https://youtu.be/Aq-tynQ-v3c

Vocal Warm-ups and Technical Exercises 

Physical 

Full body wake-up Singing is very physical, therefore, it is important to warm-up the entire body before singing. Like any type of physical exercise, singers require a strong and energized body in order to sing most effectively. In this exercise we focus on all parts of the body, isolating them, and energizing them. By zoning in and focusing on specific body parts, we not only achieve a more thorough warm-up but we identify how each part of the body is involved in singing. Starting with the toes and feet and working up to the head, isolate and focus on separate parts of the body. Shaking, Wiggling, stretching, whatever is necessary in order to free and energize the body before singing. 

Breathing 

This exercise encourages a low-expansive breath and is executed sitting down on a sturdy chair or stool. Leaning forward with the elbows on the thighs and the neck free, the singer breathes freely in their own time through the mouth; focusing on where the breath is felt. This position allows the singer to easily feel expansion in the abdomen as well as through the entire back on inhalation. Once the singer has repeated this pattern a few times they can stand up and attempt to recreate the same sensation (expansion) whilst standing.

Diction 

Simamaka is an exercise I put to music based on a Swahili saying my student, of Tanzanian decent, taught me. It is particularly useful for young singers but can work for any age. This is a fun diction exercise as there are many fast consonants to be articulated. Switching between Swahili and English while gradually getting faster requires focus. This is a great exercise for diction, focus, intonation, and energizing a group of singers.

Resonance

Ascending on ‘ve’ and opening to a vowel ([e] [a]) as the singer descends, this arpeggio exercise ties together a number of technical concepts, while focusing on finding a balanced resonance. The ‘ve’ (similar to a lip trill) helps the singer find engagement through the abdominal and intercostal muscles. This engagement is very important for breath connection.

Flexibility 

This technical exercise consists of three quick ascending/descending scales (of a fifth) sung on one breath to [e], [a], and [o]. This exercise helps build vocal flexibility as well as vowel clarity.

http://www.choralnet.org/2016/11/choral-potpourri-choral-ethics-apologies/ I was browsing through ChroalNet and came across Marie Grass Amenta’s blog, in particular her November 3 submission, "Choral Potpourri; Choral Ethics; Apologies". This was a short read but I think it has a valuable message. Amenta discusses the importance of an apology when you have done something wrong. Having the ability to apologize means that an individual is able to identify and own responsibility for their wrongdoing, no matter what the situation may be. This may seem like a simple action for most people, but there are many individuals who are unable to accept when they have done or said something to hurt, offend, or disappoint someone, and therefore, are unable to offer an apology. Amenta describes the situation of one of her recent correspondents, who for the purposes of privacy, she names Deb. Deb experienced a difficult day in which a series of very unfortunate events occurred one after another making it difficult for her to cope with her daily responsibilities as a music teacher. I'm sure we can all recall and relate to a day like this. Deb's colleague pointed out that when one is going through a difficult time it is normal to feel overwhelmed, anxious, moody, and unmotivated. In fact, these are natural human responses to trauma. He suggested that rather than push through these emotions, admitting to them up front and in sort 'apologize' could diffuse any predicted negative outcomes. Deb hesitantly experimented with this 'pre-apology' with her church choir that same day. She let the group know at the start of rehearsal that she was having a rough day, the reasons for it, and apologized in advance if she seemed distracted or generally not her cheery self. She opened up to her ensemble and in turn they were empathetic and understanding. This apology allowed Deb to express her emotions in an honest way and helped her get through her rehearsal in the most productive way possible on that day. She and the ensemble felt better for her honesty. While this story may seem a little lacklustre, I think it offers basic advice that is often overlooked. It is easy to push through negative emotions and carry on about your daily routine pretending there is nothing wrong. Often times however, these suppressed emotions cause an otherwise cheerful person to become unintentionally irritable, rude, or distracted and can hurt the people you associate with. Ultimately knowing when you should and being able to apologize, no matter the circumstance, is very important. This is particularly true for teachers. When a teacher has the ability to apologize to their students, for whatever reason, this shows strength and a sense of mentorship on the teacher’s behalf. This honesty demonstrates to students that everyone is capable of doing wrong, vulnerability can be a strength, and it is ok to make mistakes as long as we learn from these mistakes. This notion of apology and vulnerability reminded me of one of the recipes in "The Choral Director’s Cookbook Insights and Inspired Recipes for Beginners and Experts". Conductor, Weston Noble addresses the importance of being vulnerable whilst conducting in his submission to this book. Weston believes that vulnerability is a necessary skill for any successful conductor, however, most individuals (even the greats) struggle with finding this openness and level of comfort. This recipe is a reflection of Noble’s own struggles in finding vulnerability and taking risks in front of an ensemble and the great sense of togetherness, freedom, and success once found.

