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From: "Lloyd W. Hanson"
Subject: Re: Weight Lifting and the Voice
To: VOCALIST <vocalist>
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

Hello Michael.Chesebro and List:

Thank you for your response to my request for information about weight
lifting and the change in vocal quality that can result from this activity.
Your explanation makes good sense to me, especially your mention of the
hyper activity of the thryroarytenoids and the tendency that continued and
repetitious use of these muscles can, as you put it, "soon generalize into
the speaking posture."

I am not suggesting to any of the members of this list that weight training
is to be avoided, only that it be done with some knowledge of possible
difficulties that it may cause for the singer. I have always been told
that one should blow on the lift using the facial lips as a valve to build
some abdominal pressure as a support for the back but not to "hold the
breath" which involves the vocal folds. Is this the procedure that you
use?

I appreciate your comments.


Regards
--
Lloyd W. Hanson, DMA
Professor of Voice, Vocal Pedagogy
School of Performing Arts
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ 86011