A Distinguished Professor at the University of Iowa (where he spends each fall semester), Dr. Titze is also the Executive Director of the National Center for Voice and Speech, which is part of the University of Utah.
One of the world’s leading voice scientists, he has published more than 400 articles on voice and has written several books. And he is an alum of the University of Utah, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Dr. Titze essentially invented the field of Vocology, which he defines as “the science and practice of voice habilitation.” We are familiar with rehabilitation as the process of rebuilding strength after an injury. In that sense, I like to think of voice habilitation as regularly practicing healthy voice use so that we hopefully don’t ever need rehabilitation.
Besides being one of the great minds in voice science, Dr. Titze is also well known among singers for a couple of widely-shared resources.
The first resource is his tutorial video on straw phonation. Since, to my knowledge, he is the person who first started promoting the benefits of straw phonation, it is worth hearing him describe in his own words the impact it has on the voice and how to execute his preferred straw phonation exercises.
The second resource is the list of his top five vocal warmups for singers. Originally published as an article in the Journal of Singing in 2001, it is featured in blogs and websites all over the internet (like here and here) so I figured putting it out there once more wouldn't hurt!
As singers, it is important for us to vary our vocal routines to keep our voices agile and responsive. That means we should always be on the lookout for new and innovative exercises, especially when they have the backing of those in the voice science community.
So watch the video if you haven’t seen it before and read through the article. We’ll be experimenting with these exercises this week in lessons and in class. Maybe some of them will make their way into your top five!
How has your singing been going this week?
Now go practice.
My singing this week has been a little hectic due to tech for our upcoming department production. I find it interesting that this week has been the first week where I feel the most comfortable in my practice. I think this is because of the lack of regular singing that was happening for me during this busy summer. It goes to show that if you do not keep up your rehearsing, it can take up to 3 weeks of regular rehearsal to starting feeling like everything can be up and running again vocally. I learned that it is important to be consistent with your singing.
ReplyDeleteSinging for me this week has been a little less focused than I would hope. These days, It almost feels as if setting time aside for practice is a luxury I can't afford. However, tonight I was able to see my good friend perform in the production of Next to Normal at the Egyptian Theatre. After leaving tonight's show, I feel so inspired to make vocal practice a PRIORITY. As I was watching this performance, there were a couple characters that were so captivating because of their vocal ability and trustworthiness of their voice. As an audience member, I could relax into the story because their voices were so properly trained. I didn't have to worry and cringe in fear of the difficult note or get ripped out of the story because the "actor" was exposed. I left tonight's performance, inspired because I want to be that type of performer. Someone who the audience can trust as they get lost in the story and the character. I am grateful for that wake-up call. Sometimes it's challenging to pick what will be a priority when everything feels so important, but I commit to making vocal practice an everyday reality because I know how much it will benefit long term. I absolutely agree that switching up exercises keeps us agile and responsive because we never know what character we will be portraying and what we will be asked to do. It is critical to be prepared with as many tools in our belt as possible. I look forward to more straw phonation! The other exercises mentioned, I will need to see demonstrated because reading instructions on the how-to's weren't as clear for me.
ReplyDeleteWow, I'm going to the University of Iowa over fall break, so I'll have to drop by and say hello!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I love straw phonation. It is what I do most mornings when I have an audition, or know it will be a high vocal use day, just to warm up and get myself going. I also find that it is quite soothing if my vocal folds begin to feel overworked. After 10 minutes of straw phonation I'm back in business. It is a life saver. When we use it during my lessons, or while I'm practicing, I find that I can sing higher and more efficiently after doing some straw phonation exercises. Whether the straw simply gives me confidence, or whether it gets me into the proper placement to be able to sing without it, doesn't really matter in the long run. What matters is that it helps.
Practice has not been happening hardly at all if I'm being honest. Being at Pioneer all day has been sucking up all of my time. When we open on Friday, things will go back to normal! Thank goodness.
I was feeling some congestion and sore throat over the weekend, so I've been taking as many precautions to avoid hurting my voice. My singing this week has been very light, not moving past session 1 type vocal exercises. Fortunately this has given me more time to work on my text for this semester's pieces. My humidifier has been on its highest setting, and I'm drinking a lot of water to help combat any sickness, dryness, and the air quality.
