VTM. Voice Teaching Methodology

Transcription

1 VTM TM Voice Teaching Mastery Program Voice Teaching Methodology

2 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 2 Contents Topics: Page Number Section 1: Voice Teaching Methodology 1. How is sound produced? 2. The Pharynx, The Mouth and The Larynx 3. The Breathing Apparatus 4. Importance of Controlled Breathing 5. The Diaphragm 6. Posture and Voice Projection 7. The Resonance 8. Vowels and Consonants 9. Vocal Health - Nurturing a Healthy Voice 10. Factors Affecting Your Vocal Instrument 11. Vocal Abuse and Disorders 12. Vocal Check 13. Vocal Disorders 14. Overcoming Throat Muscle Tension Trouble Shooting Guide Frequent Asked Questions Recommended Vocal Exercises Common Vocal Terms Bibliography

3 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 3 The human voice is the organ of the soul. ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

4 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 4 1. Introduction It has seen in recent trend, a rise in emphasis on voice projection skills in singing as well as in public speaking. Singers, speakers, teachers, salespersons, lawyers and many other professionals have taken initiatives to register themselves for voice projection lessons to enhance their speech confidence. Voice teaching is a niche industry and training teachers to master the skills of voice teaching is a never-before initiative in Asia. With this in mind, we have developed VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM. What does The Voice Room aims to achieve? This program is designed with an objective to transfer the skills of voice teaching to inspired individuals, who has a passion in voice teaching and to become voice teachers. A written and practicum assessment at the end of the program will ensure learners competency to deliver a proper and structured program to their future students. We hope with these focuses, learners are able to master the skills of voice teaching with a complete understanding of the subject. 2. About The Founder Carina Tien, the Founder of The Voice Room TM has been in the entertainment business since She has maintained a private practice, teaching voice and speech since 1992 and has established The Voice Room TM in Carina is an extremely versatile voice specialist with close to 20 years of teaching experience as well as immense knowledge on the art of singing and performing, and has been a regular performer for The Esplanade since Apart from her experiences in performing arts, Carina has also over 20 years of corporate experiences in various multinational companies. Her experience and exposure include customer relations, human resources, training & development, sales administration, secretarial, advertising and business development. Carina received her Degree in Business & Human Resource Management from UK. She also processes Diplomas in Communication Studies, Business Administration and Teaching English To Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) as well as an Advanced Certificate In Training & Assessment (ACTA). She is a Certified Life Coach by Life Coach Institute (LCI) and is a member of the International Coach Federation (ICF) as well as the Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA). She is effectively bilingual in English and Mandarin.

5 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 5 Voice Teaching Methodology 1. How is sound produced? When we make a sound, we begin it by breathing or inhaling. The muscles of the larynx (voice box) bring the vocal cords (or vocal folds) together. They stay closed until enough pressure builds up and a burst of air escapes through the cords. Sound is actually produced by the pressure changes created when small jets of air pass through moving vocal cords. The quicker the cords open and close, the higher the resulting pitch will be also known as Oscillations. Vocal cords oscillate about 100 times per second during normal speech. This sound, created at the level of the vocal cords, is then shaped by muscular changes in the pharynx and oral cavity (including the lips, tongue, palate, and jaw) to create speech. The faster the vocal cords vibrate, the higher the pitch, they're pulled longer, thinner, tightly stretched. Vocal cords vibrate more slowly when they're shorter, thicker, and floppier. The larynx or voice box is located at the top of the trachea (windpipe) and is made up of muscles and tissues. It contains the vocal cords, which are made up of two cords of tissues that are connected to the muscle on either side of the cords. If the cords are not brought together with a balanced pressure of air and muscle, the voice will sound strained and tense. The larynx has three important functions: * Control of the airflow during breathing; * Protection of airway below it; and * Production of sound for speech or sing. Therefore, in order to produce a strong sound, vocalist/speaker needs to strengthen the muscles of the larynx through vocal exercises. The amount of airflow from the lungs also impacts the pitch and tone. If breathing system lacks control, it won t send the right amount of air to the vocal cords a weak tone will be produced and vice versa. Strong Larynx + Good Breath Control + Good Diaphragm Muscle = Powerful Voice

6 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 6 2. The Pharynx, The Mouth and The Larynx The pharynx is the part of the neck and throat situated immediately behind the mouth and nasal cavity. This Palate must be raised during singing and speaking Larynx is also known as voice box The Pharynx plays an important role in the production of vowels and consonants. The mouth and nose work closely with the Pharynx to form a resonator. A nasal sound occurs when the palate blocks the vibrations of the voice from going into the back of our throat. Instead, the vibrations become aimed into the front of the nasal cavity and produce a nasal sound. To avoid this, open our mouth, bring down our jaws, raise our palate, so that the palate does not block the vibrations.

