Stock take day 5

So I'm now awake after staying up too late. I was energised and excited (as well as slightly tipsy) after a fabulous cabaret performance last night. We had lots of humour and silliness during songs. A real French theme seemed to appear and I laughed despite understanding very little of what was said! I particularly loved the mezzo off! :-) 

So onto today's blog (yesterday's really). I might not make it up a whole 20 things as I had so many on the previous post.

 I had a master class with Margaret Humphrey Clark in the morning and then sat in Christine Cairn's class to get an idea of it ready for tomorrow.

1.What we do 90% of the time dominates us when we sing. Posture!!!!

2. Feel the space on the neck with your hands whilst you sing. Feel it lengthening. 

3. Monkey!!!! I sang in monkey, everyone else sang in monkey - it's amazing!

4. I saw people recoil in shock whilst I sang in monkey. It connected all my breathing, opened up space and my voice took on a sudden extra powerfulness!! Awesome!

5. Use bounce in monkey so that nothing else tightens up. Use it to feel the support and bring this into singing when standing normally. 

6. We hold a 3rd residual air. You never need to breath in to breath out. 

7. "It's usual to try too hard with singing".

8.  Tongue exercises to ensure you are moving tongue not jaw: sing on na nan a to feel tip of tongue in the right place. Gaga to feel middle of tongue and then the tune to ng.

9. The root of the tongue does nothing! The middle and the tip are responsible for making the different sounds.

10. Practise in front of the mirror so you can watch you tongue. 

11. It's important to train it to help it become independent from the jaw.

12. Clarinet playing has affected my embouche - this may have something to do with my jaw and as I learnt it whilst growing it's quite tricky to shift. 

13. Try arms out straight, shoulder blades flat, swing arms - help to loose the tension.

14. Lie on the floor to help reduce the curve and tightness in the back. 

15. Communicate the words! consonants!  (Heard this before!)

16. For Die ihr schwebet sing out loud to go over accompaniment and imagine the baby asleep/trying to sleep. 

17. CC try moving around the space whilst singing, and swinging arms to energise the voice. Then move down to just arms on spot. Then just thinking arms swinging. 

18. Top bits/sweepy bits think of a windsock out of back of soft palette. Stroke the sound. 

  

Almost made it to 20! One session left! Then final concerts!! :-)