High efficiency

We're going to be replacing our furnace pretty soon. Generally, furnaces last about 15-20 years and ours will turn 20 this year. (Yes, my furnace is older than some of you. *sigh*)

In the interest of being responsible consumers, and as people who try to be environmentally minded, we may buy a "high-efficiency" furnace this time. Although they cost more money, they can heat a house while using less energy than a standard furnace, which may save us money in the long run. In essence, high-efficiency furnaces get more output (heat) with less input (energy burned).

When we break it down, a primary purpose of voice training is to turn our voices into high-efficiency machines.

One of the greatest inhibitors of efficient singing is unnecessary tension. Of course, singing is not a lazy or completely relaxed activity—there must be a dynamic balance of tensions in order to make sound. But too much tension in the wrong places can lead to problems.

In the book Singing with Your Whole Self: A Singer's Guide to Feldenkrais Awareness through Movement, authors Samuel H. Nelson and Elizabeth L. Blades explain that when we unnecessarily tighten a muscle (or a group of muscles), it takes more effort and force to complete tasks (like singing). This extra effort leads to three things:

1. We get tired faster.
2. We're more likely to get injured.
3. Our voices sound strained. 

The authors describe this further:

"As fatigue is a function of energy expended versus energy available, obviously, for any given task, the less energy used, the less tired we will be. With extra effort, injuries are more likely both because the extra effort itself leads to added strain and wear and tear and because as we tire injuries are more likely. As more effort is made, a tense quality envelops the musculature. Since the sound we produce is a product of our entire self, this tense quality colors our sound."  -Singing with Your Whole Self, p.28

One of the Awareness Through Movement (ATM) exercises they encourage in the book is similar to the head-and-neck exercise I have had all of you do at one point or another. Moving your head back and forth a few inches encourages a sense of looseness at the upper shoulders, neck, jaw, tongue, face, etc., which can release unnecessary tensions and increase vocal efficiency before you even start to make sound.

Sure, no one comes out of a performance and says, "Wow, that was some really efficient singing up there!" But when our singing is more efficient, our voices will last longer and we will be able to place more of our effort and attention on the expressive elements of our musical storytelling.

And, just like a high-efficiency furnace, the more bang (or belting) for your buck, the better off you'll be.

How has your singing been this week? How can you bring more efficiency into your singing?

Now go practice.

Our cat (Claude) knows that although the fire on the TV is more impressive,
the actual gas fireplace is more efficient at getting him warm.

I guess that's why they call it the [winter] blues

I saw this tweet the other day and it spoke to me on a profound level. 

Winter has never been my favorite season. I mean, I love the festivities of the holidays. I like to ski and snowshoe. And, because I am apparently an old woman in a Hallmark movie, I love to sit by the fireplace while the snow gently falls outside the window, sipping tea with a book in my hand and a cat on my lap.

But once January 2nd hits, I'm ready for spring. I'm ready for sunshine, I'm ready to stop being cold, and I'm ready for some energy and motivation.

This doesn't jive well with the discipline needed to improve in a craft that requires regular work and attention. If we spend all winter hibernating—as delightful as that sometimes sounds—we risk stagnating and falling behind.

I try to remind myself during this time of year that motivation thrives on momentum. Small steps in the right direction can "snowball" into major accomplishments. It's like those days when you tell yourself you're going to get up early and go to the gym. Then the alarm goes off and you consider just staying in bed. But then you think, OK, I'll get up but I'll only work out for 20 minutes instead of for an hour. So you drag your butt out of bed, get to the gym, and start your workout. And then a few minutes into your workout you don't feel as awful as you did when the alarm went off. Twenty minutes go by and you think, OK, I'll get to a half hour. Then a half hour passes and you are in the zone and end up going for the full hour.

That is one of the main reasons I encourage you to set up your vocal practice time in short increments. There will always be days when you don't feel motivated to practice, especially if you're staring at a 60-minute session ahead of you. But if you can get yourself to do just 10 or 15 minutes, you may build enough momentum to carry you up to a half hour or more. And even if you quit after 15 minutes, that's still a lot better than zero minutes.

Winter can be grey, bleak, and blah. We all feel it. But one step can lead to another and another and another. Just put yourself in motion and remember the words of Polish poet Czeslaw Milosz:

day draws near

another one

do what you can 

How do you stay motivated during the winter doldrums? How has your practicing been?

Now go practice.

The sun'll come out...tomorrow.