie, singing must reflect intensely the qualities, the personality, the spirit and truth within the singer. It must come from that "centre where Truth abides in fulness." Such is the path of singing. Such is the path of the discipline that leads to singing. Such is the path of the teacher of singing, the artist who creates and coaches artists. The person who finds the true genius within others is the most worthy teacher. The person who believes in each person's genius and who is determined to find that genius and let it speak through the vehicle that we call The Singer, this is the teacher that we need to find, that we need to call upon within ourselves.

The polarity that we call DISCIPLINE must develop to its fullest extent. Singers need to take a hard look at the negative side of discipline. This is the part that requires time, commitment, a striving against futility, and throwing out the instant-gratification syndrome that infects so much of western culture. This is the part that can become a drudge, can become predictable, repeatable, that can quickly move into a "rut." But only from a fully developed discipline and fully developed attitude of freedom can come the blossoming of the art of music. Integrating discipline and freedom opens the centre of Truth. And the realm of ideas, the images evoked by the words on this page, only dimly reflect the evocative, playful, childlike, and creative art, beauty, goodness and TRUTH that evolve from such an endeavor. The voice student needs more than enlarging her knowledge, more than improving her technique, more than learning repertoire. What she needs is a paradigm shift in the way that she looks at the art, the way that she prepares herself, and the way that she values the beauty within her. We are miracles of creation. We are creatures of the stars. The atoms that comprise our bodies were present at the BIG BANG, and we are the stuff of such overwhelming creativity. We shift between matter and energy; since we now know that there is no difference between the two, we must learn to act in a way that honors this unity, that honors the beauty within us, that honors the creative urge and expressiveness within ourselves.

We need to look on singing as a process, not a thing, a verb not a noun, an energy not a matter, an art not a science. We will never know all there is to know about it and this unending process is not defeating; it is uplifting and centering, unifying and enlightening. It brings us energy and fulfillment. An ancient prayer says, "Stand before God with your mind in your heart." Here we reword it:

Sing before God with your mind in your heart

Warming The Voice sửa

While singing may seem heavenly, vocal production itself is a down to earth physical experience, requiring athletic discipline as well as artistry. As any athlete knows, an effective warm up is essential for optimal performance.

Why should singers warm up? No one would expect a gymnast to stand up and perform back-flips after a full meal, but singers who are dinner guests are frequently asked to perform "on-the-spot entertainment," after dessert and coffee. The wise singer will politely decline, rather than reveal his raw vocal product, which is further hindered by a bloated stomach! Warming up allows the singer to "get-in-touch" with herself or himself, both physically and psychologically, and to experience that kinesthetic self-awareness which is the foundation of a secure vocal technique.

Allowing time to warm up sửa

Ideally, the warm-up procedure should be unhurried a leisurely self-exploration that allows adequate time for gradual loosening and coordination of countless muscles, large and small, which contribute to vocal production. Warming up should be an enjoyable experience, comparable to a luxurious massage. All too often, unfortunately, the singer is warming up while rushing to a rehearsal, or frantically trying to learn his music at the last minute. The pressure of "too little time" results in physical as well as mental tension, and warming-up is difficult, usually ineffective, or even counter-productive.

The warm up procedure sửa

Singers develop distinctive warm up regimens appropriate to their personal needs; these may vary considerably with changes in physical, mental, and emotional well being. Nevertheless, consistency in the overall approach is most beneficial. Many singers begin by warming-up the entire body with gentle physical exercise (e.g., stretching, yoga, Tai Chi). This helps to alleviate the muscular tension that interferes with vocal production, as well as to stimulate the deep breathing which is necessary for good support of the voice. The muscles of articulation, which include the jaw, tongue, lips, and soft palate can be loosened with appropriate exercises, which also can help to activate the singer's expiratory airflow. Before beginning to explore the day's potential for vocal resonance, the singer should be relaxed, yet vital. If the singer is fatigued, or not feeling well, it will be necessary to "energize" himself, so that he can provide adequate breath support for singing. It is wise to begin vocalizing in the most comfortable mid range of the voice, and gradually work out to the higher and lower extremes of pitch. High notes (faster vocal cord vibration) may require substantial airflow. and increased pharyngeal space. Low notes, which use a "heavier" mode of vocal cord vibration (thicker vibrating mass), also require appropriate support. Recent biomechanical studies at The Center for Voice Disorders have shown that singing at the extremes of pitch both the highest and lowest notes of the vocal range can strain the laryngeal muscles, and can result in undesirable (and potentially harmful) patterns of muscle tension. Therefore, it is good common sense to avoid the "outer extremes" of the voice until one is well warmed up. In the mid range, the singer may safely begin the daily search adjustments in the size and shape of the pharynx. Considering the countless possible configurations of the vocal tract, the process of developing a resonant tone is an ongoing one, even for seasoned professionals. Most of a singer's warm up is devoted to the objective of obtaining a beautiful vocal timbre through the use of an enormous variety of vocal calisthenics.

