What are the three characteristics of good physical movement as described in the opening paragraphs of chapter 2? A singer needs to have balance, freedom, and micromovement in their body.
Singing always requires movement.
What words does the author suggest might be substituted for poster? Balance, buoyant, and springy.
What are the questions you should ask to map your skeleton? How large is my skeleton? Where is my skeleton located? What is the construction of my skeleton? What is the function of my skeleton? How does my skeleton move?
What is the function of your skeleton? It serves as a function of support, weight distribution, and movement.
What is a joint? The location in your body where two bones connect.
What is co-contraction? The process of trying to move two muscles while contracting both of them simultaneously. This causes tension, constricts movement, and can cause injury.
What would cause a skeletal muscle to not be able to move freely? Chronic tension.
What is the difference in the workings of a tense and a released muscle? A tense muscle works more than is necessary for the task. A released muscle works only as much as necessary.
Our muscles should contract and release upon the skeleton.
Describe the location of the 4 different portions of your spine. What is the function of each?
1. The Cervical vertebra (7 vertebrae) begin between the ears and extend to the base of the neck. It supports the weight of the head . 2. Thoracic vertebra (12 bony vertebrae) is located between the cervical and the lumbar regions (between your lowest cervical vertebra at the base of the neck to the bottom of the ribs). Its function is to bears the weight of the head, arms, and chest, and delivers weight to the Lumbar.
3. Lumbar vertebra (5 bony vertebrae) located deep in the center of the body, these are the largest in circumference out of all the vertebrae. Its function is to help support the torso, arms, and head, and delivers weight to the Sacrum.
4. Sacral-Coccygeal vertebra (9 fused vertebrae). It distributes weight from the upper body to the pelvis at the Sacroiliac joints. The coccyx is below this at the base of the spine and serves no weight-bearing function.
What is the name of the top vertebra? The Atlas.
How does the thickness and size of the vertebrae differ? They are smaller and thinner at the top in, and become larger and thicker towards the bottom (lumbar).
How far from your back is the lumber spine located? It's located in the center of our body.
How much space does the circumference of your spine occupy? Cervical spine takes up 1/3 of the body. The thoracic curve takes up 1/4. And the Lumbar curve takes up 1/2 of the body.
What are the four curves of the spine? How many vertebrae make up each curve? In which direction do they curve? The spine curves slightly forward in the cervical (7), then curves back away from center to the thoracic (12), then curves forward to center in the lumbar (5), and finally curves away from the center in the sacrococcygeal (9 fused vertebrae). The base of the coccyx (tailbone) curves slightly toward the center.
Which part of the spine is weight-bearing (front or back)? What is the function of the other part? (19) The Front of the spine is the weight-bearing part. The spinous processes or the back of the spine is to protect the spinal cord, provide attachment for ribs, muscles, and ligaments.
What are the three functions of your spinal vertebrae? To bear weight, protect the spinal cord, and allow for movement.
What are the three parts of each vertebra? What is the function of each? The body, the foramen, and the spinous processes.
Describe the facets on the vertebrae? Facets on the vertebrae are small gliding joints, and allow your spine to be both flexible and stable.
Describe the front of the spine. The front of the spine (bodies and disks) bear the weight of your head, torso, and delivers that weight through the sacrum into the pelvis. Each vertebra supports what is above it, and distributes the weight to what is below it. This is why they become progressively larger the lower they are located in the body.
Describe the form and function of your vertebral discs. The 23 disks are found between the front portions of the 23 individual vertebrae. Each one is flat and circular, and about 1/4 of an inch thick. They have a fibrous outer shell of circular rings call the annulus, the center of each disk is called the nucleus (which has a gelatinous substance). They are flexible and are able to compress to bear weight, and spring back to shape when weight is removed.
Where is the one place in the spine where there is no disc? The atlas does not have a body, therefore there is not a disc in between the atlas and the axis.