7 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 7 The Mouth The mouth plays a considerable role in enhancing vocal quality. The unique structure of your teeth, lips, jaw and overall size of your mouth cavity contribute to your own special sound. Ideally the three parts of the pharynx and the mouth should act as one resonator. See picture below:

8 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 8 The Larynx The Larynx or voice box consists of a set of bones located in the front of the neck at the top of the windpipe. The voice box encases and protects the vocal cords, see diagram below: The Larynx (Voice Box) Inside the voice box, there s a very important valve, which controls the flow of air to and from the lungs. The valve is known by many names, such as: the vocal bands, vocal folds or vocal cords. The Vocal Cords or Vocal Folds

9 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 3. 9 The Breathing Apparatus We all know that the key function of our lungs is to breathe. No sound will be produced if there is no breathing. This is how our lungs work: When we breathe in, our diaphragm (a large dome-shaped muscle between the rib cage and the abdomen) contracts and flattens. Muscles attached to the ribs, called intercostal muscles, also contract and lift the rib cage. The lungs enlarge to fill the chest cavity and air is drawn in through the mouth and or nose, through the trachea (windpipe) and into the lungs. When we breathe out, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles relax, the rib cage collapses, and the lungs are squeezed to expel the air they contain. This process is aided by the elastic properties of the lungs. Before the next breath there is a short pause, and then the cycle begins again. Many times, when we sing, we realize that we are gasping for breath. We thought we are out of breath. However, we will be surprised that our lungs can hold more breath then we thought. Next time, when we feel that we are running out of breath; try releasing the air using ssss as in snake. We will realize that we still have air left in our lungs!

10 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 10 The abdominal muscles, lower ribs (intercostal muslces), and lower back muscles work with the diaphgram to provide support to the entire breathing system. These muslces are the ones you feel when you do sit-ups or leg raises. Right before you take in air, the breath support muscles (front, sides, and back) must relax, allowing the intestinal mass to relax also so that the diaphragm can descend. The stomach should never be rigid when bringing air into the lungs. Even when singing, the stomach should be flexibly firm. The considerable lower strength added t the vocal instrument by the breath support muscles is as important as the diaphragm itself. Greater endurance, speaking (intonation) or singing (high notes) with ease, and holding notes for a long time and comfortably are the direct results of effective use of these powerful muscles.

11 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM Importance of Controlled Breathing Controlled breathing enables we to produce a powerful sound. Question: Should we breathe through the mouth or nose when speaking and singing? A speaker or vocalist should not breathe in through the open mouth and nose alone for the reasons: * We cannot take as quick and deep a breath through the nose alone as we can through our mouth. * A nose breath is usually facially unattractive, noisy and distracts the performance. It will be made worst if the vocalist has a nose blockage. * We cannot breathe through our mouth throughout the performance, as it will dry up our lips and throat. The advice is, breathe through the mouth and nose simultaneously. This allows the resonating passages to open up, preparing them for the free outflow of sound. Breathing through our nose is reasonable when there is adequate time to breathe, such as during the instrumental introduction (intro) to a song or during an interlude (break) in singing. Time our breaths so that we don t hold our air before we sing. Holding the air tends to tighten the throat muscles. If we do get into a situation where we have taken a breath too early, hold it with a relaxed, open throat by sustaining a comfortable expansion of the rib cage and lower abdominal. The abdominal muscles, lower ribs (intercostals muscles), and lower back muscles work with the diaphragm to provide support to the entire breathing system.

12 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM The Diaphragm In our earlier Chapter, we mentioned about the diaphragm. What is the role of the diaphragm and how does the diaphragm impact on the production of sound? The diaphragm is a large muscle, which divides the abdomen into two parts, upper and lower. At rest, it forms an arch, which is rather high in the abdominal cavity. A split second before we take a breath, it descends and flattens out. A trained diaphragm becomes coordinated with the support muscles to allow for faster, deeper and more controlled inhalation. This helps to eliminate gulping and panic breaths, which are common among inexperienced speakers. Diaphragm deflates during exhalation causing the lower abdominal to Diaphragm inflates during inhalation causing the lower abdominal to bloat

13 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 13 Do note that shoulders should remain in the same position. It should not rise during inhalation. If we notice our shoulders rise during inhalation, we are not engaging the diaphragm. Place our hands around our waist with thumbs in back, fingers barely touching. Breathe deeply. Our rib cage and back shoulders should expand during inhalation. We will feel this increase in size as our fingers get further and further apart.

14 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM Postures and Voice Projection Good posture is important during singing and speaking. When we sing or giving a speech, we can t breathe properly unless we have a good posture. Getting into habit of a good posture will benefit we in looking good on stage. Some people get into good posture very naturally but many us are not able to do that due to habitual reasons. Hence, it is important for we to start projecting a good posture now, to build up the habit. Having good posture does not mean that we stand up straight, tummy in, chest out. We will not be able to produce a good sound if our body is too rigid and stiff. RELAX is the key word. Yes, keep our body relax but not slouch. Relaxation in singing and speaking is defined as: * Freedom for action; * A state of balance; * Readiness to perform

15 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 15 It is also important that when projecting voice, the feet form the base on which the whole body instrument stands balanced. To establish a correct base: * Stand with feed shoulder-width apart, one foot a little ahead of the other. * Put the weight of our body somewhat forward on the balls of our feet (not back on the heels). * Make sure the weight is evenly distributed. Correct Incorrect Incorrect We need to condition our body to support our body instrument: The Head & Neck The Body Muscle The Shoulders The Chest The Arms The Legs and Knees The Feet Need to be aligned and should not be tense Must be relaxed Need to be UP, then BACK, then DOWN, never forced Must remain high and lifted and with the shoulders in the correct placement, giving the diaphragm the maximum room to breathe. Should be hanging down to the sides in a NATURAL way, they should be able to move freely. Nothing should be rigid. Need to be soft, meaning that we can easily move from one foot to the other to shift the weight. NEVER lock the knees as this could restrict our blood flow and lead to fainting Should be no wider than shoulder width apart, with one foot slightly in front of the other. This gives the body room to move and support the entire body in the breathing process.

