Jessi Mitchell - Smith - Ch. 4-6

 I really liked some of the imagery that Smith used for some of these exercises. One of my favorites was imagining that the larynx is activated by remote control. I thought it was a funny image, but also very effective. I also like the quote by Christine Armistead at the top of page 52, about “Just Do It!” I’ve found that when I’m thinking or worrying too much about what I’m going to sing, it sounds so much more strained, and it rarely sounds the way I want it to. But when I’m singing freely, without thinking, that’s when I sound the best. (Maybe that’s why I often sing better in the shower than on stage.) I also really liked Smith’s mantra on page 73, “it’s not how high you get that matters - it’s how you get high.” I mostly liked it because it was funny, but it also made me think about exercises or warm ups that I do to get “on top of” the pitch, so that my high notes sound and feel more free and relaxed.