Welcome to Vocalist's Insightful Practices (VIP) Newsletter!

January 5, 2000

Table of Contents:

1. Welcome Notes
2. Vocal "Trivia"
3. VIP Q & A
4. Vocal Tip
5. Notable Quotables
6. Trivia Answers

1. Welcome Notes

Welcome to Vocalist's Insightful Practices (VIP)!
HAPPY NEW MILLENIUM!!! May the new year be full of much happiness, fun, success and a healthy, more powerful voice! I wish all my subscribers peace and may this new century represent a new opportunity to take a risk and achieve even greater vocal goals. In the dawn of a new era, now is the time to GO FOR IT! Welcome to our new subscribers and thank you to our friends who forward VIP to their friends. That's how we grow and have a greater impact on the vocal community!

VIP is a free monthly newsletter that's goal is to promote proper vocal health by providing valuable, yet simple tips to singers, vocal coaches, speakers and anyone else who uses their voice! I hope that this electronic publication assists you in creating a voice which is more healthy, powerful and enjoyable. Please let me know how I can be of service to you in reaching your vocal goals. Take care of your voice, if it breaks you can't get a new one!

Note to subscribers: Do you have all VIP issues since it's premier in June 1999? E-mail me today to receive back issues! If you have a question that you would like to see addressed in an upcoming issue, e-mail me with the info!

You may contact me at
mailto:DAmbrosino@musicsimplymusic.com

2. Test Your Vocal Knowledge

1. True or False: You should ALWAYS sing a song in your best key.

2. To gradually get louder is called a _________.

3. These 2 small pyramid-shaped cartilages, upon the action of the laryngeal muscles, help bring the vocal cords together to produce sound.

3. VIP Q & A

Q: Why does my breath always run out before I complete a phrase?

A: Running out of breath can be fixed by simply re-conditioning your concept of how you control your breath. You just may not be taking enough air in before singing your phrase. Maybe you're adequately inhaling but using up too much air throughout the phrase and end up out of breath before you finish. Exhausting your breath on one phrase can make it difficult on your next phrase in that you have to inhale again and, because you're tired, chances are your inhale will be less efficient. Until your breathing finds efficiency in a calm manner, this breathing challenge will persist. Taking in too much air can cause problems too. If you're singing a short phrase and inhale a large breath you may instinctively inhale after that phrase, taking in more breath on top of breath that is already there. This upsets the natural flow of your breath, leads to breath holding, causes unnecessary pressure in you head and chest and can even lead to hyper ventilation. Once again, correct breathing technique is crucial! Generally, inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Inhaling through your nose will not dry out your throat. Your abdominal wall should expand on the inhale and contract back as you exhale. This should be a very relaxed process. More specifically, singing a phrase in a breathy tone will require a greater inhalation as opposed to singing the same phrase in a belty more raw sounding tone. At first you'll need to be conscious of your breathing but once you become more skilled, you will be able to take in just the right amount of air to sing the phrase. Here's a simple exercise that, when executed correctly and consistently, will improve you lung capacity and your ability to sing long phrases on a single breath. Slowly inhale through your nose until you feel full and then inhale a little bit more. You should feel the breath fill you up starting from the area just below your belly button, to your abdomen, in your chest area and up to your neck. Hold the breath just for a second at the top and SLOWLY exhale by hissing out the breath. Continue to hiss out until you abdominal wall starts to cave in and your pelvis tilts forward squeezing out every last bit of air. Watch your body react like a vacuum and inhale and repeat the exercise again. Not only is this effective in strengthening and lengthening your breath, but it is also a great relaxation exercise.

4. Vocal Tip

Be aware of your environment. Smoke, smog, high volumes and cold air will negatively affect your voice. Don't subject yourself and your voice to these nasty culprits. Remove yourself from the environment or change it - your voice is counting on you! This is all common sense stuff but I am still amazed at how often I see people (singers!) put up with this nonsense. Promptly handle this situation and by the day after, you and your voice will be glad you did!

5. Notable Quotables

"Doubt is a thief that often makes us fear to tread where we might have won." -William Shakespeare "

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist after you grow up." -Pablo Picasso

6. Trivia Answers

1. False - If you want to become a versatile singer and build your range and expand your musical horizons, you must stretch outside your comfort zone and sing songs in other keys. You will discover and learn so much about your voice.

2. crescendo

3. arytenoids

Copyright © 2000 Diane Ambrosino. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce, copy or distribute VIP so long as this copyright notice and full information about contacting the author is attached. The author of this article is Diane Ambrosino and she may be contacted at: mailto:DAmbrosino@musicsimplymusic.com

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