16 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM The Resonance Resonance is defined as the vibratory activity of the voice that encompasses movements of muscles, jawbones as well as mouth cavities, all at once. Any of these missing will change the quality of the voice. Do we remember the last time we had flu? Did our voice sounded clear or muffle? The resonation system is what makes the voice unique. The vocal cords themselves produce only a buzzing sound; the resonators are necessary to create speech Resonators and the mouth cavities mould the sound to form words and amplify the sound. Resonators act as an inner amplifier that will enhance the high qualities of the tone when a person sing or speak.

17 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 17 What form the resonators? Resonators are formed by the larynx (voice box), the pharynx (throat) and mouth. The sizes and shape of the bones cavities of the skull known as the vocal mask, is different in everyone. This is what makes a person s voice unique.

18 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 18 What is a vocal mask? Vocal Mask = Nasal resonators (located directly above, behind and beside the nose) + Resonators located in the cheekbones, frontal resonators (that are buried in the forehead just beneath and above the eyebrows). Bones and Cavities of Nasal Resonators (Side View)

19 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 19 Bones and Cavities of Nasal Resonators (Directly Behind the Nose) Passageways Connecting the Various Head Resonators

20 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM Vowels and Consonants What are Articulators? Voice articulation is seen as the changes in the resonances of the vocal tract, and the agents of such changes can be called articulators. Movement of the tongue, pharynx, palate, jaw, or lips can change the basic factors which determine the frequency of cavity resonance (volume of cavity, area of opening, and port length). Voice articulation produces sounds can be considered to be modifications of the basic vocal tract resonance, a kind of filtering of the acoustic spectrum of the voice mechanism.

21 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 21 Basic Vowels Sounds Vowels are the sustained, free-flowing vocal sounds. Shaping the mouth space, using the articulators, forms them. Articulators are tongue, lips, jaw, teeth, hard palate and soft palate. The hard palate is the roof of the mouth. The soft palate is the soft area behind the hard palate at the back of the roof of the mouth. Vowel sounds, moving only to articulate consonants and quickly returning to its resting place. If the tongue pulls back, it blocks the throat passage, interfering with resonance and possibly with focus as well. In the following progression, the tongue lowers from its highest position for "ee" (as in see) to its lowest position for "uh" (as in up). For "aw" (as in dawn) "uu" (as in book) and "oo" (as in soon), the lips form the vowels for each sound and are most rounded for "oo".

22 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 22 About Consonants A consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the upper vocal tract (part of the vocal tract that lies above the larynx). Below is how consonants are produced: Consonant Articulators How Consonant is Produced T, D, Z Tongue and upper gums, The tip of the tongue contacts the front of the hard palate. behind two top front teeth S, L, TH Tongue and teeth The tip of the tongue lifts near or contacts the bottom edge of the front top teeth. R, Y, CH, SH, J Tongue and palate The top and/or sides of the tongue lift up to touch the palate. K, Q, Hard C (as in Cat), Hard G (as in Tongue and soft palate The back of the tongue moves up to meet the soft plate Great), NG, X N Tongue and upper gums Tip of tongue presses against the front of the hard palate, as tone is directed over the roof of the mouth into the head resonators. P, W, B Lips The lips participate in the articulation process in two ways: * Press upon each other (with w, the lips barely touch and round together, compressing the air) or * For P and B, the lips close temporary obstruction in the pathway. V, F Upper lip and Top teeth gently press down on or towards bottom lip. teeth M Lips Lip press together as tone is directed over the roof of the mouth into the head resonators Consonants contrast with vowels. A vowel is a sound in spoken language such as: a, e, i, o, u. Voiced and Unvoiced Consonants The voiced consonants are those in which the vocal cords vibrate, creating vocal sound. Try this: place your fingertips at the front of your throat and say "ssss" (as in say), with a good, strong hissing sound. Notice there is no vibration against our fingertips. Unvoiced consonants are those in which the vocal cords are open and do not vibrate.

23 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 23 Say "zzzz" (as in zoo), with a strong buzzing sound. That vibration you feel against your fingertips is from your vibrating vocal cords. The voiced consonant requires the vocal cords to focus and vibrate. Unvolced consonants create a gap in the stream of vocal tone by requiring the vocal cords to part. With the fingertips at the throat, say "the zoo" and then say "with Sue". Notice the interruption of vibration during the "ssss" in "Sue". The vocal cords do not focus on unvoiced consonants. Because the vocal cords are open for the unvoiced consonants, they have a tendency to stay partially open during the vowel that follows. This creates an undesirable breathiness and loss of projection or causes the voice to "crack". A good way to train is to counter-act this tendency is to think the voiced consonant counterpart and to immediately focus the vocal cords for the vowel. Think the focused vowel even before we pronounce the consonant. When moving from a vowel to a consonant, do not anticipate the consonant by shortening the vowel and don't alter the vowel as we approach the consonant. Moving the articulators too early toward the consonant position interferes with focus and prematurely closes the resonating space.

