Emily C.: DYV, Ch. 8

Discover Your Voice: Chapter 8

Emily Cottam

Chapter Summary: Not all voices can be exceptionally “big,” but all voices can access a particular resonance or carrying quality that can be perceived as “big.” Many times, the biggest sounds we make are not perceptible to ourselves, so Brown advises that we don’t listen to ourselves while we sing and become more familiar with the sensation of singing. The resonators in our bodies have the potential to override that of an orchestra; it takes release of unnecessary tension and a relaxed tongue, larynx, and throat as well as a high soft palate to fully access these resonating chambers. With big voices, it’s also valuable to be flexible and free; it’s possible for a lower mezzo soprano to have the freedom and ease of a higher soprano. “Never overload the larynx with the greater power of the lungs.” When singing with an orchestra, don’t push yourself; trust that your voice has the carrying quality that you need--this is why you should rely on how you sound, but rather on how you feel. Power is brought to us by: posture, breathing, release, resonance, vowel/consonant formation, diction, pronunciation/articulation. Some other points about power: “intensity of vowel formation must be maintained while power is increased,” there can be no forcing power, do not imitate a sound that isn’t yours, always know when to stop and what is healthy or not. 

Key Concepts: Singing according to the sensation, not the sound. Not all voices are big, but all voices have a carrying quality that can be perceived as big. Power is only possible in singing with letting, not forcing. 

Key Terms: resonance, power, carrying quality, singer’s formant, nasal resonance vs. nasality, 

Making Connections: I have found it to be exceptionally true that it’s better for me to rely on how I’m feeling when I sing rather than how I sound when I sing, because sometimes I can’t hear the little nuances that come with healthy singing without recording myself.