Dear Group:
I think Reg or someone recently asked about anecdotal experiences
with losing weight and it's effect on the voice. I don't recall much
response, but I'm asking the question again. I have lost 20 lbs. over
the summer, much of it from the midriff and abdominal area, and thought
that it had had no effect until recently as I am trying to master a
scene from Der Rosenkavalier with high sustained notes and a very slow
tempo (the Marchellin's part). The low and middle feel fine, but I feel
as though I have lost my ability to support the high notes and my breath
is not lasting through the phrases. Tension in the throat and jaw are
resulting.
This is honestly quite different from the norm for me. I vocalize
daily, pride myself on my breath management and, while I'm not
constantly singing high repertoire, I have for years had a nice upper
range which rode beautifully on the breath and was anything but
effortful. I thought at first this was just the result of the piece; it
is demanding. But now I'm almost sure that the musculature and
coordination is not functioning as it had been prior to the weight loss.
I'll be working on this assumption as I attempt to re-engineer my
breathing foundation, but I am curious as to whether others have
experienced this.
Sharon Szymanski
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