Now, take a deep breath…but how

Our voices are breath driven mechanisms. I think most of us have been told that correct breathing technique is 98% of the battle to sing well. While this is certainly true, breathing can be confusing and complicated. I fear that many voice studios tend to teach basic breath mechanics in the first years of voice study and then move into other techniques never to return.

It has been my experience that once I began to perform at a high level of artistry, teachers assumed my breathing was in order because I sounded great. One of my former teachers in college actually said something like, “I don’t know how you get all those high notes, but you must be doing something right. Keep them coming.” I slipped through both undergrad and graduate degrees in voice performance without a thorough understanding of how breath provides the foundation for really reliable and healthy singing. When I hit my 40’s, the magic went away.

After years of struggle, I finally found my dear Audrey Stottler. She taught me how to take responsibility for the things I didn’t know. We dug in and learned how to breath systematically, with mental and emotional control. We experimented with my body to discover how it moves after spinal fusion. We played with the amount of physical strength I have as a geriatric singer. I began to feel my breathing become more integrated with my artistry.

In addition to Audrey’s hands on guidance, I am becoming a disciple of master teacher, David Jones. David’s workshops and his recently released book, A Modern Guide to Old World Singing: Concepts of the Swedish-Italian and Italian Singing Schools, self published, 2017, are a rich source of information. Chapter 2 is all about posture and breath.

Then, there is the internet. There is a wealth of information at our fingertips, so don’t be shy about doing your own research.

Here are some of the links I use most often:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JqFWUjxI1Q
Roger Fiammetti is an osteopath in Belgium. His animated video is excellent in any language. If you don’t speak French, don’t worry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycJKbfcZ1CI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W_kPMoViTc
Soprano, Laura Claycomb, has graciously given permission to share her videos of breath basics.

There are three things you need to understand about your body for breathing:
1) Where is the bottom of my breath support today?  2) Where is the top/front?  3) How do my spine and back muscles work together with the top/front and bottom of my support?

The entire 2018-2019 term will be focused on breath here in the studio. So, be sure to come with questions and observations arising from your practice!