TMV World Team

I've recently been speaking to a man in England with a very interesting problem. Or better, a very common problem, caused by a very precious dynamic. Many people I work with are wrestling with fears of rejection, failure and success. These fears manifest in the body and voice, causing issues that on the surface seem entirely physical in nature. This man in England however is another matter. His fears are the same -- of rejection, of failure, of success-- but not for himself. Instead, he's worried that he is simply not good enough to express the gratitude he feels within his heart for life. He feels unworthy -- not of the world or the audience, but rather, unworthy of music. Oftentimes, I've found that reverent and searching souls are plagued by a pervasive sense of not being good enough. Never feeling adequately wise or worthy to teach, they often remain in the role of perpetual student, seeker and learner. In ways, they feel worthy enough to take, but not to give... a rather curious irony. The reality though is that this man -- and all of us -- is good enough to both give and receive. Not because of what we've done, or dream to do, but because we are, because we exist. And therefore, no better, no worse than anyone else, we have as much right to sing as we do to listen. We have the right to humbly give thanks, express our awe, celebrate where we are, and what we are experiencing in this moment with our breath and being. Ambition, as you might imagine, is another issue for this man. He becomes very uncomfortable when people compliment him, not because he feels inadequate in his performance, but because he doesn't like the attention. My advice to him, as it is to you, is to accept compliments like a wind that blows by you, touches your face for only an instant. These compliments people share are not meant for you, anyhow. Your gift isn't the gift of the sound of your voice, or your performance of the song that carried it, but rather, the place to which your voice has taken listeners within themselves. You are a vessel through which life touches the lives of others. Hold that idea for a moment... is there any more reverent -- or worthy -- purpose? This essay first published November 3, 2009 on The Modern Vocalist.com the Internet's #1 community for vocal professionals, voice health practitioners and pro-audio companies worldwide since November 2008. To read more from Jennifer, visit: http://jenniferhamady.blogspot.com/.

I received a very interesting comment about over-trained singers at my page here on The Modern Vocalist.com: "What I strive for: no two voices are the same. It's that unique strong signature characteristic that separates people who can sing from people who become icons in music. Take Sting for example, not the greatest vocalist, but there's no mistaking that aged husky whimper of his. Technique is important for power and control, but I find that there are too many people sounding too trained. I believe that one should incorporate one's personality into one's sound as much as possible in order to go about creating that strong iconic signature sound that no one else can recreate. Take Chino from Deftones-that guy can't sing a note- but the Deftones wouldn't be anything without him. Same goes for Trent Reznor from Nine inch Nails. I think it's a fine balance between a trained and untrained voice that needs to be found." - Timothy Ian David Lester This is, in fact, why some people think you can know too much about music or voice. They feel that too much musical knowledge can cause a musician or singer to over-think and turn their art... artificial. Actually, sometimes they are right, but only because they are not being taught well, in my humble opinion. The first thing we vocal coaches should do is to interview our new student and find out what his or her vocal and musical goals really are. Do they need to sing classical songs to get into (or through) college with a major in voice? Do they want to sing what they are writing: R&B, country, pop, jazz, hip-hop, alternative? We must know so we don't guide them into a style that is not where their heart is. Yes, people can learn to sing both classical and popular genres, but sometimes the jump can be hard. It's like learning to speak different languages very fluently. Yes, you can do it but it takes time, careful and accurate coaching and exposure to the masters of the musical genres you want to sing to perform multiple genres well. If you want to sing in more than two or three genres (like pro session singers must), this is what I call "stunt singing". Does your student really want to be jack-of-all trades, or do they want to be a master of one? I believe we need to do exactly what Timothy is suggesting: help our clients find their uniqueness. This is what really sets the heart free, and sometimes gives a vocalist a career as a recording and performing artist. It really takes experimentation, a feeling of safety to try new ways of using the voice and feedback from someone with great intuition about how an audience would react to what they are hearing. We want an audience's immediate reaction to be: "Wow what a song, what a delivery of that song!" Not, "Wow, I wonder who this artist's vocal coach is and what method they use?" My favorite artists actually play with their voices, sometimes "de-supporting" for a weak, sensual or sad sound. But when it's time for business, they ramp up all the vocal wisdom they ever learned and deliver such controlled power that we are mesmerized with their song. They scream, use breathy or husky sounds on purpose, but -- and here's the rub -- they NEVER hurt either the listener's ear or their voice. It's like an aural (instead of an optical) illusion. And it comes from being -- you guessed it -- very well trained. A good example is the masterful performance of a great actor. If they are doing what they should, you never even detect the slightest whiff of "acting", do you? But you can bet your bottom dollar that they used top dollar acting teachers to get to the level they are at in their craft. According to her biography, Janis Joplin planned every "impromptu" scream she did. A singer who is serious should be trained by an insightful and wise vocal coach who will train them so well you don't hear "vocal training" when they sing. You hear a song that elicits from you an emotional response. Period. This essay first published August 4, 2009 on The Modern Vocalist.com the Internet's #1 community for vocal professionals, voice health practitioners and pro-audio companies worldwide since November 2008.

