So this lesson was supposed to happen on the 22nd but we rescheduled for the 24th. I kept 22nd in the title so it matched the lesson plan. Just FYI.
Record:
We stretched and go the body relaxed but energized.
S: Do you feel good? Loose? Semi energized?
D: Ya, I feel good.
S: Alright. Let's just start with sigh. (Did a few) Ok now let's extend that sigh. (Did a few) How about we add a yawn to that sigh, with a big stretch like you just woke up. (Demonstrated. We did a bunch) How did that feel with the yawn?
D: It felt easier. I liked it better and I felt like I could hold it longer.
S: Good! I thought it sounded a lot more easy and free. Ok, let's do this one. Can you say for me: Bi, di, bi, di, bi?
D: Bi, di, bi, di, bi (Repeated it several times)
S: Can you accent the first and the last Bi's?
D: BI, di, bi, di, BI.
(Then we proceeded to speak that with different voiced consonants. I wanted to find one that would help with her hypofuntion the most. I thought that the Bi, di, bi, di, Bi was the most effective so we moved forward with that one)
S: So now what I want you to do with that, is like a staccato attack release on a pitch. (Demonstrated, did a few together, then listened, I jumped around the keyboard.) Let's try to make them as short as possible. (Did more. She was struggling with the pitch, so I had her go back to speaking, then we returned. This time I want you to wait before you start and then do an imploded K sound before you start the Bi, di, bi's. (Demonstrated. She did a few) Did that feel differently then before you added the imploded K?
D: Ya, it felt easier. I don't know why though.
S: What did you feel?
D: I didn't feel any tension, it was just back in my mouth farther.
S: So you felt more space?
D: Ya, that is a good way to put it!
S: I heard more freedom and more ring in the sound. So maybe the imploded K is just what you need to let the air in.
D: It opens me up more, it makes me want to yawn.
S: That is good. I think is also gives you time to think about the pitch before you sing it, which is something we tend to forget as singers. Let's try some more and move a bit higher (We did more.)
I just want you to say "No, no, no, no, no."
D: No no no no no. (We kept saying it to find a more aggressive, energetic tone. I finally got her into a really nice placement when she spoke it.)
S: So now we are just gonna do a descending 5 tone on No. (Demonstrate. Sang some with her, then made her fly solo. Move all around) Let's add a yawn to that to help. (More)
D: I keep smiling and it messes up the space in my mouth. How do you smile and still have space?
S: It is all about high cheeks. (Demonstrated, by doing an sigh with a big smile) But we are saying "NO!" I am trying to pull the sound out of you a little bit more, without creating tension. A lot of times we think louder and we push to create that. So I am trying to think of ways that will help the sound out. Before when I did Bi, di, bi's, I chose those because they are voiced consonants and on short notes you have to be more percussion and energized to get them out. Because they are so common to us in speech though, there is no tension. And so with No, no's this is helping you find that projection that you have being saying you want. Let's do some more and I think the imploded K is doing good things for you so let's add that to the front of it. (Did a bunch and the imploded K really helped) Are you feelin' good? Warm?
D: I think so. I don't really warm up much but I feel good.
S: To me, you sound a lot, freer then when we started! That is great! Ok what did you bring to work on?
D: Let's do this one, cause it is standard music therapy rep.
S: So you will probably have to do it on levels?
D: Yep!
S: What a Wonderful World. Ok, so how about we just say these words from this first phrase.
D: I see trees of green, red roses too.
S: Good. That was nice, it was like you were reading lines in a play...that projection that you have been talking about. Once more like that. (She did it) Awesome! Now, let's sing it! (She sang it) This is a hard phrase because it starts so low. Can you just do a primal uh for me? (She does it) Ok now a Ho-ho-ho! Good now, do a primal sound and then sing it? (She did) I liked that better. What did you think?
D: Ya it was better.
S: I noticed that the intonation was better as well. Why do you think that is? What was different about this time verses last?
D: I started yawning!
S: Yawning is your THING!
D: It creates more space.
S: Yes it does and it relaxes you. Let's try it again with a big yawn. (She did it)
D: It is weird how I can tell a difference between the yawn and just doing it without!
S: It is crazy huh? It creates a lot of space and the sound is really gorgeous. Let's go on. (She sang it) Can you speak these new words for me?
D: I see them bloom for me and you. And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.
S: Ok, I am just experimenting here. Can you just squat a little bit? (Demonstrated) And sing it from there. (She did) Good. Did you notice anything different when you sang it from there?
D: Supported...Is that the right word? Does that make sense?
S: YES! The squat is good because it helps you to feel that low breath and I noticed that you have more breath throughout the phrase. Let's do it again and this time, I want you to stand up, take the breath in and squat back down as you begin to sing. (She sang it. It had much more energy and focus to the sound) YA, I am liking this! Ok let's do this whole first phrase and you can either, yawn before each phrase or squat? You choose. Which did you like better?
D: I don't know cause I felt like I lost my space when I was squatting but when I was squatting I had more breath!
S: What if we did both? (I tested it out) Ya, I think this may work! Let's just try it and if it doesn't work, we will throw it out! (I tried it again.) Ya, cause when I do it, the yawn let's the air in and the squat helps me remember that the breath is low. You are feeling it travel to where it is supposed to be but you are also getting the space. (She did so, yawning and squatting with each new phrase) Ok so what did you think about that experiment?
D: It was a lot to think about but I think that I kept that space while squatting.
S: Did you still feel that grounded feeling?
D: Ya!
S: So this is what we do on songs...We find the feeling and then we try to replicate it without the weird motions. Like, I sing well when I hang upside down but I obviously can't perform like that! What are some words that describe that feeling, that you can hang on to?
D: I felt open.
S: Open. That is one! Two more...
D: Supported....and loose....
S: Ok so before you start think, Open, Supported and Loose. (She sang it.)
D: That was cool.
S: How did that feel?! Cause it sounded awesome!
D: It felt good. I didn't feel like I was straining my voice or anything!
S: It was in tune, it was free, it had more breath support! I felt like overall it also had more arc to it. It wasn't as note for note. When you have that breath support, the phrases start to shape and there starts to be more of a flow to the piece. It was great. Time is almost up so let's talk take-aways: You warmed up this week before your session this week ya?
D: Yes.
S: How did it feel?
D: Good. It helped me feel more prepared.
S: Let's keep that up as much as you can. And then with this piece what are your tools you can utilize as you practice it?
D: My yawns and my squatting.
S: Perfect!
Reactions: Overall, I felt so much more at home this lesson. I felt comfortable and I actually had ideas so that was good. I felt like I did better about not feeding the answers to my questions. I still did it a little bit but not as badly as my last lesson with Kathy. I felt like my questions were more specific as well.I was amazed at how much that yawn helped Dacy, the sound was much fuller and the breath more supported! I think it was helpful to keep returning to the yawn when we ran into problems. What I really liked was Dacy's reaction to the improvements. As she left I could tell she was pleased with the sound that we got out of her. We worked well together today! I can still work on how I move through warm ups. I spent too long on some and I wasn't choosing them based on what I had heard in the previous warm up. I want to be better at knowing what to do next based on what I hear.
No comments:
Post a Comment