Chapter Summary: The goal of vocal technique is to sing with the "greatest freedom and the least effort." Tension in our bodies and minds creates tension in our voices as well. Meditation and other relaxation techniques help our bodies relax. The way we speak also has a serious impact on the way we sing, and we need to make sure that we aren't damaging our voices by forcing ourselves to speak lower, higher, louder, or softer than we natural would. Brown includes a list of exercises for release in this chapter that he advises singers to do daily. They include breathing, stretching, massaging, and phonating, focusing mainly on tension in the neck and jaw. Sometimes the harder we try the less our voice responds. We need to be patient with the voice, think about what we want it to do, and then let it.
Key Concepts: Tension in one area of the body affects the whole body. The mind and body need to be relaxed for singing. Trying to hard can be a difficulty. We need to get out of the way of our voices.
Key Terms:
Hyperfunction - muscular stress in the larynx.
Making Connections: A lot of this sounds like the wholistic approach. I can't wait to try these exercises! I was actually getting my hair done while I read this chapter, so I tried to relax where I sat and really loved the imagery of letting your muscles sag into the floor like condensation falling down a glass. It's a little grotesque frankly, but it worked really well!
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