Matthew, I can wholeheartedly back up John's suggestions to try out
Feldenkries, the little exposure I have had to this technique has all
been beneficial, both for myself, my students and colleagues. I can't
recommend it highly enough.
I learnt about breathing for singing, acting and life from many
varied sources over time. I am grateful I had better experiences with
teachers than you. As a teacher myself now I direct my students in as
many different areas as possible encouraging them to discover what
works best for them. Trying to teach you breathing for singing by
computer just isn't going to happen. It's a "hands on" thing, one has
to see/hear/feel/intuit what you're doing/not doing correctly before
prescribing a particular course of action.
What worked best for me personally was exposure to many ideas,
methodolygies (Sp?) and personal growth. The essence of it all was
making the connection with what comes naturally, and staying with it,
first, foremost and always. (And strangely that is not always as
simple as one might think it ought to be.) In discovering that, for
me, it also involved recognising those things which were preventing
me reaching my goals (pyschologically and/or spiritually and/or
emotionally and/or physically) and having the strength and courage to
overcome/move beyond them. My breathing and therefore my singing was
hindered by discomfort within any of these factors. Yoga helped me
tremendously but there are very many types and not all of them
address breathing in a manner that is helpful neccessarily to
singers, even though they might work for others at a personal level.
I got a lot from it though, especially meditative breath awareness
techniques and the accompanying learning and strengthening of
concentration.
When I was first learning "How to Teach" at the conservatorium we
were required to "aquire" one or more students who were willing to
come along to group classes every so often for the purpose of us
being critiqued. We weren't allowed to charge fees for this. I don't
know if your music schools in the US encourage this, but if they did,
I was thinking that perhaps you could approach a music school (ie
Conservatorium or University faculty) to have a final year student as
a teacher. This wouldn't solve your breathing problems of course but
it would get you working with a teacher again whom just might be able
to guide you through some of your own discoveries. Just a thought.
A search on google usually throws up some interesting and informative
reading too. The more ideas you discover the better.
My gut feeling as a teacher though, and I could be way off here, so I
apologise in advance if you should take offence at all, is that your
first port of call should be looking to yourself and perhaps the
reasons why you can't get your breathing to work for you. Surely
after eight years and umpteen teachers there had to be at least one
who could give you what you needed. If it isn't the teachers, and
again I may well be wrong, then you only have you to look at. And I'm
not thinking physical here. There might just be something in your
approach or personality (like being a perfectionist for instance)
that sabotages you acheiving the breathing for singing that you need.
For me it was a decade of discovery that overcame these problems. A
decade that included studying acting at university, yoga,
Feldenkreis, Alexander, Tai Chi, therapy, and growing up, but to
mention a little of the journey.
I can't tell you what will work for you, sorry. I can only tell you
what worked for me, and what works for some of my sutdents and hope
that in sharing perhaps you might read something that sets off a
spark of recognition that might just help in some way.
I hope you finally find what you need, sooner rather than later.
Cheers
Michelle
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