Spinal movements and the voice

The spine holds incredible secrets for singers. If you know how to say the magic word....

Actually, if you know how to bend the thing!

First of all, there's C-1, or cervical vertebrae one. That's the top of your spine, the bone upon which your skull hinges. If you bring that vertebrae back ever so slightly (without raising your chin), you can double the space at the back of your throat or vocal tract. Especially if you raise your eyebrows in an "I don't think so!" type of facial gesture. Try it... I bet you feel your nose flare.

Then there's the spot in your upper back just below your shoulder blades. You can open your whole ribcage by pressing this spot and moving it inwards. This gives your diaphragm room to hold back, or control, breath. Students of mine often get a hoola hoop lesson to help them literally loosen up so this spot becomes more flexible. According to my chiropractor, Dr. Dwaine Allison, http://www.allisonchiropractic.com , this spot is in fact the accupressure point for the diaphragm, and so affects nerve impulses to the diaphragm as well as physical space. I highly recommend this doctor, by the way.

And lastly there's the lumbar spine. Think of the diaphragm as having a mushroom-like shape. The outer edges are connected along the bottom of the ribcage. The "stem" has fibers that attach to the lower vertebrae of the spine, which sit above the tailbone. It's important to think of the lumbar spine as support. If you bend too much here (at the waist), such as in a sway-back stance, you can cause breathing problems (as well as back problems). Flexibility in unlocked knees will keep the lumbar in a better position to support the voice from the pelvic floor and still allow much needed flexibility in the upper mid-back, as described above.

Here is a site you may find interesting about anatomy and breath. Notice, however, that they are talking about regular breathing, not singing- which requires more control and thus a lifted and open ribcage during phonation. http://www.authentic-breathing.com/abdominal-breathing.htm

I try to visit my chiropractor before every major vocal. I found that a spinal alignment could make a significant difference when I needed maximum voice. Also, feel the dance in your spine, the beat in your legs, sway the groove with bent knees, etc. ...do what it takes to let flexibility into your spine. You might be surprised at how much this can help your vocal cords! (the hip-bone's connected to the jawbone... eventually!)

Do you have trouble with flexibility? What helps you loosen up? Click on "comment" below.

Recording Studio Vocal Producer...Do You Need One?

What is a vocal producer?
Do I need one?

These are questions which should be asked by everyone needing to record a voice. Period. Why? Because it can make SO MUCH DIFFERENCE to the final outcome.

Ok, I know this may be a bit self-serving, because I am one (a vocal producer). But sometimes you truly do NOT need one. Here's how you can tell:

1. Does your vocal quality really matter that much in this recording? If you are just putting a quick song down that won't be heard by the music industry outside your inner circle, maybe it doesn't matter. Included in under this heading would be: songwriter worktapes (rough recordings to put the song down), pre-production recording (to experiment with vocal style, find the best key for your voice, see if the song really fits you, etc.) , casual or non professional recordings where you don't need to sound your best.
2. Is the producer of your recording project really a good vocal producer as well as an instrumental track producer? Sometimes they are both instrumental and vocal producer rolled into one. Quite frankly, this is rare. There is a difference between KNOWING WHAT TO TELL SOMEONE TO DO when they sing and KNOWING HOW TO HELP THEM DO IT! For example, Tom Paden www.padenplacemusic.com is a great producer and artist developer who is wise enough and caring enough of his clients to suggest they hire me for vocal production. They are not always quite sure why they need this, but after they record, they are amazed and very happy with the results they can get with a vocal producer. They also gain vocal instruction which helps them improve their voices immediately.
3. Are you a veteran of the recording studio? Hey, sometimes even YOU need objective feedback from someone with a qualified ear who knows how you sing at your best. This is especially true with "master" vocals, which are "final vocals" you intend to sell, or with which you intend to pitch yourself or your song to the music industry. Assessing your own vocals while singing is never a good idea anyway. It scatters your focus. It IS best for you to make the final decision on whether to keep the vocal or to re-record it, but get another team member to help pull out your best as you record.
4. Can you afford it? If you can't, try to at least find a recording engineer who knows some things about the voice. If you just get a great "techie" who is not a singer or musician at the board, you're on your own :) I love working with these techies because I can trust them to record the vocals right; when paired with a good vocal producer it can make for a great recording team. I have an engineer I've worked with who has decided to take vocal lessons from me to understand how to better serve his clients who can't afford another recording team member. How cool is that?

