Voice 5

Video of exercise

[video to be uploaded]

Chorus forms of speech

• Unison
• Call and Response
• Cannon
• 1 word/movement
• 1 line
• syllable
• Unison on the last line

Voice 4

Why are the exercises you have chosen important for vocal development/you personally

Drop and release

[video to be inserted]

Here I am taking in a deep breath whilst raising my arms, then as I let out the breathe and saying "Ahhhh", I let my legs, knees and torso buckle and my body drops to the floor, with head down. This helps to practice releasing breath and controlling breathe, which is useful and healthy for a performer

Freeing the Larynx

[video to be inserted]

To free the larynx, I first hold the top of my throat, just under my jaw, between my thumb and forefinger and find a squidgy bit which I should be able to move slightly from side to side if I apply pressure. As I move it, the area around it becomes more flexible and soft, and after the exercise I should feel an openness to my throat. This exercise helps to relax your muscles in your throat, which is good for your voice box especially and stops it getting tight and overworked which can lead to throat problems.

Describe how you used pitch, pace, pause, inflection and idiosyncrasies/accent in your performance of text

This question is irrelevant to me, since I was sadly unable to complete the performance of text, due to a misunderstanding about whether I had completed earlier posts. Kirsty is aware of this reason for not being able to complete this question.

Voice 3

Why are the exercises you have chosen important for vocal 
development, and for you personally

1) bouncing sounds from the diaphragm: this exercise builds a connections with the diaphragm when making sounds and speaking. The sounds "Ho", "Ha", "Hor", "High", "Hey" and "Hee" practice the pronunciation of vowels and opens up your mouth and throat, making a richer and more open sound, as opposed to a more nasal, "back-of-the-nose" sound, which is something that i personally can struggle with.

2) Bouncing phrases from the diaphragm: This gives you more connection with your diaphragm area, and can also help your voice have more swing and bounce, which will aid your pace and inflection. 

What feedback have you been given when performing text

I have been told that I have a mild nasal quality to my speaking voice, which is something that I can easily train myself out of, and that I have good pitch and pace which is something that I can always improve on.

Voice

Why are the recorded exercises important for your vocal development? Personally important?

1) Ankle rotations - Ankle rotations help to release tension from your ankles, up to the small of your back and your neck.This is very important, since you will be more grounded if your legs and lower spine are relaxed and free of tension. Also, if your spine is free of tension then that lessens the risk of straining your body as you sing, and makes breathing techniques easier. I find this personally important since I carry a lot of my tension in my lower back and legs.

This is a video of Michelle doing the exercise, it visibly shows the steps and if you do this exercise just once or twice a day in your spare time then you will make significant progress.

2) Sun Salutation/Surya Namaskara - Sun Salutation is incredibly beneficial due to the fact that it not only focuses and grounds you, making you prepared and ready to perform, but it also stretches more or less every part of your body. If your body is stretched and relaxed then singing becomes far easier and you will find yourself more awake and ready to perform at your best.

What do you want to improve on? Take from list.

I'd like to work on the tension in my lower back, which I find constricts my lower diaphragm and makes singing and breathing exercises more difficult. So I'd like to start doing spinal peels more, since this not only releases tension in the spine but it also increases flexibility.