The Technique

 

ONE TECHNIQUE, ONE VOICE, ANY STYLE

 

'One Technique, One Voice, Any Style' is more than a philosophy. At Your Voice in Motion Voice Studios this philosophy is our mission statement which sets us apart from so many competitors. There is no substitute for excellence. The Your Voice in Motion(YVIM)  technique approach has been regarded as the standard for high performance singing. It is a gentle technique that works in alignment with our bodies natural functions. That's right. It will NEVER ask you to perform in a way that is simply not natural, uncomfortable or just down right at cross purpose! Let me take you through an introduction, a "behind the scenes look."

 

I am often asked, "Can anyone sing?" The answer is yes. Aside from the numerous studies done on the neurology of singing that prove this, there is still a very active undercurrent around the world isolating those who want to pursue great singing  and never set out to do so simply because they were a.) Discouraged by their own ear or someone elses or b.) Their general belief is that some have it and some don't. Unfortunately there is a great deal more to the science of how you develop a voice than believing in yourself, although the age old saying "You get what you put into it!", does apply here in some degree.

 

In order to get any work done with the voice, we need to approach the voice from a standpoint of efficiency. We are entering a world of Cause and Effect and the right ingredients need to be used to have a meal that is balanced in flavor, if you will. Using a technique such as the YVIM technique allows us to coordinate the proper muscles needed to sing freely! It is much like walking a tight rope. If you go too far to one side, you're going to tighten and strain. If you are not balanced enough and fall the opposite side, your production is too flabby or consistent to get any work done. The ability walk the center of the rope without shaking is a demonstration that we can find balance. However, we are almost always at the mercy of our ear and thinking in terms of what our sound should be, rather than feeling. A proper exercise regimen disengages the muscles that would like to jump in and save the day, causing you to tighten up. It's much easier than you think and you can learn more if you continue on....:

 

SINGING AS COOKING

 

Some people are extraordinary cooks. They may have a passion for it, but cooking is a science to get the right taste, not just presentation. The chef will alter or ammend certain ingredients for a hopefully desirable outcome. Singing is much the same way. Though the voice is controlled indirectly, we have a direct control over how much ingredient we want to influence the outcome (Finished meal!). The only thing you can not learn is passion. I can not teach you to like or love cooking. But anyone can learn to sing, just as you can learn to walk. It will be shaky as you learn to walk, but as  you learn to coordinate feeling, after a few rounds, suddenly you can stand more firmly!

 

I always say that speech is one of our abilities that shows how talented each of us actually are. When we sing, it is literally an extended speech. Since speech is voluntary and cultivated, it is safe to say that we learned to speak because each of us were supported in our development!  We are more talented than we realize and it is our right to have a strong, powerful voice! However, the right steps to coordinate the instrument need to be pursued. Speech is an extension of human expression and is a skill highly cultivated and one that is encouraged from a young age. As we learn to talk, we learn specific placements of tongue and lip to produce consonants and vowels for your language. As you can see, speech is a very fine tuned ability and the slightest innebriation of the tongue or lips makes you unintelligible! The same principles apply in the voice studio. 

 

The human voice is a miraculous instrument when we take into account the very fact that it's original intent in our evolution was not for the use of sound. Designed to allow our bodies to garner pressure in our abdomen, and consequently flex these muscles, when lifting heavy objects, the vocal cords also have a secondary function which is to protect food from going into our lungs. That's right! We cough when choking and these amazing ligaments close like two trap walls coming together and prevent food from falling in! However, through evolution and with the development of language, we have been able to superimpose this amazing structure over our respiration (We all need air to make sound, right? This is a necessary component.) to produce many complex sounds. It is most easy to assess and declare that speech is THE MOST complex and finely coordinated skill that man is capable of. 

 

The structures for swallowing and speech are very similar. However, there comes a time in some singers when one structure has been taught to engage during the sound making process without our consent! Without our telling it that 'it is ok' to help. It is impossible to swallow and hum at the same time! Some of these muscle groups have a primary job and one of them, the tongue, is responsible soley for articulating consonants. There are thousands of variables that can be the cause of any one of our difficulties in singing, but the previously mentioned are common issues.

 

Where other exercises and teachers have failed, this amazing approach provides exercises that do the work FOR you. How many of us are tense when singing? How many of us have been told to relax after a teacher gave us an exercise that created tension to begin with? We can't fix tension with more stress. Based on science, this unique technique, backed by research as a voice teacher and student of Speech-language pathology is one that works off of the natural reflex of our body. Why would you use anything other than what works off of natural processes? We can rest assured that since this is an EXACT science, we will be avoiding the trap of throwing spaghetting against the wall to see if it sticks. That's right! A good technique can provide you with CAUSE and EFFECT. With this considered, improvement is fast and can be seen in as soon as the very first lesson! When studying with me, you will be given a tailored selection of exercises that ensure the maximized growth of this beautiful instrument.

 

Let me show you how.