For my last post in this series on Spasmodic Dysphonia, I will report on treatment options and currently available, controversial alternative viewpoints and will offer my thoughts as a vocal coach. What Are the Treatments for Spasmodic Dysphonia? The first thing we need to know is that medical treatments available now will only manage symptoms in true SD cases. That is the major diagnostic difference between SD and MTD (Muscle Tension Dysphonia) disorders; MTD cases can be cured by re-training vocal habits and eliminating physical and psychological tension. Please note: MTD cases are much more common than SD. Medical options pretty much boil down to two things: Botox and surgery. First of all, several experimental surgical treatments involving such things as paralyzing nerves and splitting the thyroid cartilage to make more room for vocal cord stretch have been found to be ineffective. These surgeries also cannot be reversed, and are now not recommended. One surgery reporting better success is called "selective laryngeal denervation-reinnervation"(SLAD/R), which is suggested for some with the AdSD type of Spasmodic Dysphonia. Patient response has been reported to be 85 - 90% positive, with life-long results of improved vocal function instead of eventual re-occurring symptoms, as has happened with other surgeries. What has been reported to be more than 90% effective for SD patients is Botulinum toxin (BTX or Botox) injections, which involve injecting a very small amount of the toxin directly into the overactive vocal muscles. It weakens these muscles so that spasms are diminished and the speaking voice is improved. Patients experience best results more often having one side at a time injected instead of hitting the whole set of overactive spasming muscles. The drawback to Botox therapy is that it is only temporarily effective and must usually be repeated every three to six months. It is important to find a doctor who is skilled in delivering this injection because a needle must be inserted into the vocal muscle affected, frankly a tricky spot to hit. The treatment is expensive and can be painful, but is the method of choice by most SD sufferers at this point because surgery is considered a last resort. Alternative and Supportive Treatments I would be remiss in my three-part series look at SD not to tell you that there are also reports of this disorder being overcome with vocal and breathing therapies and re-training. This website discusses these alternatives, reporting that many vocal coaches including Roger Love and Gary Catona report success treating SD patients with vocal training. Another such viewpoint comes from Connie Pike, CCC-SLP. A quote from Connie's website: I have come to view SD as a mindbody disorder; not psychological or neurological, but both. I believe we cannot separate the mind and body functions, including the function of the brain... The track record for voice therapy is a poor one. I believe this is because speech therapists are not properly trained to administer voice rehabilitation with the intensity and the holistic nature that SD therapy requires. The emotional piece of SD is huge and there are breakdowns not just in voice production, but in breathing, voice image and more. The feeling of proper voice production is lost in a case of SD and must be rediscovered. Chiropractic, Alexander Technique and Feldenkrais Method are treatments that can provide symptomatic help in certain cases. A breathing technique is also discussed here. My Thoughts for Vocal Coaches The medical professionals I heard and spoke to at the Nashville symposium last week all say that much about Spasmodic Dysphonia remains a mystery. They wanted me to know as a vocal coach that if I run into a frustrating case I can't cure with my vocal training, I should send them to get evaluated for vocal damage or Spasmodic Dysphonia, which of course I have done and will continue to do. They also affirmed that patients with SD can, especially if they have mild to moderate severity of the disorder, be helped to a limited degree with vocal therapy and retraining. However, an SD sufferer was the person who invited me to the symposium, because she had been so frustrated by seeking help from drama and vocal coaches with no positive results. She quite rightly wanted to get the word out about SD to vocal coaches so they would know to recommend medical evaluations instead of continuing ineffective training, if they suspect this condition in a student. Could alternative treatments cut out the need for Botox injections? Are the above websites just selling false hope to suffering people? I don't have the personal experience to form an opinion. Vanderbilt Voice Clinic suggests this website for the most accurate information on Spasmodic Dysphonia. My course of action: If a student comes to me with signs of Spasmodic Dysphonia, I will not tell them I think they have it, because I know you can talk someone into manifesting a disorder just because they believe it. I will try using the training that so far has helped everyone I work with, at the first lesson. If I cannot get quick results moving in the right direction with vocal improvement, I will suggest a medical evaluation from experts in the voice such as Vanderbit Voice Center to rule out physical vocal damage, or conditions such as Spasmodic Dysphonia that might require medical intervention. If Spasmodic Dysphonia is diagnosed, I will consult with the medical professionals concerning any vocal training that I could try which could mask or better the symptoms of the particular client. I will keep up on the research into Spasmodic Dysphonia, which I believe is vitally important for all vocal coaches everywhere. May a cure be found -- and soon -- for all sufferers of Spasmodic Dysphonia. This essay first published July 9, 2009 on The Modern Vocalist.com the Internet's #1 community for vocal professionals, voice health practitioners and pro-audio companies worldwide since November 2008.