Finally, the singer is likely to test his vocal register transitions during the warm up. Exercises that "blend" the "chest" ("heavy" laryngeal adjustment) and "head" ("light" laryngeal adjustment) registers eventually produce a smooth passaggio, resulting in an "even scale" from the "bottom" to the "top" of the vocal range.

Warming down sửa

The long-distance runner will spend a good amount of time stretching and massaging muscles after a marathon, and likewise, the singer who has extended himself should "warm-down" his voice, with exercises that "soothe" the vocal cords (vocalizing on "oo," for example). If the singer has been using a "belting" voice, it is especially helpful to sing in the "head" register (or falsetto), which stretches the vocal cords and alleviates laryngeal tension caused by the "heavy adjustment," or thick vibrating mass. Re-loosening the articulatory muscles, even without phonation, is therapeutic. Massaging the jaw the masseter ("chewing") muscles as well as other muscles of the neck and shoulders, particularly the trapezius (which arise from the back of the head and vertebrae in the neck and chest, and extend to the collarbones and shoulder blades) provides welcome relief to the singer.

Survival Tips For Choral Singers sửa

Aside from singing in the shower, choral groups offer abundant performance opportunities for the amateur vocalist. Whether one participates in a church choir, more competitive community chorus, or in the company of a local musical theater production, the following guidelines should help to get the most out of the experience:

WARM UP, ENERGIZE - Most choral singers arrive at evening rehearsals exhausted after a long day's work, so it's important to begin with an overall physical warm up. Stretching, "loosening" exercises and calisthenics "wake up" the body, while "yawning" and relaxed humming gradually get the voice going before more extensive vocalizing. Warming up should begin in the careing route to the rehearsal.
THINK POSTURE - A "collapsed" posture limits breathing capacity and puts stress on laryngeal muscles. Most choral singers rehearse sitting down, with music in hand a position that often becomes inefficient, through "slumping" back in the chair, crossing the legs, etc. "Sitting up" may seem to require effort, but in fact, an erect, well balanced sitting posture is less tiring in the long run. A good concept is to imagine the head "floating" directly above the pelvis, and the rib cage expanded. The music should be raised to eye level, however the shoulders must remain relaxed. Both feet should be "flat on the floor". When standing during a performance, be careful not to "lock" the legs. Always wear comfortable shoes, no high heels. A rigid stance, combined with nervous tension and inadequate ventilation can cause choir members to feel faint, and occasionally lose consciousness!
BREATHE - This may seem obvious, but many choral singers simply do not allow themselves an adequate breath, and instead, "gasp" for air in order to stay with the conductor's beat. Admittedly, breath management can be challenging in group singing. Good choral directors are aware of this, and endeavor to indicate breathing with their conduction gestures. Ultimately, however, it is the singer's own responsibility to maintain efficient breath support.
SING THE RIGHT PART - Singers may be incorrectly classified in order to accommodate the needs of the choral group. Tenors are often scarce, so baritones may be induced to sing the tenor part, which can strain the voice. It is possible to use certain vocal techniques, such as singing falsetto in the upper register, to render the voice more versatile. If you are uncomfortable singing in the required range, and suspect that you are "misplaced", request a change of part or help with vocal technique. It is hoped that choral conductors will guide singers in the best possible use of their voice.
DON'T OVER-SING - Singing loudly in order to hear oneself over other singers usually stresses the voice. "Showing off" one's voice is inappropriate in group singing -- it doesn't contribute well to a choral "blend," and it is usually resented by fellow singers! If you need to check the accuracy of your pitch, simply put a finger in one ear. Even when fortissimo singing is required, it is wise not to push the voice -- always sing on the "interest," not the "principal"!
ARTICULATE WISELY - Discomfort in singing is often caused by tension in the articulation of consonants and vowels. Choral singers are generally encouraged to enunciate clearly, but care should be taken that the jaw, tongue, and lips remain as relaxed as possible. Furthermore, it is necessary to modify pronunciation for efficiency and ease of vocal production; for example, sopranos need to "open" vowels on high notes.
PREPARE YOUR MUSIC - Whenever possible, try to learn your part before coming to the rehearsal. If you are insecure about pitch, it is unlikely that you will sing well. Hesitation impedes good vocal technique!
AVOID TALKING - Not only is chatting disruptive to others (especially the conductor!), but it tires the voice.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF - Being a choir member is the same as being a member of an athletic team, and you have a responsibility to safeguard your health. Avoid smoke and alcohol, partying should be postponed until after the final performance. Get plenty of sleep and aerobic exercise. "Hydrate", drink plenty of fluids in order to reduce irritating phlegm. Use common sense when you're sick, if possible, miss a rehearsal rather then sing over a cold or flu, and avoid exposing other choir members to your germs.
TAKE VOICE LESSONS - If you really want to maximize your enjoyment of choral singing, a few voice lessons can provide valuable insight. Ideally, your teacher should understand and appreciate both choral and solo singing techniques.