Davids Ch. 15, Williams Ch. 7 I really appreciate that both texts emphasize the importance of the choral director in promoting good vocal health amongst their choristers. I imagine it would be fairly easy for some choral conductors, particularly those who may not have great knowledge of the vocal instrument, to disregard this topic when rehearsing a choir or pass it off as the choristers own responsibility or that of their private voice instructor. I think it is essential that every choral director be educated in vocal health and the functions (both healthy and unhealthy) of the vocal apparatus in order to direct most efficiently. The vocal health of a choir begins with the choral director and how they model, explain, promote, and develop healthy singing. I question the section where Davids discusses rehearsal cooldowns (p. 244). While I can see that a cooldown after a rehearsal can be slightly beneficial, I wonder how practical or how common-practice this is. I have never been part of a rehearsal that implemented a cooldown as part of the rehearsal schedule. There is simply too much material to cover in a given rehearsal time that priority is not made to cooling down the voice. I question really whether it is necessary at all. A warm up is obviously essential as it not only helps prepare the voice for singing but helps build vocal technique as well. A cooldown, when time is precious, is a little redundant. The voice is already warmed up and if the singers have been given enough break time throughout the rehearsal then they should not be over-tired. Returning to regular speaking after the rehearsal is enough of cooldown for the voice in my opinion. Williams discusses lifestyles for singers in Chapter 7. I understand that as a singer and/or singing teacher, this is important information to know and keep in mind but I believe it is also important to know that singers can obsess too much over things that they believe negatively affect the voice. Unless an individual is prone to certain vocal stressors, I think it important to focus on maintaining a balanced lifestyle bearing in mind the age-old saying “everything in moderation”. I think singers can obsess too much over what they eat, drink, do, or even say before a performance and often these obsessions can be more in the mind than anything else. I was a little alarmed by the section where Williams discuses medications and deciding whether or not the benefits of the medication outweigh the importance of the performance. While I’m certain she is not suggesting that singers stop taking medication (and if she is she is most likely referring to over-the-counter medication such as Advil or Tylenol) for the benefit of their performance. I think these statements can be easily misconstrued by certain individuals, therefore, perhaps these topics are best discussed on a case-to-case basis by medical specialists rather than in a book about Teaching Singing.

PechaKucha Presentation-The Choral Director's Cookbook

The Choral Director's Cookbook by Sarah Loveys on Scribd

I am re-posting the link to my recent Prezi on Carmina Slovenica as the first link was not active:

http://prezi.com/hf-ima_fkx1v/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Davids Ch. 7-8

I was surprised to read that vocal vibrato is a result of nerve impulses in the larynx. I was always under the impression that vibrato was a natural occurrence in the voice as a result of vibrations related to airflow. I was not aware that it was caused by actual pulsations of the laryngeal muscles. This was a very interesting discovery!

When discussing wobble in the voice-ways to avoid a wobble occurring and ways to improve the wobble if it exists – I feel it is very important to discuss repertoire. This was not addressed in the text.  It is a singing teacher’s responsibility to choose appropriate repertoire for their students, complimenting their technical abilities at a given time. If repertoire is too heavy then it is likely a student will develop technical issues, such as a wobble, in attempt to push through repertoire that is too technically difficult. It is also possible that a student in this case will attempt to mimic or artificially produce a sound they are not yet ready to create naturally.