This is the second post in a three-part series I'm writing about Spasmodic Dysphonia and the information offered at a recent symposium I attended at Nashville's Vanderbilt Voice Center. As in my last post, I would invite and appreciate any thoughts from other voice specialists and vocal coaches about your experience and opinions about this frustrating vocal condition. So how do you get spasmodic dysphonia? How is it even diagnosed? There are currently unsolved mysteries in the answers to both these questions. What Causes Spasmodic Dysphonia? Here's the current state of research: no one really knows for sure. Somehow improper and inappropriate signals are sent from the brain to the vocal cords that produce spasms of the muscles controlling the vocal cords. Estimates are that 5 in 100,000 people are affected, twice as many women as men. Onset usually presents in the mid 30's to 50's, but can begin in the teens. Sometimes the onset occurs after a viral illness or psychological trauma, sometimes after some kind of physical vocal damage. Sometimes, the person has been poisoned by taking a medication or being exposed to heavy metals. Sometimes there is family history of some kind of dystonia, or muscle spasm disorder. And sometimes, it seems to come out of thin air; someone just wakes up one day and the voice has a strange uncontrollable sound to it. And sometimes the voice is normal! What is known is that SD is exacerbated by stress, fatigue, pressure and tension. A speech language pathologist at the symposium explained it to me like this: the threshold for vocal dysfunction is much lower in SD patients, and the stress that can trigger a worsening of the symptoms can be mild. There is usually gradual onset, it gets worse, then levels off. How is Spasmodic Dysphonia Diagnosed? Many times the voice disorder called Spasmodic Dysphonia is ignored until it interferes with a person's lifestyle or employment. Often the first help sought will be from a vocal coach. That's a huge reason for all vocal coaches to be familiar with SD. The presenting symptoms occur with the speaking voice. If the speaking voice is fine, spasmodic dysphonia is extremely unlikely to be a problem, in fact all of my research into the disorder would lead me to dismiss the possibility outright, and suggest re-training the singing voice, which is likely to have problems with "muscle tension dysphonia" (MTD) instead. IMPORTANT: if vocal lessons and re-training does NOT result in quick progress, the presence of SD should be considered. Symptoms run the gamut: You have trouble speaking, sounding chronically hoarse. You are frequently asked if something's wrong with your voice. Your speaking voice sounds tight, strained, strangled, breathy or whispery. Spasms in your larynx often interrupt sound, causing words and sentences to be broken up. However, breathing and swallowing feel normal. Here is a video illustrating the sound of a voice plagued with variations of Spasmotic Dysphonia. Here are some audio file illustrations from a different source. Getting an accurate diagnosis of SD is difficult. It can take months or at least weeks to get a definitive diagnosis, because the symptoms of SD and MTD are very similar, and other vocal issues must be ruled out. Diagnosis is important, however, because treatment is different and must be tailored to the disorder. What should you do if you suspect spasmodic dysphonia or any other voice disorder? If in doubt, get checked out by a medical team expertly familiar with SD such as the Vanderbilt Voice Center located in Nashville, Tenn. As vocal coaches, choir directors and drama teachers, if we suspect a physiological or neurological disorder like SD, we should always suggest a medical examination. At your check-up, you will have your vocal cords "scoped" to see if there are any physical problems that can be found in your larynx. You will be asked, probably by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) in the medical team to speak certain phrases such as: "Aaron eats apples and oranges." Help me hold this hoop, pet the pound puppy." Sustain certain vowel sounds like "ee" and "ah", among other speaking and singing tasks. But there is no brain scan or blood test for definitively identifying this disorder. The two evidences most relied upon for diagnosis of true spasmodic dysphonia are: The sound of the voice: vocal nuances can tell an experienced clinician with a good ear whether or not to suspect SD; and Whether or not a round of speech therapy and/or vocal training will work: the experts at the SD symposium suggest that if re-training offers limited or no success, the problem must originate in the wiring of the brain, possibly the basal ganglia, which cannot be re-trained. I will discuss this theory as well as report on alternate theories in my next post about treatment options for SD patients. This essay first published July 9, 2009 on The Modern Vocalist.com the Internet's #1 community for vocal professionals, voice health practitioners and pro-audio companies worldwide since November 2008.

