| To: "'VOCALIST'" <vocalist> Subject: RE: Chin vibrato - Observations Date sent: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 12:41:39 +1100 Organization: Einstein's Moon Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>
Dianne Clark wrote "I myself have struggled off and on for years with this problem, and I have excellent alignment (after years of Alexander Technique and other training). There is more involved than body alignment, and I think every person is different with regard to finding the key that unlocks. My gut feeling is that the problem is based in breath manage- ment."
The Alexander technique leads to better alignment in most people, but it about coordination not alignment. Most singers' ideal of good alignment doesn't add anything to their singing. In fact in my first lesson with most singers I ask them to do a really exaggerated collapse - bent knees & rounded back - and sing. Give it a try and see how your tone, breathing and general ease in projection improve! Most people with "good alignment" are holding themselves in the "right position" with lots of excess muscle tension that interferes with breathing and vocalizing. Unfortunately some interpretations of the Alexander technique encourage a subtle holding which interferes with vocal freedom. In fact Alexander began his teaching as a vocal teacher and the trainees on his first training courses, with no previous experience as actors, ended up on the stage in London acting in Hamlet and the Merchant of Venice. In his early days in Melbourne & Sydney he was known as the Breathing Man, because of the way in which his work, without focusing directly on the breathing opened it up for people.
The Alexander technique is about how we organize ourselves in activity. It is pretty confronting work for singers as it is really all about how they are thinking as they sing. Ideas about "support" and the "correct" way to stand and breathe are up for grabs. If the jaw and mouth and tongue are interfering in that activity, then they must be attended to in Alexander work. A skilled teacher may wait several sessions before attending to these specific tensions - often teaching the student to release holding in the head neck and back will undo excess tension in a lot of other areas.
In his writings Alexander describes ways in which he worked with mal-coordination involving the lips, tongue etc. Certainly, working with singers I am always awake to what is happening with eyes, lips, tongue and jaw. A person bringing unnecessary tension to these areas cannot be said to be well coordinated no matter what a superficial view of their alignment would suggest.
David Moore The School for F.M. Alexander Studies 294 Smith Street Collingwood, Vic 3066 Australia 61 3 9419 8273 info-at-alexanderschool.edu.au http://www.alexanderschool.edu.au
| |