ReplyDeleteDr. Titze's examples with straw phonation really helped me understand more about using this technique. I really liked the idea of singing a whole song with the straw, as I've never tried that before. I like that he mentioned how straw phonation should help the voice find a natural higher placement.
My voice this week has been pretty crazy. I felt so dehydrated this week and in result my voice was crackly and didn’t want to cooperate. On top of that, it has been a pain to find time to practice. My practice schedule made everything seem easy. Turns out homework, school, rehearsals, and work take up my life. Oh well, I chose my school schedule so I have to live with it.
ReplyDeleteSo far, I am noticing unnecessary tension in my neck and once I realize that and shake it out I find my voice not so crackly as it previously was. I have been working on releasing tension and breathing deeply and widely. One brilliance I have learned this week is straw phonation. With this I find myself breathing easier and not having to focus on breath. I just noticed that with this technique I have less tension in my neck and shoulder area as well. I am excited to see how much my voice can develop with this new technique. :)
Practicing this week has been interesting. One day ill wake up fine, the next I'll be sick, the day after ill be in the middle. Its weird but anyways this week I've been practicing some of the warm ups we did this week. I also have been practicing on songs I love to not use my jaw as much and to relax when I sing. Mostly I've been using the Ordinary Days soundtrack by Adam Gwon to practice. Then using the same technique on my Italian and other song. I've been practicing non stop to try and get ahead of the game by writing in counts, playing through my parts before I listen to someone else sing them, and going through and writing in beats. Hopefully this strategy will continue throughout the whole year.
ReplyDeletePractice for this week for me has involved a lot of practicing for an upcoming audition but I found that I need to work on warming up more and set aside a little more time for that before I start in on a new song. The straw phonation technique is very new to me and I have found it doing wonders for my voice already. After I use the technique I notice my voice feels calmer and looser (if that makes any sense). But I can defiantly hear and feel the difference after I use it. I am also working on just relaxing my jaw and not holding tension there when I sing. (I especially notice it when I want to sing higher) and I just need to work on telling myself to relax and trust that my voice can hit the notes without me tensing up and trying to 'help'.
ReplyDeleteThis week, I have felt more confidence in my singing. Understanding and applying a proper way of warming up the voice has helped me tremendously. Typically, when consistently using my voice, whether that be for singing or voice and speech work, I find it to be deflated, and swells from exhaustion. The most prominent outcome is a sore throat and crackling speech. However, with the proper practice and development of a better technique, I have yet to run into this issue. It has also been a fairly stressful week for me with unforeseen forces attacking from all sides. I tend to store my stress in my spine, but with the combination of this course and the others like movement and voice and speech, I am able to recognize the tension and release it before it affects how my voice is put into a space. With that being said, understanding how my body feels and warming it up in a way where damage isn’t done, has created a confidence in the sounds I am able to produce. I find myself being more vocally explorative as well as not being so afraid to let others hear me. Also, the straw phonation is a new technique to me but, I can understand how producing these sounds outside the face where the vibrations reside, increases the looseness and openness of the vocal folds to produce the most open and efficient sound. I can definitely see some progress in these past 4 weeks; whether it’s only a little bit at a time, it’s still progress.
ReplyDeleteMy singing this week has been minimal. As you know I got strep throat, and it’s thrown a bit of a wrench in my life in general this week. What it has encouraged me to do though is to be proactive in finding ways to warm up my voice that limit the need to open widely or swallow. It’s not a perfect set of limitations, but it has been informative in just how much excess movement I’ve incorporated into my singing. I’ve found the most ease in warm ups like the first two Dr. Titze mentions in his blog. In the past few weeks I feel like I take two steps forward and one back. Some days I feel incredibly confident and apt in the mix I am beginning to develop, but others I feel like my passaggio is insurmountable. As this week comes to an end, I just find myself frustrated.
ReplyDeleteMy practice this week has been pretty minimal. I've had a lot of congestion and a sore throat. It is pretty uncomfortable when I am sick to sing or speak in my upper register. But I find it interesting that I suddenly develop a really low voice. And it becomes easier to sing and speak in my lower register. I find myself holding a lot of tension in my jaw, and other acting teachers have pointed it out. So from here on out, I want to make releasing that tension a priority so that I can become more grounded in my acting, and also to free up my voice. I have used straw phonation before but I have found that I sometimes get lightheaded while doing it which is interesting. I guess I'm taking in too much air? The placement feels very different. I think I sing to much into my nasal as well.