I had the pleasure of attending a conference on Spasmodic Dysphonia (known as SD) sponsored by the Vanderbilt Voice Center this week. Attendees included voice specialists and teachers as well as sufferers of SD who had traveled long distances to get fresh information about their mysterious and frustrating voice disorder. Instead of being a dry, boring medical recitation, it was fun, full of kindness and caring... and vitally illuminating. This will be the first post in a three-part series on this disorder with information gleaned from the doctors, speech pathologists and speakers with SD at this event. These experts included Charlie Womble, NSDA Board Director, Jennifer Muckala, M.A. CCC-SLP, C. Gailyn Garrett, M.D. (Medical director at Vanderbilt Voice Center), Fenna Phibbs, M.D., Amy Zeller, Ms. CCC-SLP, Brienne Ruel, Gwen Sims-Davis, Jill Van Vliet and several NSDA support group members who have SD. First, dear vocalists: before you self-diagnosis and scare yourself, let me state this firmly: In all probability, you don't have this! But if you did -- or knew someone who did you would want it to be properly diagnosed and to be pointed toward something that could actually help instead of frustrate. Secondly, dear fellow voice teachers and specialists here on TMV: If you have any information and/or experience with treating SD, please share by commenting. Ongoing research is desperately needed and has yet to yield a cure. What is Spasmodic Dysphonia (SD)? SD is a voice disorder that is part of a family of neurological disorders called dystonias. Dystonias cause muscles to contract and spasm involuntarily. There are five forms and combinations SD can take: Adductor spasmodic dysphonia (AdSD), which is by far the most common, is where the adductor vocal muscles (thyroarytenoid or TA muscles) are too active and spasm frequently on voiced speech sounds like vowels in the words "eat, back, in, I, olives, nest". The voice has a strained, strangled sound. Abductor spasmodic dysphonia (AbSD) occurs where the adductor vocal muscles (crycothyoid or CT muscles) are too active and spasm on voiceless speech sounds like "f, K, c, t, h, th." The voice is very breathy and the person feels short of breath when they talk. It is also often accompanied by chronic constriction: grabbing and holding of the vocal folds. Mixed spasmodic dysphonia presents both the symptoms of AdSD and AbSD. SD with tremor includes a tremor in the voice. In this case, the SD problem is compounded and accompanied by a separate disorder a tremor. The voice will have a rhythmic fluctuation, when sounding vowels, if a tremor is present. And lastly, SD may be mixed with -- or misdiagnosed as -- muscle tension dysphonia (MTD). This sometimes happens when a person with AdSD tries to control their vocal folds, holding them too tight and causing a chronic tension to occur. MTD, unlike SD, is functionally based and can be cured by modifying behavior (vocal re-training). SD is maddenly consistently inconsistent, which means that it doesn't necessarily happen all the time, or happen in the same way. Sometimes you can fake it out for a while by speaking in a pitch or accent you don't normally use. One of the panel members with SD demonstrated in a hilarious Swiss accent that she could speak without spasm when she did this. A speech therapist expert in this field said that this would only be a temporary fix; if the person began speaking the new way all the time, the spasm would return. The speakers at this conference were unanimous in saying that SD is NOT a psychological disorder. It is a neurological one. What's the difference? A psychological disorder can be treated by learning different thought patterns. A neurological one is physiological: re-training treatment can mask symptoms, but is limited in what is possible. It's like an uncontrollable muscle twitch. There is something wrong in the wiring of the brain itself, which manifests in the end-organ, in this case, the larynx. It can, however, be exacerbated by stress, so there is a psychological component to it. Posts to come: What causes SD? How is SD diagnosed? What are the treatments for SD? What can a vocal coach do to help? This essay first published July 9, 2009 on The Modern Vocalist.com the Internet's #1 community for vocal professionals, voice health practitioners and pro-audio companies worldwide since November 2008.

