Sunday musings...
Singing is an athletic activity.
So, what are you doing, or what do you DO to inform that athleticism?
Some of you are natural athletes - have a core strength, a sense of coordination needed to engage the body and breath fully. Some of you have more challenges in this.
It doesn't matter. Admit where you are. Start there.
There is no right or wrong, but there is a truth. How strong are you innately? How coordinated are you physically? How balanced are you physically? How aligned are you? How flexible are you? Do you have a quick muscle twitch, or are you sluggish?
All of these physical athletic observations are KEY to discovering what sorts of athletic and physical activities will be best suited for YOUR physicality, your natural development, and your psyche.
If you are tense person - physically, emotionally, psychologically - then you need to find an athletic activity that gives you permission to release not to add more tension!
If you are a sluggish person - then you need to discover more energy, more demand, more engagement.
Make sense?
We all can benefit from the inside out - starting with alignment and balance. The non-doing of Alexander Technique is a great jumping off place to discover and be aware of the basic way we move and function. It is NOT an action-oriented technique. It is that constant ABC of our physicality. Even when exploring XYZ, we need to always re-visit and re-discover ABC.
Any body work/body awareness/alignment is crucial for our instruments/our bodies to release and find its neutral position.
There are MANY. Your mission, should you accept it, is to discover what works for you and with you as a singing actor!
Here are some links to begin the exploration!
This is by no means exhaustive, but simply a few bread crumbs to get you on the path!
Alexander Technique
The Trager Approach
Feldenkrais Method
Simple MASSAGE is important and not a luxury - it is a NECESSITY! (I need to remember that too!) Again, many different types of massage from Swedish, to myofascial release and more. Discover and pursue what works for you!
Integrating breath with body is key. Stretch classes, cardio work, yoga - all these things can be so beneficial for discovering tangibility of breath with strength! Classes are available everywhere! And if you want to start at home, DVDs abound!
Pilates is another great possibility for core strength if that is lacking, or if you simply need to keep developing it!
Martial Arts reveal a discipline of mind, body and breath and coordination.
So many forms out there, and then add to it, t'ai chi, chi gong and more.
Energy work can be beneficial - like Reiki, Acupuncture, Therapeutic Touch, Craniosacral Therapy,
and more!
As we continue to develop as artists, as singers, we discover what the physical instrument needs and what the integration of the physicality needs with our emotional and spiritual element.
As you are discovering and uncovering your unique athleticism, always remember it is a combination of core strength, elasticity, coordination, balance and tangible breath, along with flexibility and overall power.
A simple rule of thumb: if you do nothing, nothing will happen.
It's pretty simple really.
Being a singer is action oriented! We must develop the athleticism we have, discover it, and build upon it. We have to be honest with what we need and what we want and what is possible.
The discovery, development and maintenance of athleticism is also a balance:
breath, elasticity, strength!
There are many MANY possibilities and combinations. Explore and discover what works for you, as you discover what you NEED.
Don't overwhelm yourself, but recognize that your body needs you to sing well. Invest in it.
We need strength and endurance. We need tenacity and power. We need cardio. We need release. We need follow through.
Simply from a physical standpoint, we need the full athleticism of whatever our body and breath will offer at optimum.
Discover what works for you! Yoga, dance classes, AT, rowing, treadmill, running, zumba, gym work, swimming, - whatever it is, make it yours! And ENJOY what it gives you!
You can't be a couch potato and be a singing athlete. At least not regularly!!
Singing is an athletic activity.
So, what are you doing, or what do you DO to inform that athleticism?
Some of you are natural athletes - have a core strength, a sense of coordination needed to engage the body and breath fully. Some of you have more challenges in this.
It doesn't matter. Admit where you are. Start there.
There is no right or wrong, but there is a truth. How strong are you innately? How coordinated are you physically? How balanced are you physically? How aligned are you? How flexible are you? Do you have a quick muscle twitch, or are you sluggish?
All of these physical athletic observations are KEY to discovering what sorts of athletic and physical activities will be best suited for YOUR physicality, your natural development, and your psyche.
If you are tense person - physically, emotionally, psychologically - then you need to find an athletic activity that gives you permission to release not to add more tension!
If you are a sluggish person - then you need to discover more energy, more demand, more engagement.
Make sense?
We all can benefit from the inside out - starting with alignment and balance. The non-doing of Alexander Technique is a great jumping off place to discover and be aware of the basic way we move and function. It is NOT an action-oriented technique. It is that constant ABC of our physicality. Even when exploring XYZ, we need to always re-visit and re-discover ABC.
Any body work/body awareness/alignment is crucial for our instruments/our bodies to release and find its neutral position.
There are MANY. Your mission, should you accept it, is to discover what works for you and with you as a singing actor!
Here are some links to begin the exploration!
This is by no means exhaustive, but simply a few bread crumbs to get you on the path!
Alexander Technique
The Trager Approach
Feldenkrais Method
Simple MASSAGE is important and not a luxury - it is a NECESSITY! (I need to remember that too!) Again, many different types of massage from Swedish, to myofascial release and more. Discover and pursue what works for you!
Integrating breath with body is key. Stretch classes, cardio work, yoga - all these things can be so beneficial for discovering tangibility of breath with strength! Classes are available everywhere! And if you want to start at home, DVDs abound!
Pilates is another great possibility for core strength if that is lacking, or if you simply need to keep developing it!
Martial Arts reveal a discipline of mind, body and breath and coordination.
So many forms out there, and then add to it, t'ai chi, chi gong and more.
Energy work can be beneficial - like Reiki, Acupuncture, Therapeutic Touch, Craniosacral Therapy,
and more!
As we continue to develop as artists, as singers, we discover what the physical instrument needs and what the integration of the physicality needs with our emotional and spiritual element.
As you are discovering and uncovering your unique athleticism, always remember it is a combination of core strength, elasticity, coordination, balance and tangible breath, along with flexibility and overall power.
A simple rule of thumb: if you do nothing, nothing will happen.
It's pretty simple really.
Being a singer is action oriented! We must develop the athleticism we have, discover it, and build upon it. We have to be honest with what we need and what we want and what is possible.
The discovery, development and maintenance of athleticism is also a balance:
breath, elasticity, strength!
There are many MANY possibilities and combinations. Explore and discover what works for you, as you discover what you NEED.
Don't overwhelm yourself, but recognize that your body needs you to sing well. Invest in it.
We need strength and endurance. We need tenacity and power. We need cardio. We need release. We need follow through.
Simply from a physical standpoint, we need the full athleticism of whatever our body and breath will offer at optimum.
Discover what works for you! Yoga, dance classes, AT, rowing, treadmill, running, zumba, gym work, swimming, - whatever it is, make it yours! And ENJOY what it gives you!
You can't be a couch potato and be a singing athlete. At least not regularly!!
Couldn't agree more. Absolutely spot-on advice, which every singer should heed. It's hard work sometimes out on stage, and we need ALL the strength and flexibility we can muster.
ReplyDelete(Speaking as someone who was asked by the director if she was OK to hurl a luggage rack offstage during rehearsals last week (don't ask!), only to hear the prompter hiss, sotto voce, to the AD, god, she's a dramatic mezzo, bloody thing will have the side walls down!).
I am a new visitor on this website and i am quite impressed with the way you write your posts!! well done !!
ReplyDelete