This is my new blog where I will be posting up to date thoughts and links related to freeing the singing voice.
voxchopsvoicebox.blogspot.com

On this page you will find a number of practical tips and exercises to begin to get the most from your voice. Whilst it's better to practice at home without a teacher than to not practice at all, these exercises are here primarily as reminders for students currently studying with Julia.

The Rag Doll

based on an exercise devised by Melanie Harrold VMTR.

  1. Imagine you are going to stretch the space between your vertebrae. With feet hip width apart, come onto tiptoes and bring your hands above your head. Find a point on the wall above eye level without tipping your head back. Exhale.
  2. As you bring your heels to the floor, fill your belly with air (always breath through your mouth and try not to raise your shoulders).
  3. Bend your knees holding your breath.
  4. Exhale as you fold forward being sure to keep your knees bent to support your lower back. Try to drop and hang like a rag doll.
  5. Slowly uncurl your spine focusing on each vertebra as you come up to standing. Check your arms, head and neck are fully relaxed at all times. Keep the knees bent as you uncurl bringing the head up last.
  6. Take a step forward and bend into the knee whilst opening the arms and stretching back. Imagine you have a string attached to the middle of your breastbone and you are being pulled forward.
  7. Bring in the back foot and bring your arms forward as if you were hugging a tree. Let your head drop forward and make sure the pelvis is curled under. An easy way to remember these last two stretches is to imagine that you are stretching into the front of your own person sized bubble and then into the back of it.

Scales

An example of the scale exercise with Brrrrrrr

If you are a beginner, can't remember scale patterns or don't have access to a piano, use the first line of 'Twinkle twinkle little star'. Start on note in the middle of your range and sing the line, then start a little higher. Use an active Mmm, Brrr, Gee or Nuh for these.