Whenever I am working with someone having slight vocal control problems, I check what is happening in their upper back as they sing. It is almost always quite rigid, even if they are bending at the waist.

Why do I look at the upper back? Well...

• The back is connected to the ribcage, 
• which is connected to the shoulders, 
• which are connected to the jaw, 
• which affects the base of the tongue,
• the larynx 
• and the soft palate.

Therefore, what happens in the back will affect all those other areas! This means it will affect breath support/control and openness of the throat channel.

What do I recommend?

Slightly flex there. You don't have to move much at all... just a slight "lava lamp" type undulation is all it takes.
You can also try swaying in your hips and allowing that flexibility to transfer all the way up to your cervical vertibrae.

Better breath and open throat will lead to freer communication... another illustration of the three-stranded approach of Power, Path and Performance training.

SPECIAL NOTE, DEAR READERS:

For a while, I'm going to tag my All Things Vocal blog with some information I think might be useful to those caught in the Nashville Flood:

For salvaging photos and paper items, go here

For saving quilts and other fabric items, go to this site.

To those not affected by the waters...thank you for all your thoughts and prayers directed to those who are just devastated. For pictures of the situation, go to the Boston Globe's online page about it.

Labels: "judy rodman", "Power Path and Performance", Nashville flood, vocal control