A question about tongue tension was asked in the forum of The Modern Vocalist recently. I thought I'd share my answer and elaborate on it with those of you who haven't seen that particular forum discussion, because it is a very common problem. Tongue tension equals soft palate tension, equals throat tension. Tongue tension happens when you use the wrong end of the tongue too much! The tongue is said by some to be the strongest muscle in the body for its size. It is literally connected by the hyoid bone to the top of your larynx. Tensing the root of your tongue raises the larynx uncomfortably. NOT GOOD. You need to be able to keep the mighty base (or root) of the tongue relaxed while you use the tip and front sides of the tongue to articulate. Some things I suggest that have helped my students loosen tongue tension: Wake up the face and do tongue tanglers, trying for clarity and not allowing the voice to "fall into the gravel" at the ends of phrases. Act like you are speaking to deaf people; make your lyric show in your face. This gets it out of the back of the throat and stiff jaw. Speak or sing with the jaw moving in sort of a slight chewing motion. Tongue tension and jaw stiffness go together. Put your knuckle in between your molars (not the front of your mouth) and sing. It will sound weird, like trying to speak with the dentist's hand in your mouth, but your jaw and tongue will experience having to relax. Sing only on the vowels for a while, again allowing the back of the mouth and throat to fall open. This is harder than you think. You have to concentrate on not forming consonants. Then allow yourself to slightly let the consonants sneak back in, but keeping the back of the tongue feeling the same and letting the jaw relax flexibly. Put two fingers under your chin. You are feeling the base of your tongue. Speak or sing, telling yourself not to tense there (bunch the muscle up). DO NOT OVER-WORK the tongue in specific vocal exercises. Sometimes I find that exercises designed to stretch out and loosen the tongue can have the opposite effect. If you do these, be sure and note how they actually affect your tongue root's ability to relax. By the way... some people can do tongue trills and some people can do lip trills and some people can do both. Just like rolling the tongue, forming French or German syllables, for some people it is easy and some hard, because there is a learning curve that makes it easier in childhood, and I believe, subtle muscle coordination differences in people. It doesn't matter if you can do these things or not. The main thing is to get your articulation out of the back of your throat. There is more than one way to accomplish this goal. This essay first published October 11, 2009 on The Modern Vocalist.com the Internet's #1 community for vocal professionals, voice health practitioners and pro-audio companies worldwide since November 2008.

Your voice is your instrument. Take care of it. Protect it. Would you let airline baggage handlers throw your guitar around without a hard shell case? You can't walk into a rock shop and buy a flight case for your vocal cords, but there are a number of things to consider when talking about vocal health. When you consider how thin a membrane a vocal cord is, you'll realize how fragile an instrument it is. Don't overtax your voice, even if you're young and can recover more quickly than people in their 40s and 50s. Many vocalists have had to take serious time off from performing because they strained their voices. The more you take your singing seriously, the more it becomes necessary to pay more attention to rest, sleep, nutrition, and hydration. Here are some important tips: FILL UP ON WATER Vocal cords are made up of two strips of muscle and need a moist atmosphere to remain supple, which results in optimal vibrations. This means drinking about a half-gallon of room temperature water each day NO ICE WATER! The dry winter months are a real problem when you're trying to keep your throat moist. One simple thing you can do is fill a sink with hot tap water, cover your head with a towel, lean over the sink and breathe deeply for five to ten minutes. Or, take a hot shower and breathe in as much steamy air as you can. SAY NO TO A CUPPA JOE The caffeine in coffee, tea, and various soft drinks is a diuretic, which also dries the vocal cords and aggravates stomach reflux. Avoid caffeinated beverages before you need to sing since this reflux causes mucus in the throat, making it feel like your vocal cords are covered. If you need a steaming hot beverage, try non-caffeinated tea with a bit of honey. DITCH THE DAIRY Avoid milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, or any type of dairy product since this produces phlegm and hinders your vocal cords' ability to ripple and produce a clear sound. Milk or cream added to coffee is a double no-no. LOSE THE BOOZE Alcohol also has a drying effect, causes reflux, and dilates blood vessels that can alter vocal fold function. Some serious singers will avoid alcohol consumption for up to a