To: "VOCALIST" <vocalist>
Subject: Respiratory Therapy (longish)
Date sent: Mon, 31 Jan 2000 08:54:51 -0500
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

Dear List:

I had a very interesting student a year or two ago who came to me for a few
months through an adult continuing education program. He had been teaching
himself to sing by listening to recordings of Pavarotti and his mother
surprised him with voice lessons as a present. He was in his late 20's. He
was a physically uncomfortable young man and pretty tension-bound. But he
could produce a sort of "Opera Man" sound that had a lot of potential.

When he began to sing for me in exercises, he had the most unusual pitch
challenge I had been presented with at that time. 80% of the time he was
just about dead on. The rest of the time, he couldn't hit the broad side of
a barn. And not just under or sharp - nowhere in the neighborhood. He could
aim for a high note adjacent to the one he'd just left and land a 6th below
(or thereabouts). It didn't matter where in his range he was attempting to
go or from what pitch he was moving, whether beginning a phrase or moving
from pitch to pitch. He'd be fine, singing along in really a rather lovely
voice and suddenly, Yikes!

We worked along doing the things I usually do for those with more common
pitch challenges (inhaling the pitch, sliding from pitch to pitch, breathing
and relaxation exercises, etc.) and he improved quickly, but still had
occasional "flights of fancy". He had to stop studying after a bit for
financial reasons.

A year later, he returned. His mother had again sprung for lessons. But this
time - no pitch challenge. Not a shred. And his whole voice had improved
substantially in quality. I said, "What have you been doing since you left
me?" and he said "your exercises and becoming a Respiratory Therapist". He
showed me the kinds of breathing exercises he'd been doing as part of his
coursework and many of them seemed tension-making to me - but holy cow did
they ever work for him! It was an absolutely stunning improvement.

So what I want to know is, does anyone have any experience with Respiratory
Therapy? Can you recommend a coursebook which might provide a good overview
along with exercises. I'm not currently teaching anyone who needs special
help on pitch, but anything that delivers that kind of result is something
I'm willing to study more.

Thank you all,

Laura Sharp