Living In Sing: Coexisting with your instrument #asingerslife #9252023 #akintsucrooner

Allergies and gerd and sinuses oh my….

It’s a wild ride when your income (and sometimes self esteem) relies on 2 small pairs of tissue flaps every day….oh vocal folds, you tricky troubadour…

Emotions stemming from the condition of a singer’s throat can range from euphoria to crippling anxiety in a split second….

A singer is often at the mercy of many variables including weather, emotions, indigestion, hormones…..

After studying voice since my adolescence and driving myself a bit bat sh*t crazy over the years with frequent voice checks……testing one two three…..are you there…I now use a percentage system which saves me from a lot of consternation…

1. Some days the voice will work like a solid indestructible 1970s harvest gold appliance……

I call this an 80% day. These are my favorite and the majority of my days; no surprises, a reliable spinto-riffic throat.

2. Some days I need to intentionally conjure below to access my 80%…..

I call this a 60% day. I rise early singing sirens, stretching, hydrating, adjusting passagio & registers, and ng-ing thru the range making sure to also find my oo. I negotiate as my voice leads for vowel security with unvoiced F/small intervals/ee vowel…..

3. When my speaking voice is tacit and cords won’t come together, it’s time to shut up (after I’ve freaked out if it’s performance day). If at all possible I need to rest, hydrate, and not make sound.

This is a 40% day. My cords are too thick and swollen to easily phonate. It is not advisable to sing.

4. Then there are the days when all works without reason plus some new special bells/whistles, and enhanced abilities.

This is a 💯 day. While these few days a year are fun, they aren’t my favorite. Singing by acquired knowledge and organic sensation has been the essential key in the advancement of my vocal journey.

As a result of above, I have developed this chart below to clarify the vocal percentage characteristics and guide my voice students of all ages as they become vocally autonomous.

I was at 60% on September 16th. I had a high profile choral gig that day. At 5:30am, I was gingerly warming up at the level of my fatigue. I recorded my warm up for my voice students. Yesterday, my days later, I recorded my restored 80% voice.

As one of the vocal studio assignments, I asked my wagner voice students to compare and contrast the recordings and share their findings. These connections are especially important for emerging singers as propioception (Kinesthetic awareness) is crucial in developing a reliable, vocal pedagogical core technique.

I was delighted to read one of one of my voice student’s astute comparison to my 60% and 80% day. They definitely understood the assignment.