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From:  "Virginija Bruozis Muliolis" <virginia@m...>
Date:  Sat Jan 5, 2002  11:11 pm
Subject:  [vocalist] Raised larynx, Crowded throat

Hey there, Vocalisters-
Guys and gals- I'm stumped!!
I need your help and insights regarding a student that is showing great
potential but has run into vocal technique problems that are frustrating to
say the least, and I just can't seem to break through to her and am running
out of suggestions....

We've been working for a couple of months now- she's come back to singing
after several years of a break (she'd done a little community musical
theatre, etc..), and has resumed singing in her church choir. She's making
steady progress and has expressed a desire to prepare something to sing solo
in church - however, there is a major hurdle that we just can't seem to
jump- no matter how great the run up!!

She's definitely a lyric (lovely silvery quality) but everytime she gets up
there in her range (from around E to A flat) she seems to slam down on the
back of her tongue, and her larynx looks like it's going to pop out in
between her eyes (ouch!) producing a strangled, shrill sound and
subsequently gets fatigued easily. Major problem....
Somewhere down the line she figured that by making more space in the back of
her throat, she got a "bigger" sound. To her mind and ears- bigger=better.
Heh-heh,- I was able to prove to her that her logic was pure "doo-doo" with
the use of my handy-dandy tape recorder (which very rarely lies(!) it
sounded pretty bad!), and explained to her the destructive nature of such
an unproductive vocal habit, and the reason why it was curtailing her range
and beauty of voice.

Alas- I've worked with her trying every trick that I know, and nothing seems
to stick - a relaxed tongue position, etc... and vocalizing on the "vvvvvv"
and "ng" sounds, which seem to help, but as soon as she starts singing
regular stuff, she gets into such trouble the rest of the lesson ends up
with her frustrated and in tears. it just doesn't seem to make sense to her.

Forgive me for rambling on, but I'd really appreciate ANY suggestions-
(perhaps someone has run across this problem with another student)- as to
what other ideas could help her not slam down on her tongue in the high
register, and other helpful exercises re: preventing the larynx riding up
when ascending in the high voice........

Thanks much

Virginia







  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date  
16239 Re: Raised larynx, Crowded throatSharon Szymanski   Sun  1/6/2002  
16243 Re: Raised larynx, Crowded throatNaomi Gurt Lind   Sun  1/6/2002  
16244 Re: Raised larynx, Crowded throatVirginija Bruozis Muliolis   Sun  1/6/2002  
16245 Re: Raised larynx, Crowded throatbuzzcen@a...   Sun  1/6/2002  
16246 Re: Raised larynx, Crowded throatGreypins@a...   Sun  1/6/2002  
16249 Re: Raised larynx, Crowded throatLaura Ruiz   Mon  1/7/2002  
16251 Re: Raised larynx, Crowded throatGreypins@a...   Mon  1/7/2002  
16258 Re: Raised larynx, Crowded throatImthurn Melinda   Mon  1/7/2002  
16255 Re: Raised larynx, Crowded throatMezzoid@a...   Mon  1/7/2002  

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