Register transition is a technical hurdle for many young singers. It may feel as though the voice changes abruptly when passing from one method of vocal production to another. If phonation stops at the point of transition it is possible the sound may stop completely, feeling like a break in the voice.  As singers we strive to achieve a smooth and unnoticeable register transition. Pedagogically this is a complicated process to explain as it involves manipulation of muscles within the vocal tract, vowel modification to avoid the crossover of harmonic and formant frequencies (which can destabilize vocal fold vibration) and changing the mode of vocal fold vibration. I believe to assist in achieving smooth register transition, it is often helpful to first address the larynx. It is important to encourage the larynx to remain in a comfortably low position, rising minimally when ascending through the register. By monitoring the movement of the larynx a singer will have more control over register transitions and fewer breaks or sound adjustments will occur

Choir Review Prezi: Carmina Slovenica

https://prezi.com/hf-ima_fkx1v/edit/#5_24309637

September 27, 2016

Williams Ch. 1-3

I think it is really important that Williams links emotional connection with vocal technique.  In my opinion it is a given that singing is an important form of communication and I believe emotional connection and communication is the essence of singing. It is important also to create the link between this emotional connection and vocal technique, as both are very closely related. Williams uses the example of someone crying or yelling as a reaction to an emotional experience. These are reactions that are emotionally charged. Uninhibited sounds are generally very healthy and useful when learning about vocal technique, as humans instinctively use their voice properly when emotionally engaged with the sound they are making.  This is a primitive thought, however, extremely relevant to healthy singing. The difficulty is linking the creation of these uninhibited sounds/voiced reactions to singing.  This relates to efficiency. As Williams suggests, good singing is efficient singing. When a person makes a sound that is connected to a natural emotion and human reaction the vocal mechanism works as it was designed, most efficiently as possible so the desired sound is achieved. It is important, although harder to grasp, to achieve this same vocal efficiency while singing. This way the vocal mechanism and associated muscles can work optimally to achieve the desired result- healthy and effortless singing.   

September 22, 2016

Davids- Ch. 5-6

I think it is very important to understand tongue placement in relation to vowel formation and this chapter does a good job of illustrating this. While jaw position is also a factor of vowel formation, I think it is important not to focus too much on the jaw, unless of course there is evident jaw issues. Jaw tension and overuse is very common, especially in untrained singers, therefore discussing how it should move in relation to each vowel can lead to unwanted tension. In other words, the jaw can get in the way of free singing. Desired jaw position is entirely dependant on the individual singer so it is difficult to say exactly how much it should or shouldn’t open. It is perhaps more productive to think of the jaw being relatively uninvolved, opening down and back, with the natural flow of the text. Any kind of extraneous movement, such as jutting the jaw forward, can cause unnecessary tension.

While Davis believes the (u) vowel is one of the most difficult vowel sounds to master, I would argue it is one of the easier vowels as its position is closed and more easily felt forward in the mouth. To inexperienced singers, this would feel more natural than open vowels like (a) or (o) which can run more of a risk of becoming swallowed and trapped too far back in the mouth. This statement, of course, is based on personal experience and could vary from singer to singer.

I think it is very important to remember when reading this text, or any text, that it is only a guideline. Applying this knowledge depends entirely on the individual voice(s) you are working with. It is easy to become overwhelmed by the scientific jargon in this text and forget that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to teaching singing.

On this blog I will often reflect on readings from two texts in particular: Vocal Technique by Julia Davis and Stephen LaTour and Teaching Singing to Children and Youg Adults By Jenevora Williams.