Have you had experience with or without a vocal producer? If so, click on the comment link below this post and share your thoughts!

Vocal challenges in Children

Are you a parent, relative, teacher or friend of a little singer- or are you a little singer? This post's for you!

Here's an email I just got from Ellen Dockery, a dear session singer friend of mine who has begun teaching piano and voice:

judy,
if i could rely on your expertise for a second...i have a 6 yr. old piano/voice student. she's a great little singer-do you have any advice or precautions for a child her age?
i look forward to getting your cd!
thanks SO much!
love and many hugs,
ellen :-)

Here is my advice for little singers:

First of all, check and see if they are straining when they sing. Unfortunately, well-meaning choir directors and school teachers can sometimes encourage volume and power that little voices are not ready to generate. Add the stiffness and uniform stillness that is often encouraged in the posture and you have a recipe for disaster. Hey...sometimes the kid just decides to sing too loud out of the sheer passion!

• How can you tell if they are too loud? Does it sound like yelling? It may be cute now, but it may truly damage their voices. I had a girl who developed little blood blisters (the beginnings of nodes) by a few days of singing too loud. I've read that it is possible to develop this damage from just 20 minutes of over-blowing your vocal cords. (Hear that, little cheerleader??)
• Another way to tell... can you get them to make NON-BREATHY sounds in their head voice? Ask them to mimic Mickey or Minny Mouse. Then have them sing some little tune in head voice and see if they can clear the breathiness up. If not, they may need to be checked out by a doctor- preferably one specializing in the vocal apparatus, like the Vanderbilt Voice Clinic in Nashville.
• If they are yelling, the first thing to do is get them aware that their throat is feeling strained. Many times they don't know there is another way. Have them sing at the wall with their head and heel against the wall so they can't lean forward. Encourage them to stay flexible and to keep the chin level and floating. If they go for a high note and strain, suggest to them that they back off the volume so it feels better. Maybe put a book on their head so they won't lift the chin too much. ASK THEM TO SING FROM THEIR EYES! Make it a game... keep them having fun.
• Teach them the Power, Path & Performance technique of "pulling" words. For help, check my training cds.

Another common problem of children is having a weak voice. Shyness of personality, fear of being heard, and a dislike of the feeling of a tense throat can cause this.

• First of all, talk to them and LISTEN TO THEM. Many times a child just needs to know his or her voice is valid and that someone wants to hear what they say or sing. This fosters a good relationship where they will trust what you ask them to do.
• Next, have them pretend to sing to a stuffed animal or their real pet. Have them "sing a story". (Try to make sure they choose songs they can relate to!!)
• Teach them to open their arms out wide and take a breath in their belly. Then teach them to squeeze a horse or pillow with their legs for power. This tends to crack them up and is great fun. It will teach them to use the correct area of pelvic floor for power, while not squeezing in at the chest or throat.

And then there are children who seem to be tone deaf. I will state unequivocally: Tone deafness is a myth. Anyone with ears can learn to sing on pitch. I once taught a girl who had sustained 70% hearing loss when she was very young. She was determined and I got resourceful and by "pitch target practice" she learned to sing on pitch just fine. I would play a note, she would listen (think it) then mime it, then sing the pitch and I'd tell her if she was right, or if she needed to move it up or down. She also learned to feel and count rhythm.

Here is a website full of wonderful ideas and suggestions for child singers: http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Music/Sing_in_tune.html

And finally I'll reiterate... HELP THEM CHOOSE GOOD SONGS! Encourage them to write their own! They need to learn that singing is communication. And that what they say counts.

Do you have or know a child singer? I'd love to hear from you... what seems to be the vocal challenges in that child? What works? What doesn't? Click on the "comment" link below this post.

Runaway Home- New Musical wraps up first run

Well, it's either over or it's just beginning.

Runaway Home the Musical finished its first run today. It was a spirited performance by eleven actors I have come to love with all my heart. We hope to take it to New York's Fringe Festival, we hope to get it distributed far and wide, but I tell you the truth... if this was it, it was more than worth the time, travel, money, songwriting, track producing, vocal teaching and music directing I had the great privilege to do. (Thank you for trusting me with this music, Darren!)