24 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM Vocal Health - Nurturing a Healthy Voice When Using the Voice: * Use the breath flow to support the voice * Project the voice properly * Decrease overall volume; if a person is talking one-on-one in a small room, talk quietly! * No shouting/yelling; find another way to let people know that it s dinner time or that they have a phone call! * Don t talk in the presence of a lot of background noise! Talk to someone only when they are an arm s length away. * Don t try to talk or sing when you have a bad cold or laryngitis. * Don t continue using the voice when you feel strain. Caring for the Voice: * Always Warm up the vocal instrument * Eliminate excessive throat clearing. Chronic throat clearing can result in irritation and swelling of the vocal cords. * Keep our vocal tract moist * Rest when you are tired or ill * Don t ignore prolonged hoarseness or changes in the voice. Consult a doctor if the change persists for more than a few days * Good posture allows better airflow and reduces tension and strain. Poor posture can be improved with an exercise program designed to strengthen and realign the body for optimal support. * Drink plenty of water to keep our vocal tract moist * Watch what we eat * Don't smoke! Don't smoke! Don't smoke! * Limit alcohol intake. Alcohol irritates laryngeal epithelium and mucosa, and has been linked to laryngeal cancer risk. * Be aware of the medications we take and their effects on our body * Exercise regularly * Get sufficient sleep daily. Early to bed, early to rise makes the voice healthy and wise. Our Environment: * To avoid dryness of the throat. Drying environments include: heating and airconditioning. * When sleeping in a heated or an air-conditioned room, leave a bowl of water next to you OR a wet towel near the bedside * Stay away from smoke-filled environments.

25 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM Factors Affecting Our Vocal Instrument Some important factors that affect voice quality are: 1) Air Quality: The most common air quality problem is dust; Dust from chalk, carpet, household dust, outside dust, dust from construction projects etc. Dust is an irritant to our airway, the wet or moist lining of our nose, throat, and vocal cords. When irritated, these air passages may become red and swollen, often causing a change in pitch and quality of our voice. 2) Humidity: Too high or too low humidity can be enemy to our natural voice. An ideal humidity for voice is about 40-50%. 3) Noise: Noise is considered the biggest air pollutant of all. The extra effort required to speak in noisy environments involves using more air for a louder voice, a higher pitch and greater precision in enunciation. This can severely tax our vocal equipment and prevent us from using our natural voice. 4) Speaker-Listener Distance: Ideally vocalist/speaker should use appropriate loudness level and not singing too loudly or softly. The loudness of our voice should continually adjust to the changing noise level around us, to the physical distance between our audience and us. 5) Hormonal changes: The dramatic voice changes in puberty experienced by both boys and girls are evidence of impact of sex hormone on vocal tract and are normal. 6) Fatigue/stress: Stress causes us to make unusual demand on our vocal folds. Such as, prolong singing using inappropriate vocal techniques. 7) Aging: As a person age, the pitch will become lower as the vocal cord loose its elasticity. 8) Allergies and infections: For people with severe airway allergies, the swollen and inflamed membranes of the throat and nose can produce hoarseness and even complete loss of voice. 9) Fear: Fear can cause the vocal muscles to tense up and thus effective the vocal quality. 10) Hydration: A dry larynx (vocal tract) doesn t function as well as moist one. Hence, vocalists are advised to bring along a bottle of drinking water whenever they need to sing. This water serves as a lubricant to keep the throat moist. 11) Medication: Among over the counter drugs, the primary enemies of the vocal tract are aspirin and antihistamines. Continuous usage of aspirin can result in slight hemorrhaging of small blood vessels on the vocal cords, which will loour pitch and produce hoarseness. 12) Recreational drug: Smoking is a primary enemy of developing a better voice. 13) Constant Drinking of Alcohol: Too much alcohol can cause the throat to become dry. 14) Lifestyle: A lifestyle of a person can affect its vocal quality. Such as a pub singer. Late nights and too much smoke and alcohol can cause harm to the vocal cords. Such as throat cancer.

26 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM Vocal Abuse Vocal Abuse Vocal abuse may consist of excessive or inappropriate voicing, such as speaking at the wrong pitch. Excessive voicing such as screaming, yelling, enlarges the vocal folds. This vocal folds enlargement changes the sound of the voice. Some common ways one can misuse their voice: * Speaking with a hard glottal attack. This can cause hemorrhage to the vocal cords * Yelling and screaming * Coughing and excessive throat clearing * Singing excessively at the lower or upper end of their pitch * Increasing the vocal loudness by squeezing out the voice at the level of the voice box * Cheerleading * Speaking over a longtime at an inappropriate pitch level * Speaking or singing for an excessively long period of time

27 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM Vocal Check Indicate the extent to which the following statements apply to you: Never Every Time I Use My Voice My voice tires or fatigues My voice is hoarse, croaky, husky etc My voice breaks or cracks My voice disappears completely My voice is lower in pitch than usual My voice is higher in pitch than usual I have difficulty making my voice as loud as needed I feel that using my voice is an effort My voice does not project as well as needed I have difficulty with breath control (e.g., running out of breath, gasping) My throat feels dry I feel scratchiness or tickling in my throat I feel as if I have a lump in my throat My throat aches or feels sore I feel pain in my throat I have a burning sensation in my throat I need to clear my throat or cough

28 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 28 Indicate the extent to which the following statements apply to you: Never Every Time I Use My Voice Speaking loudly Singing loudly Speaking in an unnatural pitch (e.g. a pitch which is too low or too high) Speaking or singing in a strained or forced way Speaking or singing over loud noise Speaking over a long distance without amplification Whispering or speaking in a very quiet, breathy voice Speaking in an unnatural voice quality (e.g., talking in a character voice) Speaking in a smoky environment Shouting, yelling, screaming Do we believe that you have a voice problem? Yes No Source: State of Victoria (Department of Education) (2002), Voice Care for Teachers Program, Helping Teachers to Maintain Vocal Health.

