Emily C., Voice Lesson Summary, 4/21/14

Emily C., Voice Lesson Summary, 4/21/14

Today, I let Brianna know that my voice wasn’t doing so great because of a combination of allergies and acid reflux. We started out with simple lip trills going down on 54321 then on the octave after a bit. We then did some “li le la lo” on a descending pattern, making sure that the breath was energized. She reminded me to do the “three sniff breaths” throughout the lesson. 

We also did “they” on 54321 and then on 8531, making sure to keep the energy up even while descending to the lower notes; she tells me that I’m getting better at having a “higher” (placement) vibrato, but I tend to get lazy as I descend in pitch, and it falls back into my throat. We did a couple of nose hums and “nah nah” to remind myself of where I should feel the resonance/vibrato. 

We took several breaks because even in my sound Brianna could hear the swelling in my voice (she called it “fuzziness”). Admittedly, this lesson was really uncomfortable for me because my voice wasn’t feeling so good. The swelling from the allergies and the “internal itching” sensation caused me some discomfort. We finished the vocalizes with “they thee” on 54321 with small trills on each note. 

We sang through my pieces, and Brianna reminded me to keep breath energy (especially in my Italian piece) and to emote more (my German and French piece) and to relate the music to a personal experience. I needed more engagement in the eyes. By the end of the lesson, my voice was definitely fatigued, but not because I was using bad technique, but just because it was already swollen. Brianna told me to stay very hydrated for the next couple of days and to think “high” and “happy” with all of my thoughts for Thursday.