month prior to a concert. If you sing for three hours, three days a week and want a drink, I'd recommend having one the day after your three days are up, and maybe the next day, but NEVER before or during a singing engagement. The natural high of singing itself is the best performing enhancing drug. And the audience will appreciate the fact that you're in control. AVOID SPICE IT'S NOT SO NICE Put down the nacho chips smothered in salsa or the chicken vindaloo. Spicy foods also aggravate reflux in singers, which causes swollen vocal cords, excessive throat clearing, and a feeling that there is a lump in the throat. Speaking of clearing your throat, don't. A gentle cough should be enough to clear extra mucus. If not, have a sip or two of water, then cough. SKIP THE SMOKES This should be a no-brainer, but smoking and being surrounded by cigarette smoke irritates the respiratory tract, giving you a raspy voice predisposed to injury. The smoke impairs the mucosal wave, so in many singers, not all, range is decreased as is the quality of the voice, unless you like sounding like Joe Cocker. It also impairs lung function, which weakens support for the voice causing singers to compensate and strain throat muscles. RELAX, JUST DO IT Vocal naps, or simply avoiding talking for 20 minutes, will keep you from overstraining your voice before a concert or performance. If you're driving home from work or a gig, instead of singing along with the radio, just listen. COME ON DOWN There is so much emphasis on warming up, that few people realize it's equally important to warm down your voice after a performance. Voice doctors recommend five to 10 minutes of warming down after a robust concert where you push the envelope with your voice. To get the volume and pitch of your voice down to normal range, make a yawning motion with your mouth and sing "ahhh-ummm" from a high to low note. SOOTHE YOUR INNER SONGBIRD Slippery Elm throat lozenges work great to soothe the throat and don't contain any irritants that would aggravate the larynx. Used by opera singers, Thayers Slippery Elm lozenges can be found at local health and natural food stores, Vitamin Shoppes, and GNCs. KNOW YOUR VENUE If possible, visit the performance space before a concert to familiarize yourself with the settings and other factors you may not be able to control. Check the acoustics and sound system, temperature, where the bathroom is, and make sure water is available. Look out for unexpected irritants like smoke, stage fog, freshly painted sets, ammonia on floors, and other hazards that not only injure voices, but make the performance difficult if they are unanticipated. ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS WITH VOICE DOCTORS Ask your physician for a referral to a voice specialist or ENT, and have your vocal cords checked regularly. If you're traveling for concerts, look into the availability of specialists in the places you're performing. Besides avoiding irritants like caffeine, smoke, alcohol, and spicy foods, the best way to keep your voice healthy and strong is to live a healthy lifestyle. Getting the proper amount of sleep, eating a balanced diet, exercising, and drinking lots of water will keep vocal cords supple so they sound loud and clear when you need them the most.

This was a 'breathing trick' I learned from one of my 'voice teachers' many years ago! This 'exercise' will 'teach you' the 'correct way' to do "diaphragmatic breathing." I want to stress right off that this is not the only one but in my opinion the best one to start with to get the idea. OK, First find a nice big fat telephone book, or something equal in weight like a heavy 'book.' Lay down on the floor and place the 'telephone book' right below the bottom of your rib cage in a 'horizontal position' across your stomach. Now take a 'deep breath' in and as you do watch how the 'telephone book' "raises up!" Now let the air out quickly and watch how the 'telephone book' drops down! You can try taking a 'deep breath' in first through your 'nose' and then letting it out through your mouth and then through your mouth and again letting it out through your mouth, either way. After getting the 'idea' of how to do it and seeing how the 'telephone book' goes 'up and down' with each inhale and exhale you will take it a step further. Now, take in a 'deep breath' through your mouth or nose but this time I want you to "Hold the air in and 'control it' by blowing it out in a very 'slow and steady, hissing sound," like letting the air out of a balloon. This 'exercise' will 'teach' you not only to learn how to do 'diaphragmatic breathing' but also how to 'control' your 'breath' so that you don't run out of 'air' before the end of a 'phrase' unless you want to for your own 'creative technique.' I warn you this 'exercise' can be very 'boring' and probably 'hurt' a bit until your 'muscles' get strengthened up just like any other exercise. But you have to keep on doing it until you can do it naturally without effort 'standing up!' "Good luck," and much success in your endeavor.