My students Maria Standing Rock and her mother Esther Brown, Michelle Bunch and her husband and Kendall, my husband John and my son Peter were in the audience, which gave it the standing O. Michelle has done a lot of major theater. In her words, "This belongs on Broadway". Your mouth to God's ears, Michelle! Thanks to everyone of my friends and students who made their way to Decatur, Alabama to see this October 2006 thru February 2007 performance run. I am honored to share these memories with you.

The play benefitted greatly by the revisions made to the script and the music during the workshop performances. It was an awesome experience to see the play undergo such transformation. The actors always brought fresh fire. This last performance, I believe, was the best. What a cast.

In an emotional after-performance meeting, Darren Butler (the play's book writer and acting director) gave us all plaques with some of his journal notes during the making and workshoping of the play. Two of our precious actors spoke of how the play had changed their lives. Darren and I were presented by the cast with two stuffed teddy bears. Upon squeezing an arm, the song "Runaway Home", began to play, recorded in a bathroom by the cast at the store where they bought the bears. My bear will sit in my studio, where he will listen to students, and sing to me from time to time.

Did I cry? Duh. Yeah. I squeezed my sister's and my neice's hands (they were part of the cast) and whispered "This is why it's worth it".

Here's what I say: Sing. Write songs. Act. Make music, and every other kind of art you feel called to pursue. It is my firm belief that if we act upon our talents with all the excellence we can muster, we can trust God to make it mean something.

I'll let everyone know if and when "Runaway Home the Musical" is performed again. If you came to one of the first run workshop performances, please leave a comment by clicking on "comment" link below this post.

The Master Tonic Remedy

As a singer myself, I have grown to loathe the common cold, not to mention (shudder) the FLU!

Respiratory illnesses usually turn into laryngitis for me. My immune system is quite strong, but this weekend I started feeling that awful sensation in my throat that told me I was catching this terrible cold that has been going around in my area. So when my sister sent me this bottle of strange brown liquid and told me it would deal with most anything that ailed me, I decided to try it. OH MY GOSH- my eyes bugged out when I just lifted the lid... BUT... I AM WELL- after only one dose. So I will pass it on to you-

If you are REALLY serious about wanting to stay healthy, check this time tested remedy:

"The Master Tonic"- (aka "The Flu Tonic)
Chop or blend equal parts of:

• Habanero Peppers
  
• Horseradish
• Gingerroot
• Hot Onions
• Garlic Cloves

Cover and blend with

• raw, unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar

Let it sit for a couple wks, shaking it regularly, then strain and use as needed

My sister offers this recipe to make it tastier:

• 1 tsp master tonic
• dash of worcestershire sauce
• couple of ice cubes
• fill glass with tomato juice
• top with squeeze of lemon
  stir
  enjoy

Read the complete directions for making the tonic, and dosage recommendations at:
http://ourcountryhaven.com/OCH3/index.php?topic=399.0

Here is another chat room with some practical info:
http://www.curevents.com/vb/showthread.php?t=29186&page=1

Another chat room discussion about this tonic: http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?t=141498&highlight=master+tonic

Here is another website which advocated taking it "straight" (a serious zing!)
http://www.wikihow.com/Naturally-Cure-the-Common-Cold%2C-Flu%2C-and-Parasites/Fungii-With-Home-Made-Master-Tonic

Another site advocating this remedy:
Natural Tonic: Richard Schulze

The Importance of Resonation

Resonation is your key to effective communication. If you say or sing something, what your listener "hears" is determined by the WAY you do it...

Let me explain:
If your throat is somewhat closed and/or your airstream (power) is not supported and controlled, your resulting sound will not be perceived as important or confident. Your message will be "I'm not sure about this", "Don't eat me for saying this" or "It's ok if you don't listen to this".

Here is an example:
I was listening to NPR this morning and there was a hilarious bit about the note "Bb". There was an experiment someone did (this person may need a life) near a pit of alligators. He played a Bb on a tuba, and the gators started roiling and splashing around because they thought they heard a big rival intruder coming. No note except a Bb did the trick. Follow this link http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5500502 for more of the story.

Now I'd like to see a further experiment. I bet if the guy played a Bb on a kazoo or flute, the gators would have ignored it. The resonation caused by the tuba communicated the message they "heard" that made them go nuts.

Conclusion: If you want your listener to "get your message", do it with an open throat. Your vocal cord buzz will then be able to reach all your resonation zones, and your sound will be rich and full. For help with resonation, check out my vocal training course at www.judyrodman.com

ALSO: if you're near a gator pit, don't voice a low "Bb". Do it in falsetto :)

Are You Really Communicating?

