In a message dated 12/25/2000 9:12:45 PM Central Standard Time,
Greypins@a... writes:
Greypins@a... writes:
<< i use the yawn, a little, to keep my larynx from riding up (actually, i
don't call it a yawn, i call it the 'idiot'. keeps me from flexing my
throat that way) but, where i perceive the sound is not where i feel the
space. think of a movie projector. the action is taking place in the
projector but, the picture is being seen on the screen.>>
I've been calling it the Christine Thomas Theory of Head Cold Vocal Pedagogy.
I never think of covering or depressing the larynx - I will tell people when
they are singing in their upper register to approach the pronunciation of the
words as though they have nasal congestion. I find that they are still
intelligible, the sound is still resonant and "forward," "present" or
whatever you want to call it, but they have the "space", "height", "lift"
that they need. I discovered it for myself last year and it seems to help
people out. I monitor it carefully to make sure that there is no tension
involved - like I do with anything I give my students (or myself).
I have probably mentioned this before, but in my freshman year of voice
study, my teacher told me that I was a young contralto and that I needed to
sing with a more covered sound. I diligently practiced the lower larynx in
the subsequent week and came back and sang the first phrase of "voi che
sapete" for him, feeling like I was singing thru a bucket of mud. I burst
into tears and said, "I sound like an old woman! If this is what studying
voice is about, I don't want to sing like this!" He was a young man and kind
of at a loss at what to do, because this was how he sang - he muttered
something about, "well, we'll try something else." He left the school at
the end of the semester to pursue a performing career. I was fortunate
enough to have a new teacher come in the following year (anyone know Kyle
Stewart, by any chance? I think he's in TX now) and he really helped me a
lot - but thank G*d I was able to say, "This doesn't feel good! I am not
happy!" before I developed this rigid vocal technique.
Christine Thomas
Wauwatosa, WI
<A HREF="http://hometown.aol.com/mezzoid/myhomepage/profile.html">
http://hometown.aol.com/mezzoid/myhomepage/profile.html</A>
"I love to sing-a, about the moon-a and the June-a and the spring-a"
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