ABSENCE OF TENSION

May, 2008

During the indoctrination lesson I ask of the student, "Are you relaxed?" Perhaps it really doesn't qualify as a trick question, but it serves the purpose and the answer I usually get justifies it's use; "A little nervous, perhaps but yes." or "Not completely!" My snappy rejoinder is, "You are relaxed within the physical framework required to hold you erect in the chair, your head held up, your arms folded, etc." When you want to achieve the maximum efficiency of a machine (the body), it must work within clearly defined parameters of tractable (flexible) tension, not rigid tension. A good many singers with whom I've worked over the years have the unconscious need to set their bodies in a quasi-rigid configuration prior to singing the first tone of any phrase, push their heels into the stage, perhaps tightening their buttocks, their “abdominals,” or whatever else your imagination can suggest. It is a kind of grounding, a centering, the establishing of a foundation, in an effort to consolidate all of the forces or energies perceived as critical to the individual singers concept of support. Tight ain’t flexible!

Having set the body thusly (cast it in bronze), it becomes a monumental task to get the tone moving, to overcome the body's unyielding rigidity. Oh, some of you can do it, all right, but at what cost? What is the final reconciliation at the end of an evening's work when your throat is weary, possibly a bit frayed and your body feels as though you had gone four rounds with Mike Tyson.

How much better to have used the muscles in a smoothly coordinated manner consistent with an established pattern that you have religiously routined and choreographed, much as a gymnast has routined his/her floor exercise. Watch these gymnasts perform when the next Saturday gymnastics program is on and gives you the opportunity to observe these dedicated and diligent young folk perform their routines, perfected through thousands of hours of hard work. Coordination, routine, consistency, dedication. It all pays off.

Watch the precision with which they approach their appointed tasks. Observe each transition, from handstand to handspring, from cutaway to flyaway, through a two and a half twist to a perfectly controlled landing. Watch in “epiphanic” awe how these mere children execute these seemingly impossible feats of power and grace with a smoothness of transitional strength, never fully releasing (relaxing) the muscle's tension, but rather lessening the tension “enough” prior to the next incredible feat of strength. Watch their muscle groups working firmly against and with each other in perfect harmony, supplying strength where and whenever it's needed, with enough in reserve to be able to address the next exercise with renewed energy and commitment.

And then, a the end of each run, he/she rests a scant moment before launching in to the next tumbling routine resplendent with a double flips and a one and a half round-off … before

… singing the next phrase. That’s what support is on a long night on the operatic stage … or while singing, dancing and gyrating doing a rock concert, in front of thirty thousand enthusiastic fans. All the really good ones have their own “pop and rest” concept, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to get through the night! Lots a energy … executed within well-defined parameters … pop your belly-button out and rest!” That’s the core of a strong performance.



APRIL 08 - THE FLAT TONGUE TECHNIQUE AND HOW DO YOU MAKE A VOWEL

MARCH 08  - THE VOICE COACHING THAT  MADE MY CAREER

FEBRUARY 08 - WHAT ARE YOU SINGING?

JANUARY 08 - VIBRATO/WOBBLE

DECEMBER 07 - BREATHING REVISITED

NOVEMBER  07 - HOW TO KILL A COLD IN FIVE DAYS

OCTOBER 07 - A BIT MORE SUPPORT

SEPTEMBER 07 - MORE SUPPORT

AUGUST 07 - INTRO & BREATHING/SUPPORT