| DAILY WARM UP |
BODY ALIGNMENT NECK RELEASE • Stretch the back of your neck, head straight, neck really tensed up to the ceiling • Let head falls forward • Try this until the back of the neck feels relaxed. CURLING OVER • Bend knees • Curl over from head to toes, let head, shoulders, chest and arms dangling • Let head bob. VOCAL PASSAGEWAY RELAX YOUR TONGUE • Gently hold an opened jaw with one hand (don’t let the jaw comes forward) • Smile with the upper lip (big phony smile) • Keep the tongue flat and out on the lower lip. RELAX THE SOFT PALATE • Big yawn with opened mouth, several time • Big yawn with closed lips • Focus on the soft palate area including the uvula. Increase the muscularity of the soft palate and the back of the tongue: • Slowly breathe in and out on a gentle "KEH" sound (non vocal) • Then breathe in and out on a "NG" sound (of "ring") (non vocal) • Try to alternate the 2 sounds, breathing in and out. RELAX THE JAW • Move a relaxed jaw with one hand (very gently) and think about relaxing the back of your neck • Say "HUH" while gently moving the jaw (if it feels hard do this lying down). VOICE/BREATH CONNECTION CENTERING • Lie on the floor on your back, knees are bend • Breathe with the belly and up, with a natural rhythm • Do not force the breathing, let the muscles relax. • Sit up and practice same belly breathing, crossing the legs, place one hand on the belly to feel the relaxation. • Stand up, practice the belly breathing, think about the breath • Think about your emotions (later it will connect the voice to the emotional life), just acknowledge the present emotions. VIBRATING • Practice a soft "HUH" sound coming from deep down the belly (like a sigh sounding like a boat siren) THE RESONATING CHAMBERS THE CHEST • Lift arms and let them drop • Sigh from middle pitch to low pitch, feel the resonating part of the chest • The sound must feel like the arms falling down. THE HARD PALATE • Put a finger into the mouth without touching anything • Blow air onto the finger, feel the air going out • Say "HUH" and feel the vibrations inside the mouth (try different pitches). THE SINUSES • Drain the sinuses massaging the sides of the nostrils with one finger • Sing higher pitches still massaging. THE NOSE • Wrinkle up the nose and sing "NE-NE-NE" (send the sound into the nose area) THE SKULL • Curl up the body and send a high pitch on "EEEE" to the top of the skull. LIBERATING THE VOICE BOUNCE • Bounce gently up and down with the whole body • Say "MY NAME IS…" see if the voice follows the body motions • Do the same exercise trying to tighten the muscles to keep the voice even • This is exactly what not to do. FREE YOUR VOICE • Read the text of a melody while bouncing, jumping, rolling over, dancing…moving • Repeat the same exercise while singing a piece of music • The voice must follow the body motions to remain free • Alternate singing with motions and singing still |