First of all, Happy Thanksgiving to all my subscribers... you are the reason this blog goes on, and I am truly thankful for your readership and your participation.

I have a quick but powerful suggestion for you today: If you want-

• more breath support and control for singing...
• help with feeling rhythm... 

...try dancing! Why?

• Dancing helps you get your hips into action... even if it's just slightly swaying as in slow dance. When your hips are involved as you sing, your breath comes from lower and deeper, instead of higher in the chest. This widens your ribcage, causes more flexibility in your back and frees your diaphragm to control itself.

• Dancing helps you with physical stamina, too, so that you are strong enough to sing with the balance of energy plus control... powerfully yet without vocal strain. 

• Dancing helps you psychologically... creates endorphins like most good physical exercise. Your mind is a big part of what sings, you know.

• And last but not least... dancing helps you aquire more of a sense of rhythm! Quite important in music, after all.

If you want to pursue these improvements, I suggest one or both of the following:

• Start taking dance lessons. Ballroom dancing, clogging, hip-hop, ballet, whatever you want... and many times you can find inexpensive or even free classes.
• Get yourself on the dance floor more often! Have fun with your family, your friends, or just dance alone to the music or with a dance video. 

Let me know how it works for you! And again... may your Thanksgiving be blessed.

Labels: breath, breath control, dance, dancing, Judy Rodman, rhythm