Vocal Technique- Ch. 1-2

Julia Davis says “the more conductors, teachers, and singers understand vocal technique and the science underlying it, the more readily they can apply these concepts in both individual and ensemble singing” (2012, p. 1). I think too often an understanding and appreciation for healthy vocal technique is overlooked. In my opinion this is at times the case in ensemble singing in particular. The goal is often to achieve a certain desirable uniform sound without thought toward how that sound is being achieved and whether it is coming from a place of healthy singing. Solid vocal technique will not only improve the vocal quality of the voice(s) but will also help signers sing with greater ease, therefore, building their endurance and stamina. An understanding of the pedagogy of the voice, for these reasons and many more, is key.

I am very glad the concept of back expansion is discussed relating to inhalation of breath before the onset of singing. Not only does this allow for more intake of air but also encourages the body to be more open and free, allowing for more efficient use of breath and a clearer vocal tone to be produced.

            Personally I don’t agree with the idea of breath suspension after inhalation. While I understand the concept, suspending or stopping the airflow before exhalation can cause unwanted laryngeal tension. Laryngeal tension will constrict the muscles of the throat, which can then cause a number of other technical issues. I prefer to imagine an uninterrupted breath movement from inhalation to exhalation. If the proper expansion on inhalation has occurred and the throat is open, than the larynx is in the desired low position and the singer is prepared for exhalation and phonation. There is no need to interrupt this flow by stopping the air. Attention should be brought rather to the engagement of the intercostal muscles in order to support the exhalation of the breath. On inhalation the abdominals and intercostals are released and the belly is soft. On exhalation and phonation these muscles engage to help maintain expansion as the air is released and passes through the vocal folds.

Tension is discussed often in these chapters, emphasizing the importance of being tension-free when we sing. While some singers may disagree with me, I am of the opinion that singing should not be tension-free. Tension, in a way, is energy and we need energy to sing. When the tension is misplaced, however, we find technical issues in a voice. This brings me back to the muscles of support. If the intercostals are engaged and the breath is working efficiently, than it is likely other technical issues will not appear. This is efficient use of tension. If this engagement isn’t happening then tension will be misplaced, appearing elsewhere in the body (ex: clenched hands or jaw) and/or in the vocal production (ex: flutter or uncontrolled vibrato).

Vocal Technique- Ch. 3-4

Julia Davis describes the complexity of the vocal mechanism in great detail in her book Vocal Technique. It is evident that her pedagogical knowledge is invaluable, especially to students studying to become vocal pedagogues. In order to fully understand the vocal mechanism, one must fully understand the science behind it. However, since the purpose of ED 2520 is to prepare for choral teaching in a classroom, I believe it is important to recognize and identify the factors most important in learning about efficient vocal function. Otherwise, the necessary understanding for the purposes of this class, might be lost within the complexity of the scientific jargon. I think the most important concept to understand is that of breath support and the muscles involved in supporting the breath. Many other details Davis explains, including subglottic pressure, onset, and resonance, is greatly impacted by the efficiency of the inhalation and exhalation. Much like the domino effect, the way the breath is set up and released will influence the rest of the phonation process and the quality of sound produced.

Secondly it is important to understand the basic function of the vocal folds/glottis. The vocal folds adduct and abduct (close and open), controlled air passes through the glottis and sound is produced. The sound quality produced is dependant on the efficiency of airflow and the onset of the glottis (how the folds open and close). The types of onset, found on p. 51 of the text, are extremely useful in understanding how the vocal folds work, what is most efficient, and what should be avoided when working with young singers. While I completely agree that the coordinated onset is the healthiest and most desirable method, I think it is useful to explore the benefits of each onset. For example, if a singer is demonstrating a hard glottal attack it might be helpful to suggest a breathy onset to counteract the hard closure. Asking the singer to pass more air through the glottis will soften this attack. The same is true for the opposite situation, if an onset is too breathy it might be helpful to teach the student about the glottal onset. If a singer can experience the sensation of closing the glottis, before sound is produced, then he or she might be able to eliminate breathiness by encouraging more complete closure of the folds. The goal of course with these exercises is to eventually achieve coordinated onset where closure of the vocal folds and airflow are simultaneous.