Here are some of the concepts and disciplines I cover with my teaching work:
- Physiology - how the voice works, vocal apparatus, connection with breathing, dispelling common myths, posture and alignment, smoothing over the ‘break’ to unite vocal registers
- Psychology of voice - what blocks it, teaching yourself by becoming ‘aware’ in your practice regime, journal, positive voice-quality goal setting, what don’t you want in your voice, cultures of silencing, combating nerves
- Breath control – eradicating breathiness and push
- The open throat –giggle release
- Onsets - onset practice within daily warm-ups, using the ‘Ng’ to put the sound in the head (placement). The daily warm-up
- Twang quality and tonal resonance - projection and correction of pushing/forcing habits, experimentation with resonance and the acoustics of the body using twang and resonance for dynamic control
- Vowels - smooth singing, vowel ‘shaping’
- Facial anchoring, facial stretching, tongue and zygotic muscles, Body Anchoring
- Vocal care, dealing with fatigue and damage. Energizing the voice
- Songwriting - approaches, inspiration, collaboration
- Improvisation Scat, finding your ‘own’ voice
- Performance - presence, meaning, getting the ego out of the way
- Working as a group - ‘the mix’ or blend of voices, supporting each other, listening, rehearsing, band discipline and culture.