When we speak indistinctly, it doesn't communicate. Only common sense, right? Funny how a desire to communicate something can get scattered like a flashlight beam.

It's like there's a disconnect between your mind and your voice. It can happen for a lot of reasons, such as-

• You're not quite sure that the object of your message really wants to hear it. Hey, and sometimes, they don't! It's your job to change their minds...
• You don't really want to communicate- you're going through the motions while thinking about something else (don't you hate it when someone talks to you and you know they aren't really "present" with you?
• You are wondering how your voice sounds, how you look, what they think about you, what the judges will conclude(which has absolutely NOTHING to do with communicating)
• You may be afraid your voice or your message isn't good enough. (This is where you may need some help with vocal techniques and songwriting/selecting)
• You are, for whatever reason, INSECURE. Could be a temporary condition, or a chronic state.
• Or... You're actually only rehearsing for the real thing! Try this... count to 5 in a zombie-like voice (rehearsal). Now look at a point of your choosing and count with some kind of attitude... try mad, happy, amazed, confused, etc.

Communication problems can also be caused by a disconnect between your body and your voice.

Vocal training can provide life changing help to people who think that the voice only comes from the throat. Consider this...The best communicators have rich, musical voices with dynamics and flow. Guess what? If your voice is not like this, it's only that you don't know how to access all of your instrument. Much more than your throat, your voice involves your whole body. In fact, when operating optimally your voice should never feel like it's coming from your throat at all (unless you put your hand on your larynx and feel the vibration)!

To help connect the body and the voice, I have a saying: "act as if and ye shall be". In other words, what would your body language be (how would your posture be, how engaged would your eyes be, how well would you form your words) if you WERE secure about your voice and determined to communicate? OK, fake it till ya make it. Have faith in your voice... use a confident stance and delivery, and your voice will then clearly understand it's chore. Before you know it, you really ARE secure about your message, and someone is truly listening.

Remember that true communication has a purpose and an object. If it's worth saying/singing, then commit and communicate!!

What to do for your Speaking Voice

I had a comment on my last post that was a question about the speaking voice. Because I figure most of you may not click on the comments to see what is said, I thought I'd put the info in this new post, with a bit of elaboration.

I remember when I was on the road as an artist, I used to dread interviews before shows. It actually affected my singing voice to do a lot of talking before I sang, so I tried to have them scheduled after the show. Now I can talk all day long, 8- 10 hours a day and my voice never gets tired! (The rest of me does, but not my voice.)

Vocal sound quality and volume - whether speaking or singing- comes from resonation; your vocal cords just create the initial buzz when air moves through them. That buzz needs to reach reverberating zones in your head, throat & chest (some teachers even add your back and tailbone). That's how your speaking (and singing) voice can become much richer, more melodic, and yes, louder. Without adequate resonation, you end up pushing too much air through your cords trying to work up enough volume. Here are some tips for you:

• This advice alone will make immediate improvements: USE YOUR EYES WHEN YOU SPEAK!!! even on the phone!

To convince you, try this little exercise: keep your eyes very still and count to 5 moderately loud. Now count again, but move your eyes very animatedly while you speak, (check the mirror because sometimes your brain really doesn't know what your eyes are doing- your eyebrows should be active).

Your eyepads and eyebrows are very connected to what's going on inside your throat. You'll notice your voice is more melodic and can reach more pitches, and it's richer. It feels like you're pulling your voice out of your head by the word, with no forward "push" pressure. For practical application, just know it's important to communicate with your eyes while you are speaking- imagine your audience is deaf and needs to read your face for the message. Or imagine talking to a child. Use animation. ESPECIALLY on the phone, we tend to speak without expression on our faces.

• SUPPORT YOUR VOICE!

Don't be a talking head...Speak from your pelvic floor! Keep your ribs open by your posture, and you'll have compression power for your voice. This is another thing we do when we're on the phone... slouch. Then the voice feels like it's disconnected from the body. When standing, your voice needs your legs (which your voice considers butt extentions). Another power point: Whether sitting or standing, even on the phone, talk with your hands. It helps your ribs stay weightless and gives your diaphragm room to control the airflow to your cords. Keep your back flexible and keep your head from going forward of your shoulders. All tension can and should be relegated to butt and legs.

• WARM UP your speaking voice, too!