ReplyDeleteThis is Allison Billmeyer by the way! GO CUBS!
ReplyDeleteI've been feeling really good about practicing this week! I've had a lot of stuff due for other classes, so I've practiced for an hour or two consistently every day this week because I'm trying desperately to avoid the work that actually has a due date. I've really been really focusing on releasing tension in my jaw the past few weeks, and that habit of fully releasing my jaw only comes with practice. So the practice has actually be paying off! It's really exciting feeling the rewards.
ReplyDeleteMy singing hasn't been the best this week. Allergies are getting the best of me and so is dehydration. I really need to focus on drinking more water so my voice in general just feels more comfortable. I am slowly gaining more confidence in my voice but I am still not where I know I can stand in front of a group of people and have a consistent, confident tone. I am loving the songs I am singing and I just need to continue finding comfort in the upper part of my range.
ReplyDeleteMy singing has been alright this week. At my past voice lesson, I learned to keep my tongue relaxed and beneath my teeth which helped me open my throat a lot when I would sing higher notes. Straw phonation also really helped me to open my throat when I needed to sing. I remember how hard it was to was to blow in some of the bigger straws.. and now it's so much easier for me. practice really does help your voice and makes you more confident AMIRIGHT?
ReplyDeleteThe weather is finally changing, which means that sickness is in the air. I've been incredibly careful with my voice this week, especially since my roommate got sick. Practice has been pretty normal, but I haven't been pushing or forcing anything I know will strain my voice. Tea and water are always my best friends during this time. I also really enjoyed the masterclass that I attended on Saturday with Isaac. I learned a lot about my voice during that time and what I am capable of if I learn to let go of all the bad habits and just allow the sound to come through. I'm excited to play around with that and also continue to practice taking deep breaths, especially when I am nervous.
ReplyDeleteMy vocal practice this week has been very strong. I have been really focused on warming up really well and protecting my voice during tech and since the show has opened! I need to stay hydrated because there is a lot of fog and smoke in the show and is super dry outside. I'm so tired. Come see Steel Pier.
ReplyDeleteMy singing has been going well this week. I've been using the 5 warm ups as recommenced by Dr. Ingo Titze, it's helping me learn my voice a lot more! Where I place my resonance and how to change that. I've also been playing with diction, I'm in Love's Labor's Lost and my character particularly has very over the top pronunciation.
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ReplyDeleteSinging has been a little harder that usual this week. I've been really tired, and I got sick, so my voice has been strained. I am noticing that I have to warm up more to be able to do the same things I could do when I was not sick and tired. I am making an effort to stay very hydrated because of this and it is very helpful. I really enjoyed the recommended warmups we used in class the other day and I think they would be beneficial to use more often.
ReplyDeleteThis week, I haven't been able to practice quite as much as I would have liked, as I have been very busy, but I've done what I can here and there as well as in class. I have begun to notice a few things so far though. My range is certainly not where I want it to be, as it doesn't take long for my voice to break, especially as I go higher in pitch. I also feel that most of my singing and even vocal warm up work is coming from the throat. Dr. Titze's exercises have helped to make me aware of these things, which is an important first step. I hope now though, I can work on improving, and making those things better.
ReplyDeleteSinging this week has been... a lot less focused than I would like it to be. In class I've been attentive and following instruction however my practices have not been focused. I'll find myself warming up, starting exercises and then getting distracted by my dog or Stranger Things on Netflix. I feel like a lot of me being distracted has to do with my insecurity of singing, especially if the warm ups don't sound good. I know that may sound silly. This weekend I've found it difficult to set aside time to warm up and practice because there has been a lot on my plate but after this post I'm going to watch the video and practice these new techniques. I really am excited to make singing a priority because it will benefit long term. I was reading Selah's post above and she mentioned trustworthiness. I want to be a performer that the audience can trust. I will continue to push myself and make practice something I do as if it were a class or appointment because it matters to me.
