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Human Beings leave many trails. We may be tracked in many ways, from the unique way that we walk and the shape and size of our footprints to our various traits and habits. Clearing of the throat or sweeping back of the hair may identify our current mood or purpose. In the larger sense we have all become more aware of our carbon imprint. Thanks to the genome project criminals amongst us can be nervous that they will be tracked down many years from the scene of their crimes. We do indeed leave many traces.
The sound of our voice is another imprint and each of us is a unique musical instrument, infinitely adaptible and mostly underdeveloped. When we chose to sing we chose to activate sound waves that vibrate inside us to create a musical form of communication. We express our thoughts in songs, mostly of someone else's creation and sometimes of our own. This sound wave that is our voice travels up from the larynx with the support of our breathing technique to the head cavities where is is amplified and refined before meeting its audience.
The human voice can be manipulated by the singer. The singing pupil can learn to move the focus of their vocal sound wave so that it is entirely clear of the throat. Singing exercises teach how and where to focus the vowel sounds and breathing techniques support a singer to achieve fine control over all elements of their voice.
There are many ways to describe these processes. In my own learning I found the use of metaphor to be much too frequent. Being in touch with the science of your voice is much more helpful. Personally, in my early musical learning, being told that the voice was like a ball on a fountain was of no help whatsoever in developing any understanding of what felt to me like the mysteries of vocal technique.
The best starting point has to be the naming of the parts and then the physics of the process. Once understanding is clearer of the actual mechanics, then metaphors can be useful to reinforce these foundation stones. Keeping it simple and direct is always best.
The Singers Studio Day will support you to establish these foundations and begin to build on them. You may have been learning for years without really understanding how your voice works or how it may be possible to control it. You may never have thought of these things or may be ready to start your learning about the voice from scratch. You may be experiencing some difficulties that you want overcome with your voice. You may just find all this fascinating. The digital imprint that your voice makes in the studio is represented on screen and each part of it can be manipulated. You can learn to self check for pitch as well as tone and you can check your sound wave against a professional singer's sound wave in order to perfect your own.
Roger from Born in a Barn Studio is a musician and sound engineer and Lizzie from Unlock the Music is a singer song writer and singing teacher . With our support you can make a real difference to your understanding of how to work with your voice. Join us for one of our ground breaking days at Born in a Barn Studios in 2009.
Lizzie Perring
December 2008
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