RECORD:
We began as per usually with some stretching, I tried to focus on getting the body loose but energized.
S: Ok, let's do a few breathing things. Let's get down in our "football player" squat. Now let's do in for five and out for five. (We did it) Is that hard?
K: Nah, it feels good.
S: Ok let's do some ssss. (We did a few short ones followed by long ones) How does that feel?
K: Good.
S: How does your voice feel today?
K: So far so good!
S: Good, that is what we like to hear! Alright, let's begin with those light sigh-like ooh's ok? (We did a few. I noticed that her posture was very hunched and tight.) Can you jump for a second? (I decided to take the problem on from feet up) Ok so land... That is about how far apart your feet should be when you sing. Ok now can you bend your knees? Lock them? What about a happy medium? How does that feel?
K: I think it feels pretty good. It feels best when it is a little less then locking.
S: With the knees there are three positions: Locked, bent and released. I want you to think, that your ribs are casting a shadow over your hips. (I should have said Pelvis here...oops) What I am seeing now is that the pelvis is more far forward than the ribs. It is not that you are leaning, it is that the openness of the chest makes it cast a shadow. Does that make sense? (I was struggling for the right words. I observed her posture from the side and it looked much better. ) The thing about posture is it needs to be buoyant and released. No rigidity. Do you remember the diver analogy? (She nodded yes) Keep that in mind! Ok let's do some more vocalizing. Mmmmm...Oh ok....Let's do "Shoe" descending five. (I chose oo, because I thought it would help her be lighter. I chose the sh just to help her get the sound going. We did some of these but my recorder accidentally turned off at this point so I can't exactly remember what happened after that. I then took her higher with some light "wee's". I got her to an A. Once I realized the recorder was off, I started it back up again!) Let's do some bup's. (1-3-5-3-1. I demonstrated. She did a few, I started in G major. She started to lose her posture so I had her jump and then I reminder her about the A-O joint.) Move that head around, feel like a bobble head and don't even think about using the neck. (She did a few.) That was better. (More) Very loose. (More) How did that one feel?
K: The others felt good. That one didn't feel as good.
S: Yes, but I did notice that it didn't have that squeak that you said you felt earlier (this must have been when the recorder was off) So it is becoming easier, and we will keep working on it! (We did more.) If you it helps think of your mouth as fat. (I was trying to get her to relax.) We are gonna do some more of these and I want you give me a thumbs up if good, down if bad or middle if ok. Keep in mind what you think makes it good. (We did some. I watched to see if our ratings would match up. She had a fairly good idea of when it was good and when it wasn't. ) What constitutes thumbs up for you?
K: If it was...smoother.
S: Ok, like throughout the jumps if they were accurate and smooth. What does middle mean?
K: If it wasn't as smooth.
S: This time I want you to close your eyes and only base it on how it feels. Thumbs down: if you feel any kind of tightening. Thumbs up: if you don't feel anything and it flows out. If your body is tensing anywhere in anyway. No sound. If you squeak and it still feels good, thumbs up ok? ( We did five or so all over the key board. Our ratings matched nearly everytime) Ok so you only had one thumbs down. What did it feel like?
K: I could feel the tightening and constriction.
S: Good. I can tell you are starting to be able to tell when it feels good and when it doesn't on your own! Alright well we only have a bit of time, let's work on your piece. Before we even start I want you to pretend like you are the smartest student in class and you are soooo excited to tell the teacher the answer. "Teacher, teacher pick me!" Say it.
K: Teacher, teacher pick me!
S: Did you feel the energy?
K: Ya....
S: Did you really feel it?
K: Ya sort of.
S: Let's try it again. (I coaxed into her by doing some with her and she got more energy with it) Ok now sing it! (As she sang through it the first I would randomly add "Teacher, teacher pick me" to remind her. I noticed intonation issues and sliding.) Let's work on this second half of the first verse, since we did the other part last week. Can you do that staccato thing we did last week, and just think that you are gently landing on each note (I had her do a gesture to remind her of this as she sang on staccato. It was more accurate) Ok. (I should have told her it was better here!) Let's do that teacher teacher again and now jump. On this, did you feel how light it was on staccato. How did it feel?
K: Good.
S: Pushy?
K: No.
S: Ya, it was a lot lighter. I notice all of pushing in the sound, with the staccato that was gone. Now sing it regularly. (She did) Was there any place you felt "push"?
K: Ya right here. (She indicated in the music)
S: Let's try it again. (She did) Better. Remember that it doesn't have to be "quiet" or less "energy" it just needs to be released. (She did it again) Good, that seemed more released.
K: Ya, it felt released.
S: Let's just do this little chunk (It was a part that was a little pushy) Let's yawn before it and sing it. (She did) Good, I didn't hear any sliding or pushing. Next week, let's look at this and try to get the energy back. Now that we have stepped back and made it a bit lighter and not as forced, we need to find a way to get the energy back!
REACTIONS:
I still feel a bit baffled by Kathy's voice. It sounds so forced, but then we I tried to get it to stop being pushy it disappear. I am not sure what is going wrong here. SOS. Her posture isn't the best so I think the posture talk helped her to become aware of what it is that she needs to do to find that good posture. I think I have randomly found little things that help but I had no idea what they major problem actually is. It is frustrating cause I can't get down to the bottom of it. How do I get her to stop pushing without losing all presence in her voice? The good news is that she is starting to build an internal model and I really liked the feedback of having her give me a thumbs up/thumbs down based on what she thinks. That was a random thought I had, I am sure some voice teacher did it to me once...but I liked trying it out and want to use it more in the future.
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