5 Things You Can Do Today To Improve Your Alignment
1. Take your shoes off. Seriously, it is that simple. No matter how low the heel, shoes will throw your alignment off. Heeled shoes pitch you forward and make your body contort itself to try and stay as a vertical column and it gets worse the higher the heel. So, whether you are wearing cushy, […]
The Core-Voice Connection
In my opinion, the core-voice connection lies at the heart of a voice that is easy to produce. There is a close relationship between the pelvis, ribcage and throat, through all of the tissues that span from the pelvic floor to the larynx. The deep core is the deepest layer of muscles and includes the […]
Forward Head Posture and your Voice
Physically, we’d like the larynx to be aligned just right for your breath to flow optimally and your voice to sound at its potential. In reality we know our bodies are phenomenal at compensating and adapting. Most of us live lives that look like this: Type on the computer, drive, play piano or other instruments, […]
The Deal with the Diaphragm, Pt. 2
In the first post we looked at the diaphragm and its role in inhalation – It is the primary muscle involved in the lifting of the ribs and the expansion of the abdomen upon inhalation. To be extra clear, it is always involved in breathing – there is no such thing as a non-diaphragmatic breath, […]
The Deal with the Diaphragm, Pt. 1
“What do you know about breathing for singing?” This is one of the questions asked of students in my voice studio at their first lesson. My least favorite, yet most common response is, “well, I know you breathe from the diaphragm,” uttered as they hold their hand vaguely over their abdominal area. If that is […]
Extending the Exhale
If you tried the explorations in the breathing awareness post and discovered that your inhale is longer than your exhale, or it is equal and you’d like to extend your exhale, here are a few tips on how to do that. As a reminder, an extended exhale helps to trigger the relaxation response – think […]