As many voice-over artists and actors know, it is very helpful to warm up the voice for speaking as well as singing. The tissues and muscles involved in your vocal apparatus need to get blood flow and flexibility increased.

• Get a list of tongue tanglers and say them a few times till your tongue and jaw get loosened and flexible, your face starts working, articulation gets animated and fluid... and you don't get your tongue tied behind your eye teeth when you practice (OK, it's a southern phrase, but you get the pic). I have pages of them for my clients...Try these three:

1. red leather yellow leather
2. you know New York, you need New York, you know you need unique New York
3. eleven benevolent elephants

• A great way to warm up is to make noises like a siren or ghost. You have to become somewhat fearless as to what people may think if they hear you.
• Humming, bubbling and tongue trills are great voice starters, too.

IN SUMMARY:

1. Warm up your voice
2. Talk with body language- especially eyes and hands
3. Keep your chest open, head back, chin level and your back flexible.
4. Loosen your jaw and form words distinctly.
5. And one more time... talk with your eyes!

If you'd like to check out the exercises in my training method Power, Path & Performance, go to my website www.judyrodman.com where you'll learn how to order my 6-cd package or my single cd condensed course.

Happy talking!

More thoughts on vocal pitch problems

I want to add some thoughts to my previous post:
Slowwww Dowsnnnn when you try the target practice exercise. Take plenty of time to:

1. Hear the music- the note(s) you play
2. Intend to hit that pitch dead center (focus your mind in a purposeful aim)
3. Support your aim (use your breath support centered in the pelvic floor to lift your voice into the right placement)

You can go a bit faster only when you are consistantly accurate in hitting pitch at the slower speed. This slowing down is vitally important... don't shortcut training the automatic nervous system. If you are used to being inaccurate with pitch it may take some time to re-train yourself and to trust yourself to sing in tune.

Before long your singing won't be like a game of vocal pin-the-tail-on-the-pitch. Your ears will be wide open and you will have begun habitually AIMING your voice at the right pitch!!

Another suggestion having to do with studio singing... don't think the recording engineer can make your vocal all it should be with vocal tuning. This technology is used, in my humble opinion, FAR TOO MUCH in today's recordings. The human voice sounds and communicates to the heart better with natural variences not usually allowed by those who over-tune vocals. Flying the same chorus everywhere can backfire and sound BORING!

Not to say vocal tuning and flying should not be done. On the contrary, sometimes it's wonderful to keep a vocal that has just the right magic but needs a slight pitch tweaking. And sometimes the chorus really is the same. It depends on the genre you're going for. Ask yourself (or someone whose opinion you trust) if you sound like a machine. If so, swallow your pride, get out your checkbook for studio time and sing a couple more passes of that song !!

Vocal Training: Pitch Issues and Target Practice

If you have pitch problems, it can usually be chalked up to:

1. The acoustic instruments (piano, ac. guitar) aren't loud enough
2. You aren't really listening to the music
3. The bass is too loud (overtones can fool you)
4. The electric guitar is too loud, or you're swimming in violin, steel, harmonica or organ
5. You don't want to listen to the music!
6. Your earphones are all the way flush against your ears instead of one side partially off (ok, so some people do well this way... go figure!)
7. You can't hear yourself acoustically and get aurally disoriented
8. You aren't connecting to your voice to the music
9. There is too little or too much reverb on your voice
10. You aren't really listening to the music
11. Your shoulder/back/neck/spine/big toe or some other part hurts and you aren't supporting your voice well enough for accuracy
12. You aren't really listening to the music

There are a lot of suggestions in the list above, but did you notice a certain redundancy? YOU AREN'T REALLY LISTENING TO THE MUSIC... You think you are, but you're not aiming at the center of the pitch in the music. And it's hard to hit something when you aren't aiming. Many times this is what is going on.

Here is a great way to fix it. Target practice!! Every day, make time to practice your aim. Hit a piano key or a note on guitar. Sing a short syllable like "la" or ya" and try to hit the pitch dead on. IMPORTANT: make sure you know when you're right- if you're not sure, enlist the help of a friend who CAN hear whether you're on pitch or not. Check yourself one note at time, then picking more random notes ( a short phrase) and see if you can hit them. Keep making the notes harder to hit.

You'll be amazed. Even people who have had damage to their ears from childhood infections, etc. can learn to be on pitch. If you want to bad enough, you can do it. Just make time for target practice!