29 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM Vocal Disorders: Vocal Fold Nodules Vocal fold nodules are the most common benign vocal fold lesions, and are sometimes referred to as "singers nodes. Nodules may be acute or chronic; chronic. Vocal characteristics include hoarseness, breathiness, and lowered pitch. Vocal Fold Polyps A vocal fold polyp is a fluid-filled lesion. They may vary in size. They are most commonly thought to be caused by vocal abuse or trauma, cigarette smoking, or vocal fold haemorrhage, but the exact cause is unknown. Vocal characteristics often include hoarseness, breathiness and noisy breathing. Haemorrhage A haemorrhage of the vocal fold occurs when a blood vessel ruptures and bleeds. A haemorrhage is usually the result of a single episode of traumatic voice use. Vocal characteristics include hoarseness, loss of pitch range, and vocal fatigue.

30 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 30 Symptoms of Vocal Stress Some common symptoms of vocal stress are: * Vocal fatigue * Unreliable voice * Delayed voice initiation * Low, gravelly voice * Low pitch * Voice breaks in first passages of sentences * Airy or breathy voice * Inability to sing in high, soft voice * "Hiss" sound * Increased effort to speak or sing * Hoarse and rough voice quality * Frequent throat clearing * Extra force needed for loud voice * Voice "hard to find"

31 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM Overcoming Throat Muscle Tension The are basically five primary causes of throat muscle tension are: * Lack of adequate vocal warm-up * Air over-blow * Over articulation (emphasizing mouth, lip movements when singing or speaking) * Using force rather than resonance for volume * Trying to compensate for under-developed vocal muscles To understand why vocal warm-up is important, let's take a look at certain realities of muscles. The more active our muscles are, the more blood flow they need to supply oxygen and nutrients. The muscle tissues also need to have elasticity, which is, in part, furnished by having a certain fluid level. In other words, they need to be hydrated. If we were an athlete or dancer and attempted our workout or performance without preparing our muscles, we would overexert our body and suffer the consequences. Gentle stretching of the muscles increases the fluid, blood and oxygen into the muscles. Once stretched, the muscles are awake and ready to "deliver the goods" without stress or tension. Just as an athlete would not expect to perform without a warm-up, neither should we. It is so much easier to sing after a correct warm-up. If we've never experienced this, we'll be surprised once we try it. Tonal qualities will also automatically get better, as does ease of range. Why? This is because our muscles are awake and is better able to do what they're designed to do, naturally. Vocal Stress Release Throughout the day, our bodies absorb a great amount of physical stress. Symptoms of stress include aching feet, stiff back, and headaches. Stress affects our voice, limiting our ability to sing or speak openly and freely. To reach and maximize our voice potential, we must release any stress that could inhibit the vocal process. Vocal stress release exercises on the following page are designed to minimize physical stress and create a positive physical state, to enhance vocal production. Vocal stress release exercise should be performed before any vocal exercises are conducted. In addition, they may be performed at any time to relieve stress.

32 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 32 The Vocal Stress Release Program When conducting voice lessons, it is important to identify any muscle tension your students might have, which can affect their vocal control. The exercises below are stronger encourage to minimize muscle tension: Deep Breathing This exercise helps to calm the mind and body. Deep breathing will focus the center of concentration, a practice that is invaluable for singing and speaking. Deep breathing stretches and relaxes the chest cavity, back muscles, and diaphragm, all of which are used for vocal control. 1) Inhale through the nose for eight counts, filling the lungs from the bottom up. First, the waist should expand all the way around the body. Next, the sides, back muscles and lower ribs will expand. Last, the upper chest should expand. This completes one full inhale. 2) Hold the breath to a count of four. When you hold your breath, try not to strain. Do not hold the breath very tightly. Just lock the breath. When holding the breath, pretend as if you are still inhaling. This will keep you from locking your stomach. 3) Next, exhale through the mouth to a count of sixteen. Empty the lungs as much as possible, ridding the lungs of any stale air. When exhaling, hiss the air out. This will tighten the stomach and back causing the muscles to ache. Don't worry, this is not adding stress, but strengthening the muscles used for breath control. Try not to let the stomach fall in. Keep it expanded. This will help to further strengthen the diaphragm. Repeat the entire breathing process five to ten times.

