On Mon, 10 Apr 2000, Reg Boyle wrote:
> At 11:51 AM 9\4\2000 -0400, you wrote:
> >Here's my rule of thumb:
> >
> >If the tension is below the navel and above the thighs, it's support. If
> >it's anywhere else, it's just tension. :)
> >
> >Karen
>
> Thanks Karen. I apologise if I'm wrong, but I suspect you're being naughty;)
> But seriously.. doesn't that conflict with Prof Hanson's description
> of the sense of retained epigastric distension and to me the more recent
> addition of the side intercostal consciousness. All above the navel since
> I discarded what you appear to describe, and found a new vocal horizon:)
> Sure there are lots of methods based on sensory perceptions but I
> never cease to be amazed at the number of performers who undertake
> serious concert engagements with obviously defective techniques and
> yet survive. The questions are of course, for how long, at what physical
> cost and how much artistic compromise?
> And should I read from the above that you have no place for
> intercostal erection? A flaccid rib cage???
The question was about *tension*. Of course you don't want flaccidity in
the ribcage area - the epigastral and the intercostals should feel
stretched. But there's a long distance between stretched and tense. What
I feel when I sing correctly is a sense of "aliveness" all through the
torso, but no actual tension - rather a "flexible tautness".
Tension implies that the ribs are actually *locked*, making it impossible
for the lungs to expand freely, or for the diaphragm to descend. I find
it's much more productive to think in terms of optimal *posture*, and to
totally relaxing all muscles - facial and intercostal - without actually
collapsing (going flaccid), then *allowing* the breath to fill the vacuum,
with the result that the muscles you mention do tauten as the lungs expand
and the diaphragm lowers. NONE of this involves actual tension - the
exact opposite is the objective, in fact. To breathe correctly I must
first *release* any tensions that have accumulated while I was singing the
phrase prior to the new breath.
Karen Mercedes
-----
Ich singe, wie der Vogel singt,
Der in den Zweigen wohnet;
Das Lied, das aus der Kehle dringt,
Ist Lohn, der reichlich lohnet.
-- J.W. von Goethe, WILHELM MEISTER
My NEIL SHICOFF Website:
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/shicoff/shicoff.html
My Website:
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
|
|  |