Save Your Voice sửa

Avoid abusing your voice. You should do nothing to your voice that results in hoarseness and/or throat pain. Avoid yelling or screaming to the point of causing hoarseness. Avoid singing so loudly that you develop hoarseness, and avoid singing in situations that are so noisy that you cannot hear yourself singing. When you have a cold or laryngitis, do not try to talk or sing "over" the problem, since this can lead to vocal-fold damage. See your doctor.

Avoid misusing your voice. Be careful when using "character voices" not to strain, and use especially good breath support. Do not attempt to alter your "normal" speaking voice to create an effect; particularly avoid pitching your voice too low. (If you are using the lowest note of your pitch range for everyday conversation, this is too low). Avoid taking on roles that you cannot do, that is, don't attempt roles that are out of your range. Avoid using long run-on sentences and a rapid speaking rate that stresses the vocal apparatus; good breath support for conversational speech is every bit as important as good breath support for singing. (If you don't know what this means, you should consider taking voice lessons, and/or seeing a voice therapist).

Avoid overusing your voice. In very noisy environments such as airplanes, keep conversation to a minimum. Examine your "vocal schedule" carefully. Remember that all your vocal demands are not of equal importance. Avoid making a schedule that leaves no room for rest and recovery. Use amplification when available and appropriate, especially for rehearsals. Use "marking" techniques when appropriate, especially for rehearsals.

Monitor your work and home environments for possible problems. Avoid, if possible, performing in smoky, dusty, and noisy environments. Use humidification in your bedroom, especially during the winter.

Monitor your diet and life style. Eat regularly, and eat a healthy diet. Avoid fried and other fatty foods. Avoid dehydration, since this adversely affects the vocal folds; drink plenty of water. Avoid eating or drinking, particularly alcoholic beverages, within three hours of bedtime. Minimize consumption of caffeine-containing foods and beverages. Strictly avoid smoking or other tobacco consumption; if you already smoke, quit. Exercise regularly; aerobic exercise is best.

Avoid unnecessary medications. Don't treat yourself. Avoid drying medications such as antihistamines. Avoid anesthetic throat sprays.

Consider taking voice lessons, even if you have never had a voice problem; voice lessons have been shown to increase vocal efficiency, and decrease the likelihood of developing voice problems.

If you need a physician, consult with other singers to find an otolaryngologist who has experience in treating vocalists.

Source sửa

Sing Out Seattle