ReplyDeleteVoice habilitation, I love that idea! I agree that it is in our best interest to constantly be singing and fine-tuning our voice, even better when it's done with proper and healthy technique. I also agree that it's in our best interest to change up our vocal routines, to fully grasp our instrument and find new ways of approaching the voice. I really enjoyed working Titze's warm ups in lessons this past week. I find it fascinating how minor you can shift a vocal warmup, and be working an entirely new set of muscles and placements. I will forever use the straw method as an easily accessible and healthy way of warming my voice.
ReplyDeleteSinging this week has been a struggle. With the sudden shift in seasons, my immune system felt like taking a few days off. I am still practicing voice in my spare time, and I have a few pre-recorded warm ups from prior lessons that are specific to warming the vocal folds while not in full voice. I'm also using this ignorant cold to take vocal rest when I feel even the most slight tension or strain in my voice; and I use that time to work lyrics and timing for my songs. Here's to hoping my immune system gets back from vacation soon and my voice is back to 100% early on in this next coming week.
Thinking more about why I do some of the vocal warm ups I do is something I honestly haven't done that much but is something I'd like to get more in the habit of doing. I think I equate it to that sort of mind-body focus that makes working out more efficient and/or productive; for instance when wanting to target a specific muscle group it is advised to be actively thinking about/focusing on that target area to really work the desired places. While I usually feel the general sense of "warmed up" after doing vocal exercises, I think getting more mind-vocal muscle specific may help make the process more efficient and productive for me. This week's practice has gone well - I have felt pretty consistently vocally healthy for a good while which I think boosts my confidence to be braver in practice.
ReplyDeleteMy singing practice this past week has been pretty steady, but I wish I had more outlets to practice outside of lessons and not be so consumed with worrying about whether my neighbors will be disturbed by me or not. I normally rent out a practice room in The School of Music for the year, but they have unfortunately raised the price of the rental and it is not really in my budget at this moment in time. I don't have the luxury of 24/7 access to a sound proof practice room at the Heritage Center, because I moved off campus this year. Finding a place to effectively practice and work through all of the kinks has been a frustrating process, but I am hoping to figure out a system that is effective and I can stick by throughout this school year. Titze's warm-ups were a wonderful addition to my weekly lesson this past week. I felt thoroughly warm and prepared to sing and I am planning on keeping them with me in my practice.
ReplyDelete-Burke Schoeppl
I'm trying to keep up a routine more this semester. I noticed last week that I've been more fatigued throughout the day, so I'm implementing a series of warmups every morning to improve my vocal stamina. I think back to my days in high school when my vocal teacher asked me to wake up every morning at 6am and work on music, and while I don't do anything that crazy anymore, I miss the revitalized strength I got from always keeping my voice warm. I've noticed some improvement and will report later if it's actually helping.
ReplyDeleteMy singing practice this week has not exactly gone as planned. I feel like I am still getting into the swing of things and therefore have not had time, made time, or remembered to practice as much as I had hoped to. I feel very scattered and I just need to get myself together. I am pretty familiar with most of TItze’s warm up strategies, except for straw phonation. That one really throws me off, but I know I will get more accustomed to it as the year goes on.
ReplyDeleteMy practice this week has been a bit sparse, since I started rehearsals this week and was trying to acclimate myself to a new schedule. Luckily, though, my classes and rehearsals have afforded me time to further understand when I should have spent more time warming up. For example, on our first day of rehearsals I didn't really feel as if I was ready to use my voice in the space. The next day, I had had my voice lesson earlier in the day, and there was a significant difference not only in my confidence/being comfortable using my voice, but also in the quality and flexibility of my voice. Especially having spent time thinking about Dr. Titze's reasoning behind his top 5 warmups, I think it will help to be easier to organize a warmup and understand why I do the things I do. I usually warm up to my recorded lessons, which is helpful, but I often don't think about what I need to do differently this week. Being aware of what the exercises do will definitely be something I take forward when I know what kind of singing I will need to do for the time being.
ReplyDeleteIf I’m being completely honest, I didn’t practice as much as I would’ve liked this week. According to my practice chart, most of my practice involves me humming or straw phonics while I walk around, but reading this article and practicing in my vocal lesson, I want to incorporate more vocal warmups that include piano work and sitting down and mainly focusing on the basics. So I’m going to be trying to switch up my warmups and see what works best with me and my busy schedule.
