Logan Kelley-Ch 9-10-McCoy

 Chapter 9:

Summary: One of the keys to successful singing is learning to separate the muscles of articulation from the vocal mechanism.The tongue needs to be in the correct position to allow for as little tension as possible while singing. Many of these muscles are intricately connected and need to line up exactly right. Professional singers need to learn to raise the soft palate without the larynx rising. The muscles to close the jaw are stronger than those that open it, which can lead to tension in trying to create an open space. Those learning to sing should do what they can to self-monitor and correct tension within the articulators.

Application: This chapter helps me to be aware of some of my own tendencies to use the articulators inefficiently. I tend to hold a lot of tension at the root of the tongue, which pulls everything in the mouth backward and the soft palate down. It is helpful to see that there needs to be a disconnect between the soft palate and the laryngeal position so that I can find that easy area of openness to project the sound forward. This also reaffirmed to me the importance of doing what I can to relieve tension in these areas through self-monitoring.

Chapter 10:

Summary: There are different schools of thought as to the role of listening while singing. If we experience a temporary loss of hearing, it is because the pressure is imbalanced on the sides of the ear. Our brains are constantly checking the feedback they are hearing to make corrections. Even imagining a sound will trigger the vocal folds to respond appropriately. In a performance setting, it is important for singers to be aware of their internal sound so that they can adjust and tune. This is different from the public sound that everybody else hears. Hearing loss makes it harder to be aware of your own sound and make corrections, but there are fixes in most situations.

Application: I have always thought that it is very important to protect my own hearing, especially as somebody who is exposed to loud musical ensembles on a regular basis. This chapter helped me understand how important it is to be tuned in to the internal sound. This will help me make smaller adjustments in regards to intonation and phonation. I tend to be the kind of person who relies more strongly on sensations than the aural feedback I’m receiving. I am curious to see how it affects my practice to spend more time thinking about feedback than sensation work.