Journal of Voice: Predicted Singers Vocal Fold Lengths and Voice Classification A Study of X-Ray Morphological Measures This is the first of, what I hope, will become a regular blog feature should these be of interest to the community. I shall pick a piece of research relevant to singers from a peer reviewed scientific journal and break it down into easily understandable information that will hopefully be of interest. Please note that these are not thorough critical analysis but are intended to provide an overview of some relevant literature with the aim of stimulating community enthusiasm in the science behind singing. This month's entry comes from the Journal of Voice. This study claims to show that there are consistent anatomical laryngeal differences between singers of different voice classifications, which are of relevance to pitch range and timbre of the voice. This may initially seem very obvious. However, it is very difficult to prove due to the difficulties in collecting any consistent data. For example, every pitch with involve different lengths of vocal cords and vocal cords when open are longer than when closed. These are just 2 of the many possible variables that affect vocal fold length. However, the most difficult problem is actually in the collection of data. The position of the vocal folds makes actually getting any data very difficult. People have tried using scopes, ultrasound and even lasers. This study makes use of xrays films. What type of study is this? This study was a retrospective analysis. This means that certain data had already been collected and the authors decided to use this to draw a conclusion to their question. What did they aim to find? The authors aimed to find out whether there were consistent anatomical differences between singers of different voice classification. What did they find? They found that the lengths of the vocal folds were statistically significantly correlated to vocal classification. Subjects with longer vocal folds were more likely to be basses and those with shorter folds more likely to be soprano. Problems This study does have a significant number of problems. It is very difficult to measure vocal fold length on an x-ray. Indeed, of the 132 cases they had, they were only able to make estimates of vocal fold length in 29 individuals, clearly not enough to draw conclusions from. The authors recognized this and therefore used other anatomical landmarks to estimate vocal fold length. In other words, they measured the distance between 2 fixed points that they expected were correlated to vocal fold length, such as the width of the windpipe below the vocal folds. This, however, as a soft structure, can presumably vary in size even when measured in identical individuals. Whilst this may have been an acceptable compromise given the difficulties, it is clear that in order to make a firm conclusion, absolute lengths of vocal cords would be required. The authors did use the accurate data they had for the 29 individuals and plot these against the estimated lengths using their own anatomical landmarks. It would appear that the landmarks they were using to estimate vocal fold length and actual length are correlated. They therefore identified the problem and took steps to increase reliability of the data. However, despite this, making use of a magnetic resonance scanner would have given more reliable measurements but that was beyond the scope of the study and is not without its own limitations. A further problem with this study is that the larynx obviously takes different positions when under different stresses. Whilst it was stated that these films were taken whilst not phonating, it is unclear as to whether the subjects were doing anything that may have altered laryngeal positioning such as raising or tilting. However, it is unlikely given that the same procedure should have been followed for all films. Another problem arrives with the vocal classification which could be considered subjective. All students whose vocal classification had changed were not included in the study, however it was not made clear if more than one teacher had identified students vocal fach. In the scientific world, not stating this information means it was carried out. Whilst this may seem pedantic, it wouldn't surprise me if classification opinions differed between some instructors. What are the implications? Whilst vocal fold length and classification appear to be correlated, vocal classification should not be made based on vocal fold length due to measurement problems and the number of other variables that affect vocal fach. Why would this happen? Longer fold lengths should allow for a greater amount of airflow than shorter folds given the same note. This should allow for, when singers singing the same note, the individual with longer folds to be able to produce a stronger note. Conclusion Despite its problems, this study does add to our knowledge of vocal physiology. Measurement problems were adequately dealt with given the scope of this research. It does appear to show that longer vocal folds equates to a deeper vocal fach. However, it does not take into account other variables in vocal fach, such as the connective tissue and manipulations of the supraglottic (area above the vocal folds) tract which would alter the formant frequencies. The study did acknowledge this but it failed to address these issues and therefore this paper did not to fully answer it's initial question. This is a major flaw. Furthermore, it failed to even acknowledge vocal fold mass as a contributor to vocal fach. Despite this paper not actually answering it's question, this research does add to evidence suggesting vocal fold lengths may influence vocal fach. Reference: F Roers, D Murbe, J Sundberg. Predicted Singers Vocal Fold Lengths and Voice Classification A Study of X-Ray Morphological Measures. Journal of Voice. Volume 23. Issue 4. p.408-413.