ReplyDeleteIn my practice this week I’ve already spent mental focus meditating on the importance of my vocal warm ups. Largely because several of my classes this week have held discussions on the importance of proper technique for working actors who want to maintain a career with longevity. Sometimes this week I’ve warmed up with moderate adherence to the suggested structure of our class or simply gently experimented vocally till I feel warm. Something odd to me that I’ve noticed recently is just how responsive my voice is to menthol and lozenges and milk which all have an immediate effect on my sound at any point in my vocal practice. (It is most notable during my early stages of warm ups, a few minutes in.) Like most of the other year-one students I’ve noticed some vocal fatigue from the rigor of our program and sometimes I use it as an excuse to not be as consistent a technician or student as I would be proudest to be. I’m finding ways to combat that; warm ups are a sound and solid way.
ReplyDeleteSide note: I’ve only used straw phonation a number of times I can count on one hand and I am so excited to learn and integrate it into my practice.
Maintaining a regular practice schedule has been somewhat difficult this week, but I've still been able to get myself to sit down and work on music. This focus on Tize's vocal warm-ups comes at a perfect time actually, because I've been having a hard time insuring that I do proper warm-ups before working on my music... often times I kinda like to do a quick few minutes to loosen things and go straight to what I'm working on. So I'm creating a new goal for myself to really spend enough time exercising and warming up my voice before jumping into my music. It will be interesting to see what changes there are when I really implement his warm-ups into my practice time.
ReplyDeleteI think because of my stress in school and in life, my singing the last two weeks has been a little strained and forced. I've been trying to implement the physical freedom we've been using in the Alexander technique, but still I can feel some residual tension in my shoulders, upper back, and neck, which is causing strain in my voice. More to be aware of, and to try to correct. -Nathan Vaughn
ReplyDeleteHey, sorry this is late.
ReplyDeleteI think this blog is going to be especially helpful for me. I feel like I've learned a million warm ups, but I never know which ones to use when I'm practicing on my own. I'll be using that chart a lot.
I love straw warm ups. They help me more than anything. They help me release my tongue and bring my resonance forward. I've used them in your class and voice lessons, and I've also used them for vocal rehabilitation. I was having voice problems last year and my ENT had me do straw exercises a few times a day. He may have even had me watch that video...
I'll be completely honest, I haven't done much singing this week. At the beginning of the week, I went through the duet and did warm ups every time I was in my car, but then life happened and I haven't done much of anything.
Sorry again for the lateness.
Steel Pier has been gobbling up my focus and time. Sunday morning I slept until 12:30 and had to be to the theater by 1:00 so I hurried out of bed, showered quickly and just threw on clothes knowing I'd be putting on a costume anyway. When I got into my car, my straw was waiting for me in my cupholder. I put it in and quickly began to phonate all the way to campus. It was a perfect way to warm up in the morning. It kept my moisture in, kept the air backing up to support a good warm up for them vocal chords, and it also got me breathing efficiently because my diaphragm was working to push air through a smaller hole than usual. I agree with Titze's straw warmups. His other warm ups we worked on in class, and I thought they were highly effective in touching all aspects of my voice. We are lucky to have you constantly learning from him Brian, and then sharing the knowledge with us. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThe more I sing, the more I notice how much of an impact warm ups have on the way I sing my rep. Obviously warming up before singing is important, but even beyond that, the way I warm up sets the tone for how I will sing an audition or vocal jury. I find that sometimes, because I am anxious for an audition or even excited, I will rush through my warm ups and often have a lot of tension. If I warm up in a tense place, my performance will have tension as well. So I really appreciate that Titze encourages starting a warm up session with light, easy exercises that encourage relaxation and correct placement because that really helps me get me singing in a nice, easy place.
ReplyDeletedoing regular warm ups is something I could definitely be much better about. While I was in loves labours lost I was very diligent about taking an extended physical and vocal warm up and my flexibility and expressivity came with much greater ease and color. In the actor speaks patsy rodenburg is very clear that we as actors must continue to loosen and tune the instrument otherwise we slide too quickly backward and she recommends warm ups daily. I personally love straw phonation. It was a favorite of mine while I was in a band and was the worst and regularly trashed my voice, but the straw always got me back up and kicking in a reasonable amount of time.
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