The Liberated Voice
A beautiful voice is a free voice. When you find yourself exceptionally moved or dazzled by a singer, it's likely that one of the most significant things you're responding to is how free their voice seems: an effortless flow of sound, unfettered musicality, unrestrained emotional sincerity. When you sing, your most memorable and satisfying experiences occur when you feel completely free to express yourself.
Freedom implies freedom from something. Mastering singing means liberation from anything that restricts vocal expression. Various forms of physical resistance can impede the flow of sound (e.g. jaw or tongue tension) and limit breathing, range and stamina.
These are the issues I address in the voice studio and encourage my students to tackle in the practice room. However, physical resistance is only one of many things that can constrain your voice and artistry. You also must overcome:
- Performance anxiety;
- Emotional and psychological blocks;
- Craving for outside validation;
- Attachment to accuracy at the expense of passion;
- Myths and faulty concepts about vocal anatomy;
- Excessive dependence on teachers and coaches;
- Concern over whether regular practice will lead to the mastery you desire.
A free voice requires more than flawless vocal technique. If you want to sing freely, you need strategies and resources to address anything that impedes freedom of expression and limits access to your own body, feelings, and ideas. It is my aim to use this blog to provide you with these strategies and resources, as well as a forum for us to discuss them together. Freeing the voice frees the spirit. Anything you do to promote physical, emotional, mental or psychological freedom expands your expressive palate as a singer. Anything that enhances the communicative power of your voice also empowers you to communicate more effectively and joyfully in daily life.
Welcome to my blog. There are so many topics and practices for enriching vocal study that I never have the time to address in voice lessons. I am truly looking forward to sharing them with you here.
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