Caitlin Craig April A. Lesson plan for 4/25/14

Student: April A.
Date: 4/25/14

Short-term goals: Eliciting pitch with an easy sound that moves through the full range of her voice, and low larynx.
Long-term goals: Matching pitch

Plant of Action: In our final lesson, I will focus mostly on starting an easy sound that is free to move around her full range. I would also like for April to experience the gentleness of inspiration with the rose breath, and see how this effects the way she maneuvers her register changes. Also I'm going to use the instruction for her to start in a high place and end in a low place. Asking her to not care about what happens or what pitches come out. Stop asking her how she feels/how her body feels. I will also use some energizing exercises to help her free the sound, and maintain a released pharynx.

Cindy's comments from last time: I want to suck your blood.  More critical than the fact that she closes her jaw is that she did not open at all during the word “to”.

I would use bright vowel but more open choice for wobble, maybe eh

I think because of her pitch matching issues that wobble is to advanced for her. 

She really has no sense of internal space.  Her larynx is high and her pharynx is small.  I would be working still on more yawny stuff.

I think she does not yet have very reliable sensory awareness, she may not be ready to respond with very useful information/insights, but I like that you are asking.  Perhaps just do it less often, focusing on those moments when you hear/see something really different happen.

Taking quite a bit of time deciding what to do, and not letting her sing enough.  Rather than stopping and giving instructions, try giving short clear instructions (1 or 2 words) WHILE she is singing.  Speak less.  Let her figure more of it out for herself.

I think she needs to do some energizing exercises like panting like a dog, so that she can free her voice and experience a released pharynx.

At first in each lesson I would focus less on whether she is matching pitch all the time and pay more attention to whether she is able to start with an easy sound and move the voice around the full range of the voice.  You moved to this idea.  

How does your body feel?  Not sure she is doing enough to notice any difference.

Can she be more speaking at bottom?

During the hymn I would suggest instructing her to sing-song talk rather than to sigh.   When she gave you a better result (That was in a better place) you stopped her.  Let her keep going and then tell her afterward.