Caitlin Craig Lesson Summary February 6, 2014

Today we began my lesson sitting on a chair. Since the day before in vocal ped we had talked about sitting on our sits bones, I tried to focus on sitting upright and letting my skeleton hold my body up, rather than having unnecessary muscle tension. Brianna asked me before we began about the three thoughts she wanted me to think about from our previous lesson. I told her we wanted the tracheal tug "huh" feeling, the "teacher! teacher!" energy in my body, and the falling from the top approach of the pitch.

Our first vocalize was a tongue buzz or raspberry (?) beginning on E5 and descending to the octave. Brianna asked me to feel three specific "dump moments". I felt that I was falling from the top, and had the tracheal tug feeling, but was lacking the energy in the body.

Brianna then said, everything you sing has to have joy behind it. 

We then moved on to a 5 note descending scale on "thheee" we moved randomly up and down the scale with the falling from above approach of the pitch. We did a few repetitions and it sounded alright. I felt a lot of release with two dump moments, but I felt like my tongue was bunching up so we took a second to bite and release the tongue.

Brianna clarified that we have more than 3 things we want to be working on at one time, but if we can think of the three thoughts while singing it will help me to simplify and not become overwhelmed.

We sang some more of the "tthhee" on the descending octave--this time recognizing the three dump moments. I definitely felt a release in my body that still maintained energy in my body. We had some very successful repetitions. Brianna said that they were beginning to sound like my speaking voice.

We then tried some 5 note descending scales beginning with my head up and then bringing it back into a neutral relaxed position. Those seemed to be helpful in onsets and helping me not to grab on to anything to produce the sound. After doing a few of these I felt that I had lost a little of the energy in my body.
I made an assessment that my VFs were a bit swollen, so Brianna had me do a few "Whooo are yooou?" vocalizes on 8-5-3-1, and sure enough my vocal folds were swollen. I tried to be gentle and just prepare and let the sound come instead of forcing it out, and although, the sound didn't come in until the 5th scale degree on most of them, I felt that it was successful in the think-let-trust category. 

Our last vocalize was a chewy hum into "ah" 8 note descending scale. It was helping me maintain the tracheal tug and release of the articulators. I sensed that this gave my voice a more buoyant feeling and surged some energy back into my body.

Next I sang through Faure's Mandoline on a vowel "E". I was trying to think about dump moments throughout the first time through, and I felt like there was some great success with keeping a low larynx throughout some somewhat scary ascending phrases. I had practiced learning the melody by making a primal noise whilst playing the melody on the piano (also while trying to imagine the yawn jaw/release in my breath). This practice was successful and I felt a true release on a few of the high notes. Brianna stopped me and pointed out that I had some true release on the first high note. I noticed that that note felt like it was soaring, and easy because I kept the space in my upper jaw. She asked me to start again to try to feel that release on all of the high notes. I began again, but this time using the flipping pancakes motions with my hands. This distracted me from interfering tensions and kept my breath really grounded. I noticed that in the one descending phrase in the song, my jaw stayed open with the space instead of chewin or closing down. It made the sound feel free and easier, and it felt really good to have the sound have the sensation of flooding out of me. I noticed this sensation and noted that I wanted to feel that throughout the whole song.

 I think this was the best part of my lesson, because I finally saw how smart practice helped me to improve. It was very nice to have something positive happen, because it gave me fuel/confidence to continue to practice in a way that promotes success. Hooray!

Next, we worked on the Papageno/Papagena duet. I sang through the song on "pah" which felt appropriate for the text. Brianna asked me to feeling the open throat/tracheal tug on each "pah" to aid me in the ascending phrases. I sang through a few bars, but felt like my body kind of gave up on me. We stopped and I asked Brianna to let me try again. We began at a different point in the song, and I felt my larynx rising, because I was getting nervous and scared of the ascending phrases. Brianna stopped me this time and asked me to do the primal sound/tracheal tug while Ali played the melody in the piano. I then tried the phrase, and it was better, although, I felt like I was chewing down instead of keeping the space and release in my jaw. Brianna pointed out that I should practice this piece as I practiced Mandoline.

After noting that down, we sang through The Rhinoceros. Brianna asked me what I thought this time. I said that I think I completely forgot about everything I needed to do. She said that my jaw was clamping down again, and that was causing issues with diction because it was beginning to warp the sounds and make it seem like I was dwelling on consonants. With that in mind I tried it again, and felt like I kept that sense of open jaw/throat better, but I felt really tired in my body.
I told her that my voice didn't feel tired, but that my body felt extremely tired.
We talked the rest of the lesson on how to keep my jaw open and released, and to practice the three thoughts: tracheal tug primal noise, teacher teacher, and approaching the note by falling from above.

My goal this week has been to practice these songs, and all the new songs that I'm learning the way I practiced Mandoline last week. By practicing that grounded sense in my body and breath, I will be able to mylenate the low larynx, and feel open to letting the sound happen, while maintaining the thought of energy in my body.