What do singers need to avoid? Chronic disc compression, because it constricts movement and can cause pain or injury.
Describe the vertebral ligaments? The cartilagenous tissue between the vertebrae.
What is a tendon? What is its function? Fibrous tissue that connects bones and joints together.
What is fascia? What is its function? The thin and strong connective tissue. It combines with bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles to provide a flexible and elegant support and movement system for the spine and entire body.
Where are the six places of balance? A-O joint, upper arm joints, thorax, hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints.
Which of these six places of balance is not an actual joint? The thorax.
What is the function of your atlas? The atlas helps to support the 9-13 pound head and distributes the weight to the rest of the spine.
Explain how the skull and the atlas fit together. They meet together and complete the A-O joint (atlantic-occipital). They fit together with condyles located underneath the occiput. These facets swivel back and forth to allow movement like the head nod.
Why is mapping your A-O joint important? Cause it allows the muscles in your neck, and the rest of your body to release.
Where is you’re A-O joint located? In between the ears.
What is meant by a neutral position for the neck? Finding a balance at the A-O joint that allows free movement, and doesn't produce rigidity in the muscles.
What are two ways to help find the accurate relationship between your thorax and your lumbar spine? Lying down on the floor allows the thorax to balance properly in relation to the lumbar. Walking backwards can also help align the natural curvature of the thorax.
What is the function of the pelvis? Distributes the weight of the upper body to the legs.
Describe your pelvis. It contains two bones on either side that mirror each other. An arched design that allows weight to be distributed to the legs. Sacrum is located in the middle. It also contains sits bones on the bottom that allow for comfortable sitting.
What do you know about your hip joints? They are located outside of the pelvis, and above the sits bones. They allow for motion in all directions.
What is your torso? The portion of the body that excludes the head, arms and legs.
Describe your knee joint.
Where is your kneecap located? It floats in front of the lower end of the thigh bone.
What are the three conditions of the knee joint? Locked, balanced, and bent.
How does the position of the thorax affect the knee joint? If the thorax isn't in balance then the knees may lock, and cause unnecessary pressure on the knee joint.
Do your knees need to bend in order to be balanced? No.
Describe your ankle joint. Where the tibia and fibula meet. When they meet the talis bone that lies on top of the calcaneus.
What are the bumps on the outside and inside of your ankle? The bottom of your fibula and tibia.
Which of the lower leg bones distributes our weight? Through the larger of the leg bones, the tibia.
Which other joint in the body has a direct impact on the ankle joint? The thorax.
How does the position of the thorax affect the ankle joint? The ankle joint stiffens if the position of the thorax is not balanced.
In what order should we balance our joints? first balance the a-o joint, and move down to the other joints, because they all bear weight on each other.
Describe the location of the heel bone. On the back of the foot, and extends further back from the location of balance at the place of balance at the fibula and tibia.
Describe your foot. They have 3 arches to help distribute weight. It extends from the heel to the toes.
Describe the structure of each arm. One collar bone, shoulder blade, upper arm bone, two lower arm bones, a wrist, and a hand.
Name and describe the arm joints. Sternoclavicular-connects the entire arm structure to the sternum. Upper arm-connects the upper arm to the shoulder blade. The elbow-connects the upper and lower arms. The wrist-connects the arm to the hand.
Describe position of collarbones and shoulder blades and how arm structure should be balanced. The collar bones are roughly parallel to the ground and shoulder blades are designed to be over the weight-bearing spine. The arms should balance lightly and centrally over the ribcage.
Your skeleton will be better balanced when your muscles are not recruited to do the work for your skeleton.
My spine and my postural muscles that surround it support my front and my back, freeing my front and my back for expressive movement.
What are the five poor postural instructions given at the end of the chapter? Standing against the wall to straighten posture. Raising the sternum too high. Stand straight as if the spine were a straight broomstick. Rolling the shoulders back/holding them down. Tucking the pelvis under. Having an imaginary string hold your head from the ceiling.
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