33 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 33 Neck Tension Release This exercise stretches out the neck muscles and releases tension. Side to Side: Take your left hand and place it on the right side of your head, with your fingers pointed down towards your shoulders. Gently pull the right side of your head towards your left shoulder. You should feel a pull in the right side of your neck. Do not pull beyond the point of pain! You only want to feel the stretch in your neck. Hold to a count of ten. As you count, continue pulling your neck towards your shoulder with your hand. This will stretch out the neck muscles, making them more limber. Repeat this process using your right hand to pull the left side of your head. After a few weeks, you can increase the count to twenty or more, for a deeper stretch. Back and Forth: Allow your head to fall backwards until you are looking up at the ceiling. Put your hands underneath your chin and gently push your head backward to stretch out the area of the larynx. Hold to a count of ten. Next, drop your head forward toward the ground. Take both of your hands and place them on the back of your head and pull your head down, bringing your chin to your chest. Use both of your hands to pull your head deeper into your chest until you can feel the muscles in the back of your neck stretching. As I said before, do not force beyond the point of pain. Hold to a count of ten, maintaining constant pressure from your hands to enhance the stretch. After a period of time you can increase your hold count.

34 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 34 Neck Rolls: Start with your head hanging forward. Roll your head to the right. Your shoulders will want to move as you roll. If you notice this happening, concentrate on keeping them still and straight. Allowing your shoulders to roll with your head will not permit your neck to fully relax and release tension. When performing this exercise, allow your head to hang as far forward towards the floor as possible, as if gravity was pulling your head to the floor regardless of head position (forwards, backwards or to the sides). Continue to roll your head slowly around your right side, then to the back. When you reach this point, your head should be all the way back. You should be able to see the ceiling. Continue rolling your head to your left side, and finally back to the front. Repeat the process ten times to the right, then ten times to the left. By the time the neck exercises are done, your neck should feel pretty loose and relaxed. Neck Muscle Massage: Massaging the neck relieves tension in the neck and throat area. Start by massaging the back of your neck. Use both hands to squeeze and release the muscles, loosening any knots or kinks. Then take your thumbs and work them into your neck muscles in a circular motion until you have done this over the entire back of your neck. Work your thumbs up to where the neck meets the skull, then down until your neck meets the back of your shoulders. After the back of the neck is complete, continue on to the sides of the neck. Use the same massage process for the sides, as you did for the back of the neck. Use the left hand for the left side, and use the right hand for the right side. After you feel that you have thoroughly massaged the sides, take all of your fingers and, starting at the bottom of the sides of your neck, slowly rub upwards until you reach the protruding part of the skull, right behind your ears, on the sides of your head.

35 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 35 Throat Muscle Massage: The front of the neck requires a different massage process. Start at the collarbone and work the fingers of both hands down into the indentures of the collarbone. Start on the outer sides and work towards the middle. Work your fingers in a slow circular motion being careful not to cause any discomfort. When both sides are complete, place the middle and index finger of your hands into the indenture in the center of your collarbone and massage in a circular motion. Massage the front of your throat as you did the sides of the neck. After the front of the neck is completely massaged, move on to the muscles under the chin. Chin Massage: The muscles under the chin play an important role in singing, helping to maintain a low larynx position and an open vocal path. This area can hold a lot of tension. Use both hands for this massage technique. Place your fingers up under your chin. Massage the chin muscles by working your fingers in a circular motion, starting underneath your jawbones. Massage the entire area of the muscle working your fingers towards your chin. Next, squeeze and release the muscles under the chin to loosen any knotted muscles.

36 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 36 Facial Tension Massage Jaw Tension Massage: If you clinch or grind your teeth, you will carry tension in your jaws, making it difficult to sing openly and enunciate words clearly. Start by pressing the fingers of each hand into the indenture in front of your ears. Now yawn. Did you feel the indenture getting deeper in front of your ears? This is the temporal mandibular joint (joint of the jaw) Massage the entire area, down to where the jaw line meets the neck, and up to the temples. After you have massaged the temporal mandibular joint, press your fingers into the indenture and pull your jawbone towards the front of your face, stretching out the jawbone. As always, do not pull past the point of pain. Do this two-five times. Crazy Face: This exercise relieves tension held in the facial muscles. Start by yawning. As you yawn, stretch both your mouth and eyes as wide open as you can, then stick out your tongue as far as possible. As you stretch your tongue, it might feel a little sore. The tongue has a tendency to knot up towards the back of the throat. Stress is stored in your muscles, which produce knots and muscle spasms. The tongue is one of the strongest muscles in your body and it can hold a lot of tension. Hold this facial position to a count of ten. I know this looks really funny, but it is the best way to release facial tension. Now that you have stretched your face, let's revisit the tongue.

