VOICE

As Ms. Ronni Lederman, voice teacher and music director of
Vocal Focus,  Rockland County, New York, describes it so precisely
and elegantly:

"The human voice is a very mysterious entity because it cannot be directly
seen as it is used. It is also impossible to “hear” your own voice as others
do.
When you learn to play a musical instrument, that instrument is already built.
You just learn the way to play it. The human voice is unique because it has
to be built as it is played.
Therefore, it is helpful for the student of voice, whether they be a speaker
or a singer to increase their understanding of how this mysterious entity
known as their “voice” actually works.

HOW DOES THE VOICE WORK?

PART 1 – THE VOCAL CORDS

The muscle part of the voice is the vocal folds (or cords). They are a tiny pair of muscles located in the
larynx (or voice box). Many other tiny muscles within the larynx control the space between the cords as
well as their length.
The vocal cords need to be brought together to produce sound. If they are too tightly brought together
or not tense enough, the vocal quality suffers.

The vocal folds are covered with a very important layer of mucous that has the consistency of jello. Once
the vocal cords are brought together air flow makes them vibrate through the mucous layer that sits on
them. If you are not getting enough water or are consuming products that dehydrate yourself (alcohol,
caffeine…) the mucous gets very thick and dry. The consequence is a very poor performance.


PART 2 – THE AIR SUPPLY

The air is the voice’s energy source. It sets the vocal cords vibrating and oscillating through the mucous
covering. Singing and/or speaking without a proper healthy air supply is like trying to drive a car without
gas.


PART 3 – THE SPACE

To “build the voice” you need to design its shape. The shape is the space created by the size of the
throat. This is determined by the way you take your breath and the ability to relax the muscles closing the
throat. The goal for the vocalist is to open the throat as in a yawn while relaxing the tongue.


One thing to remember is that learning to improve your voice is a gradual process.
You are teaching your muscles new “tricks” or ways of responding. The process will become automatic
but it takes daily practice and often several years of study, depending on the student.
Gradually these improvements will carry-over into practice at home.
The next step is getting so used to the new way of using your vocal and breathing muscles while
relaxing the constrictors, that this will become second nature to you during performances or in public
speaking.
Practice, dedication and good communication with a trusted voice teacher are the ingredients for
success.
You will get out of voice training exactly what you put in it.
It’s a wonderful journey of self-growth, exploration and exciting possibilities.

The singers’ goal is to be able to control the qualities and variables available in their voice: pitch, head
and chest registers, volume, sounds (vowels and consonants), and vocal colors (throaty, ringing, airy of
focused)."


To read more about voice mechanism, please visit Ms. Lederman's beautiful site
www.vocalfocus.com

Ronni Lederman - Copyright 2004