A large part of vocal training involves learning vocal control. Without vocal control, any vocal recording will suffer dreadfully. With it, you can do things you can only dream about without it. Another problem with lack of control is that if you are singing with any degree of power, you are going to experience a lot more vocal fatigue and risk damage to your instrument if you sing too long. With it, you can sing all day and not experience vocal strain. Yes, it's true! And a lack of control will cause you and your recording team frustration, or you'll just give up and settle for the best you and they think you can do. Usually, it's a huge waste of time and resources. Live performances are more forgiving of slight control issues, but studio singing requires surgically accurate control. So what am I talking about? For a great recording, you need vocal technique skills that will enable you to: Control volume. (Without it, your engineer will have to use excessive compression to even out volume, control distortion and bring soft sounds up so they can be heard. Some degree of "riding the faders" and compression is normal and usual, but the less the better. The less your vocals need to be compressed, the richer the resulting sound.) Control vocal lics and embellishments. (Without it, you will not be able to sing some vocal lics you attempt; "scats" or phrasing nuances will not "turn" well or flow evenly.) Control vibrato. (Without it, your vibrato will be too much, too little, uneven or inappropriately applied.) Control tone color. (Without it, the tone color of your voice will be too "covered", "hooty", "edgy", harsh, numb and boring or just plain wrong for the message. Your choices of tone of voice will be seriously limited, and your voice will sound small and/or unpleasant.) Control articulation. (Without it, you will over-, or more usually, under- pronounce the lyrics. There are differing degrees of articulation appropriate for different genres and tempos and types of lyrics. Singers must be able to know and apply the proper way to form words for their songs. For instance, blues music is pronounced more slurry. Hip- hop generally has sharper attacks. Pop is usually articulated clearer. Musical theater diction usually needs to be very crisp, but if you try to use this kind of diction in a pop song you will sound fake. But all songs should be understood, or the connection to the audience is not going to be made well.) Control sibilance. (Without this, recording your vocal can be a nightmare because too much sibilance hurts the listener's ears! And fixing excessive "s" sounds with de-"ss'ers always limits the quality of sound. A related problem is the popping of "p"s and other consonants. You must be able to control your consonants even while you clearly form them.) Control dynamic expression. (Without it, you will over-express and sound fake, under-express and bore the listener out of their minds, or bring too many changing emotional levels to the song to sound authentic and really move the heart of your listener. You have to know how to express the emotion of the lyric like a great actor delivering lines that invite an emotional response to the message.) Control the beginnings and ends of each phrase. (Without it, you will have trouble getting the beginning of the line right. You will drop off the ends of your sentences, robbing the listener of the complete thought. You will also find yourself with a lack of other kinds of control of initiating and ending lines, because you didn't set yourself up properly before entering the phrase or you've dropped your controlling support too early.) Control rhythm. (Without it, you will not be singing with the groove. You will be too early, too late or have inappropriate placement of lyrics via the beat. Again, different genres ask for different places the lyric should fit with the beat, but you have to know what your genre norms are and have the ability to sing with the beat that way. For instance, hip-hop usually has the lyric slightly behind the beat, pop usually right on top of it, gospel and big band "Sinatra" types are flexibly in and around the beat, but you really have to sing with a lot of the masters to get this authentically right.) Control pitch. (Without it, your engineer will have to tune the vocal too much, resulting in a mechanistic, artificial sound. You may be so inconsistent and inaccurate that tuning becomes almost impossible, because the tuner "grabs" the wrong pitch or can't draw the lic well enough to sound natural. Your bended notes may be so far off there is no way to make them sound in tune. Fact: The less you have to tune a vocal, the better. Don't get complacent here and think you can just have your engineer fix it in the mix. You'll be unpleasantly surprised.) Can you think of other types of control issues you've found in the studio? Which of these would you like to know more about? This essay first published September 21, 2009 on The Modern Vocalist.com the Internet's #1 community for vocal professionals, voice health practitioners and pro-audio companies worldwide since November 2008.