Sarah Brenay - OB - Ch. 8

Summary: Some labor under the misconception that a voice must be big and powerful in order to be heard. They are forgetting the importance of developing a carrying quality in the voice. Many petite, light voices have been trained to carry over an orchestra without pressing or straining. Voices take a long time to fully mature, and forcing them to do more than they are ready for can cause serious damage. It is important to remember that since we sound differently outside our bodies than inside our heads, we must depend on our inner sense of what we are producing. This way, we will be able to sing consistently in many environments. Tapping into carrying quality requires that we use resonance properly. The main resonators are the mouth and the pharynx, but the entire body resonates while singing. As the throat widens (like in the beginning of a yawn) the pyriform sinuses expand, resonating at 2800-3000 Hz, giving the voice the "ring" and carrying quality we want. When the tongue is relaxed, the larynx can rest easily in the throat and creates space at the back of the throat creating pharyngeal space. Tapping into nasal resonance is not the same as nasality. Remember, the goal of technique is to produce the best result with the least effort. All of this takes time. The voice cannot do anything before it is ready. Training a voice for power can ruin it. The goal is to train proper posture, breathing, release, resonance, vowel and consonant formation, diction, pronunciation and articulation. "Power," or carrying quality comes with time.
Key Concepts: See above. Just kidding. A voice does not need to be big to carry. It only needs to tap into the right resonant space. This takes a great deal of time to develop, and should never be forced. Be patient with the voice.
Making Connections: I really love that Brown keeps reminding me to be patient. This is exactly what I need to hear right now. I love how he's solving all of these mysteries of resonance for me! I'm hoping that as I study this more extensively I will begin to think in the right way to let it happen. And trust it. ; )