37 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 37 Tongue Stretch: As I said, the tongue can hold a lot of tension, causing the back of the tongue to rise and knot up. A tense tongue will constrict the vocal path, making the opening in the back of the throat smaller. A smaller vocal path results in a smaller, pinched sound. You need a way to help stretch out the tongue and loosen the knots. The best way to do this is to dry off your tongue with a towel or handkerchief, then use your hand to pull your tongue out of your mouth. If your hand slips, then you can also use a dry towel to hold on to your tongue while you pull. Pull down and out for a good stretch. As you pull, concentrate on relaxing your tongue, to stretch the tongue further. Do this exercise three to five times, or until you have released any soreness in your tongue. Diaphragm Release: Due to poor posture, your diaphragm will slide up underneath the ribcage. This exercise relieves tension in your diaphragm by returning the diaphragm to its proper position. The proper position is right below the ribcage. Take your hands and massage your stomach downward, starting at the middle of the ribcage. You want a downward pulling sensation towards the stomach. Work from the middle of the rib cage down to the bottom of your ribs. Lip Bubbles: Lip bubbles relax and warm up the entire vocal mechanism. Performing this exercise increas flow to your vocal cords and surrounding muscles, preparing your voice for a vocal wo performance. Lip bubbles are also known as motorboats due to the fact that the sound produce much like a motorboat running in the water. This is similar to a horse pursing its lips and blowin To produce this tone, purse your lips together, then force air between them. A consistent flow required to vibrate your lips evenly. If you do not gain balance between your lip tension and th air pressure, your lips will not continue to vibrate. After you can produce lip bubbles, apply to exercise. Concentrate on the feeling of tone hitting and passing through your lips. Lip bubbles disconnect your mental connection to the vocal cords. The sound will feel as if your lips are producing it. This is the perfect exercise for relieving voice strain and preparing the voice for an intense vocal workout! Starting on any note, produce lip bubbles while maintaining a consistent pitch for several seconds, then slide down to the bottom of your range. Repeat this exercise ten to fifteen times, each time starting on a different pitch. It's best performed when starting somewhere in your lower range, then working your way up to higher pitches. When your voice feels warmed up, proceed to the final step of vocal stress release.

38 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 38 Gargling Tone: Gargling tone is perfect for warming up. It works hand in hand with lip bubbles. Lip bubbles warm up and expand the cords, much like stretching out your body. The gargling tone relaxes and hydrates the voice, much like relaxing in a Jacuzzi. The same steps apply to this exercise as lip bubbles. Start by taking a small amount of water in your mouth, then tilt your head back, and gargle on any pitch. Sustain the pitch for a few seconds, and then slide down to the bottom of your range. This takes consistent breath support to prevent from swallowing water while vocalizing. Repeat this exercise ten to fifteen times. This completes Vocal Stress Release. You voice should feel warmed up and ready for your vocal workout. The only other thing you might wish to do is to perform a few mist inhales, and drink some water before your workout or performance. Now it's time to proceed to the voice strengthening exercises. Resonance Hum: To perform the resonance hum exercise, simply close your mouth and hum until your teeth begin to buzz. This creates resonance in the mouth cavity. You'll soon discover that you can expand this feeling of resonance to the entire head cavity. Hum on any pitch that is comfortable to your range. Sustain the pitch for as long as comfortable. Don't force yourself to produce any resonance; allow it to happen naturally. This exercise massages the vocal cords and relieves any tightness. Perform this exercise at least 10 times on different pitches. Vocal Cord Stretch; The vocal cord stretch is actually a fast continual version of an exercise called THE SIREN. Before you start performing this particular warm-up exercise as part of Vocal Stress Release, you must fully understand and have been practicing THE SIREN regularly. To perform the vocal cord stretch, sustain a full voice pitch. Next raise the pitch up as high as comfortable, then return to the beginning pitch. Continue to raise and drop the pitch as many times as you can on one breath. Make absolutely sure that the tone is full of resonance. Keep the buzzing sensation on your teeth, and follow the path of your core of resonance. Following the path will be further explained in the following Chapters. Perform this exercise times or until your voice feels loosened up and you are ready to perform. This completes Vocal Stress Release. The voice should feel warmed up and ready for the vocal workout. Do advise your students to drink some water before the workout or performance.

39 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 39 Troubleshooting Guide Problem Throaty Tone Tight Jaw Nasal Tone Breathy Tone Effect Tight, brittle, hard quality. Tone doesn t float. Not enough space between the molars; teeth clenched together. Overall sound is small. Very little resonance. When a voice seems caught or overly influenced by the nose Voice sounds too airy, as if too much air is escaping along with tone. Framework * No pathway concept in use * Back of throat too open * Rigid jaw/neck * Tone is not focused * Mouth position is not oval. * Over-articulation * Jaw not relaxed * Mouth too closed * Placing the voice in the nose * Tongue too far up or back * Focus not achieved Likely Causes(s) Breathwork * Using too much air * Storing air too high in the chest * Shoulders lifted * Body not relaxed * Too much air forced into the cords * Too much air is being used Remedy * Touch tip of tongue to the back of the bottom teeth. * Add inner smile sensation * Add mask resonance * Breath lower * Relax neck, jaw, shoulders * Relax tongue and soft palate. * Use a mirror to check mouth position; making sure the jaw is down and oval. * Sing songs and exercises on AH only. When jaw relaxes, reintroduce words and consonants. Don t push, let your voice flow out * Practice exercises with mirror. * Opening mouth and adding a bit of a yawn sensation in throat will balance nasality. * Aim voice (mentally and gently) through the hole in the wall, after leading it up and over the pathway. * Exercise breath control. * Strengthen overall body tone and lower breathing muscles in particular

40 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 40 Frequent Asked Questions 1. I ve been told to press down on my larynx to achieve a bigger, deeper sound. Is this OK? 2. Are vocal exercises a waste of time? 3. Are exercises specifically for breathing helpful? 4. I ve been taught to push a lot of heavy books up with my stomach muscles. Does that mean I ve developed strong breathing muscle? 5. Why do I have much trouble with EE vowels? Are they harder than the others such as AH and EH?

