Modern-day singers live, work, and perform in a brutally competitive world. To be noticed and succeed, you need an edge, a little something extra. You need to be your best possible self and then some.
So what do you do? Get into a great music program, find an amazing vocal coach, cultivate your image, team up with other players who help you shine, and practice, practice, practice. If you do all of this, it should be enough, right?
Wrong.
For singers, as for all performers (and human beings in general), the best way to achieve maximum capacity is to have a clear mind and a healthy body. That is why—in addition to masterclasses, lectures, workshops, recitals, and networking opportunities—the upcoming 2008 Classical Singer convention in May will feature an A.M. Health Series that specifically addresses issues singers confront. Experts on yoga, Pilates, Alexander Technique, and Feldenkrais will demonstrate how these methods can help singers achieve their full potential through practices that hone the physical body, sharpen the mind, heighten self-awareness, and relax the total being.
Here are some snapshots of what you can expect to experience in each one-hour session, taking place from 8-9 a.m. on three consecutive days.
Yoga with Gina Crusco
Yoga means “union” in Sanskrit, referring to the confluence of mind, body, and spirit that a dedicated practitioner strives to achieve. Because so much of this ancient discipline centers on breath, mental focus, and core muscle strength, it is an ideal way for singers to enhance their art through increased respiratory capacity, body awareness, and concentration.
Presenter Gina Crusco first began studying yoga as a way to alleviate some of the stresses she was experiencing as a singer.
“As I studied, I saw for myself yoga’s immediate and lasting benefits for stress management, as well as for physical stamina and breath control,” she says. “I developed my ‘Yoga for Singers’ course, in collaboration with a certified yoga instructor, and then eventually went on to become certified as a yoga instructor myself.”
Crusco will offer convention attendees an energizing introduction to the program she developed, including yoga postures, breath work, and gentle relaxation. The physical benefits, she feels, are myriad. Perhaps most compelling is the profound sense of calm you can achieve, she adds.
“If I were to encourage a newcomer to take a class,” she says, “I’d point out that there’s no competition in Hatha yoga, not even with yourself. The class is there to nurture your well-being, not to set you up against some standard of achievement. We have enough of that to deal with, making our careers as singers.”
Pilates with Margi Douglas
Joseph Pilates developed the Pilates method in the early 20th century to help World War I veterans rehabilitate from injuries. All movement in his method flows outward from the “powerhouse,” the large group of muscles in the center of the body (the abdomen, lower back, hips, and buttocks). These “core” postural muscles help keep the body balanced, which has made Pilates hugely popular with dancers. Its focus on breath awareness and alignment of the spine can make it equally effective for singers, when adapted to their special needs.
This is where Margi Douglas comes in. A stage actor and singer, she became interested in Pilates while studying dance in college.
“At first it was about fitness,” says Douglas, “but then I got fascinated. What’s kept me going is how well it can be modified. I focus on the core concepts and how I can make them useful for everyone.”
Douglas has developed a version of Pilates that incorporates voice and Alexander Technique. Participating singers can experience this unique program for themselves.
“We’ll start by focusing on where the breath is going, freeing the diaphragm, and opening up the body,” says Douglas. “You’ll develop awareness of your core and learn simple ways to challenge this area without losing the space needed to resonate and make sound.”
Singers can gain a better sense of confidence as performers from Pilates. Other benefits include improved balance, relief of unnecessary tension, and enhancement of your physical and emotional being. “It puts you in your center, which is really where you want to be singing and speaking from,” Douglas explains.
Alexander Technique with Brooke Lieb
Australian actor F. M. Alexander developed Alexander Technique (AT) more than a century ago to address the serious voice-loss problems he was experiencing in performance. After unsuccessful attempts with traditional medicine and therapies, Alexander decided to heal himself. He concluded that his problem was the result of unnecessary tension, which in turn resulted from bad habits in body alignment. Using both physical and mental processes, Alexander began to replace unhealthy habits with habits that maximized the functioning of his body.
His system was simple yet revolutionary. It eliminated the harmful tension, restored his stage voice, and improved his overall balance.
Generations of disciples have shared and improved upon Alexander’s method ever since. One of these is presenter N. Brooke Lieb, assistant director of teacher training at the American Center for the Alexander Technique in New York City.
“I was drawn to Alexander Technique when I was doing undergrad college work in performing arts. It was part of the curriculum,” says Lieb. “I have a gift for touch and it’s a hands-on modality. Acting was not my calling, but I wanted to be part of that creative world. I felt AT was the perfect way for me to do that.”
In her hour-long Health Series session, Lieb will show—through experiential exercises and a lecture—how singers can benefit from Alexander Technique. She will help participants determine the physical locations of unwanted tensions that interfere with their singing and demonstrate ways to release those tensions.
“I’ve helped people with performance stress, and if they’re having a chronic performance problem, I can help them locate and identify it,” she says. “AT levels the playing field and removes excess tension. It’s not enforced postures or positions. It’s allowing balance, poise, and coordination to happen because they’re designed into the human body. All you need to do is get interference out of the way.”
Feldenkrais with Maxine Davis
Moshe Feldenkrais, a physicist and judo practitioner, originated the Feldenkrais method. Feldenkrais believed that good health means functioning well—working well, having satisfying relationships with emotional maturity, and being able to access a full range of responses to any situation. The goal of the Feldenkrais method is to develop self-awareness and promote improvement of physical and mental functions through movement. Movement is the conduit between the body and mind.
Feldenkrais presenter for the A.M. Health Series, Maxine Davis, discovered the method when she reached a plateau in her own singing career.
“I’d get so intense it tied me up in knots. Feldenkrais immediately affected the way I sang and practiced,” she explains. “I came to realize I enjoyed teaching it more than singing. It was like I’d found my true calling.”
Today, about half of Davis’ clients are singers. At this year’s Convention, you can get a sampling of the work Davis is doing. She will discuss theory and lead a series of movement sequences to help singers develop body awareness.
“These physical movements can address long-term problems of jaw tension, [the] ability to lift the soft palate, the carriage of head on neck, and one’s ability to move and sing at the same time,” says Davis. “The essence is helping you to learn, to find a possibility where you always found an impossibility. It’s extremely relevant to developing all the fine motor skills for a singer.”
‘Healthy Voice in a Healthy Body’ with Dr. Anthony Jahn
For those wishing to get a general overview on health, CS highly recommends “A Healthy Voice in A Healthy Body,” featuring Classical Singer health columnist Dr. Anthony Jahn.
Over the course of his hour-long presentation, Dr. Jahn will touch on the roles that diet, exercise, and rest play in our overall health—and how the lack of them translates into vocal problems for singers. In the Q&A session that follows, singers can get advice from Dr. Jahn on specific issues.
“The biggest problem I see with my patients is excess tension,” says Dr. Jahn, an otolaryngologist who specializes in voice disorders. “This tension carries over into the muscles of the larynx. Everything’s connected—all of these muscles speak to each other.”
Though a practitioner of Western medicine, Dr. Jahn has added acupuncture to his medical repertoire and borrows from Eastern medicine. His goal is to empower singers to take care of themselves both physically and mentally. The key, he insists, is to know when you are in trouble, where to go for treatment, and pay attention to the whole body.
“You can’t take voice in isolation. The entire body has to be healthy to be able to sing and continue to perform as a professional,” he says.
