Sirizzotti 1

Anatomy of Singing with Olivia Mann

By: Emily.S

There are several different warning signs that your body can use to tell you that

you should stop singing and seek help. For example, if your voice is hoarse, if you have a

sore throat, if you frequently clear your throat or use other body parts to produce sound

or volume, if your voice is cracking or if it feels as if something is in your throat when

you are at rest, eating, speaking, or singing, these are all warning signs that something is

wrong and you should consult your vocal teacher or seek some medical help. All of these

things can occur for a number of reasons such as singing too loudly, improper breath

support, neglecting warmups, etc. To avoid these terrible outcomes we must remember

to stay hydrated, take vocal rests, and of course use Franny’s warmups.

I have learned a lot of new things about our lungs; the role they play within our

bodies, and how that helps us with our singing. Our lungs have no muscles; instead, they

passively inflate and deflate with the rib cage which I thought was very interesting. I

have learned that your lungs are very dependent on other parts of your body, such as

your ribcage and diaphragm, to function. Our lungs are wet on the outside so that they

can stick/stay attached to the inside of your ribcage and your diaphragm through

surface tension.

One real-life concept that I can apply to my vocal practice is taking vocal rests

whenever I feel some strain. I tend to push my boundaries a little bit too far when I am

singing, so I need to remember to stop, check in on myself, and if I need to, have a

break. Staying hydrated is another focus of mine as sometimes I forget to drink water. I

am beginning to have tea every morning and have always brought a water bottle

anywhere I go, the hard part is just reminding myself to drink it throughout the day.