41 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 41 Recommended Vocal Exercises Exercise 1: Improve Breathing for Singing and Speaking #1 Use mirror and/or video camera with which to monitor themselves. To lie down on the floor. In this position, the natural breathing mechanism of the body at rest can be observed. #2 To check our body alignment, put our back to a wall and place our feet in a parallel position on a level floor, about 2 inches from the wall. Bending the knees a bit, place our shoulder blades and buttocks against the wall. Inhale a low breath. Upon exhalation, keeping our shoulders and buttocks against the wall, straighten the legs and lengthen the torso area. The neck and jaw should remain in alignment with the rest of the body, not jutting forward or back. This exercise aligns the shoulders, drawing them back and down, lifts the upper chest and brings the pelvis into position. Take some slow, gentle breaths. Our breathing should be easier, flowing smoothly in and out of the body. #3 Balance Points: For this exercise, stand in front of a full-length mirror. Viewing the body from the side, study the alignment of our overall posture. Now we are going to examine balance points in the body. First, the feet: rock back and forth until we find just the right balance, leaning neither too far over the toes nor back on the heels. Using the mirror as our guide, experiment until we find the right, comfortable place. Next, find the balance point of the hips, moving them back and forth until we find a good midpoint upon which to build the spine. Now, align the shoulders above the hips in the same fashion. Lastly, check the position of the head, experimenting by moving it forward and back until we find the balanced placement. Ears should be aligned with the shoulders and the chin should be level, not tucked down or stretched too high. Now examine the whole effect, take some breaths and try to get used to this new way of standing. Try to maintain the posture as we walk around the room. Repeat daily until we are able to incorporate it into our everyday life; we will seem stronger and more confident. #4 Place our open hands on our hips and slide them upward about three inches until our thumbs reach the lower ribs towards the back. Now, take a full breath through a comfortable open mouth, nose and throat.

42 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 42 Expand our ribs outward against our thumbs and hands, pushing them apart. Allow the lower stomach to expand at the same time. Feel the expansion outward and downward. The shoulders do not rise but remain relaxed and down. Relax our neck and jaw. Feel our tongue forward and relaxed, the tip resting against the lower teeth. Feel a slight yawning sensation as we feel the air flowing in through both our mouth and nose to cool the back of our throat. Inhale for 2 counts and hiss out for 4 counts - 3 times in a row. IN, 2 -- OUT (Inhale), -- (s s s s s s s s s s s) IN, 2 -- OUT (Inhale), -- (s s s s s s s s s s s) IN, 2 -- OUT (Inhale), -- (s s s s s s s s s s s) Singing and swimming are similar in that the longer the swimmer exhales in the water, the more air he or she must take in on the next breath. For effortless singing, always replenish the air between phrases with a full, deep breath. When time permits, let our breath out and breathe normally. After a full breathe, hiss out for 4 counts, using the tongue and teeth as resistance to the air. Replenish the air in 1 count. Hiss out for 5 counts. Take a full breath again in 1 count. Hiss out for 6 counts. Replenish in 1 count... and so on. Increase the duration of the hiss to at least 10 or 15 counts or more. Always replenish the air in 1 count, See how long we can sustain the hiss. Keep the air pressure steady throughout the hiss. Don't pause between taking in air and beginning the hiss. Keep the breath flowing. Try louder and softer hisses but keep the pressure constant from beginning to end of each hiss. With this exercise we can train ourselves to breathe quickly and deeply, extend the length of our song phrases and improve our vocal control in all areas.

43 VOICE TEACHING MASTERY PROGRAM 43 Exercise 2: The Diaphragm 1) The diaphragm is the large dome shaped muscle that is connected to the bottom of the lungs. 2) The diaphragm itself is not able to neither lower nor rise and relies on the lungs to lower it and the abdominal muscles to raise it. The process of strengthening the breath support system (abdomen) takes years and the tiny muscles of the voice box have to work even harder to bring the chords together with the resistance of the air from the diaphragm and the pushing from the abdomen. 3) We must strengthen the muscles of the voice box (or Larynx) and initialize those muscles in the act of singing in order for the breath support system to engage automatically. Note for students: Do not allow the chest to collapse, keep it comfortable, but high. When done properly, these breathing elements will do their job for we. The key is to sip the air. We will be surprised how far a small amount will take we. Just try it and we'll see. Large quantity of air inhale, a good amount of air remains in the lungs goes unused. Diaphragm Exercise: 1) To experience a natural breathing style, lie flat on our back on the floor and just breathe. The body really does know how to do this by itself. We can learn a lot by observing its technique. When we are on our backs we naturally breathe deeply and the diaphragm gets a full workout. Watch our stomach go up and down, relax and listen to our body. The great thing is that if anyone asks, we can tell them we are practicing. This is serious, strenuous work! Don't rush, give it several minutes, and when we feel we understand it, slowly stand up and see if we can recreate the experience from a standing position. 2) Panting is a good way to experience the action of the diaphragm muscles. Inhale and exhale several low, quick breaths in rapid succession. The abdominal muscles will move in and out with each breath. Do this for short stints only, or we will hyperventilate. 3) Exhaling little puffs of air through the nose will also engage the diaphragm. Do about 30 puffs, rest and then do 30 more, increasing the speed. Staying relaxed will enable we to draw in small amounts of air between puffs. 4) From a standing position, remember the feeling of taking in a breath for a sigh, and feel as if the breath is descending to the lowest part of our abdomen. We have to let go of