Maximize your Singing Voice
Singing is such a beautiful gift , a form of communication used even by “angels” as they usher the birth of the Lord in the famous song “Hark the herald angels sing!” It is also used as a means to translate words of love, affection, and all other forms of emotions. It is a source of joy to people. It can lift a depressed spirit, and can transform emotions to betterment.
A singing voice is formed as air from the lungs and passes through the vocal folds, causing enough pressure to make the vocal folds vibrate, causing production of sound. The sound produced is then modified and shaped as it passes through the vocal tract, the mouth, and nasal passages. The sound produced is then transmitted to the neural networks in the brain governing the sensory-motor control of singing.
Why is it that I cannot sing a particular note or notes in a song/ or why do I have “bum” notes? Why can’t I project my voice? Why do I have a problem with my vocal range, I can’t sing high notes anymore? Why is it that my voice breaks when I reach high notes? Why do I have phlegm at the back of my throat when I sing, it bothers my singing? Why can’t I produce proper articulation? Why is my throat painful after singing? These are the most common complaints of singers .
A person with good tonal memory can sing a note heard for the first time or can sing a particular note without difficulty. This means he/she has well-developed three level s of vocal control in the brain. The lowest level is located at the reticular formation at which vocal patterns are generated. The next level, comprised of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex and the PeriAqueductalGray , is responsible for the voluntary initiation and emotional/motivational control of vocalizations. The highest level of vocal control occurs in M1 (and its modulatory brain regions), which is associated with the generation of learned vocalizations, such as speech and song. Generally, experienced singers and musicians have extensive auditory motor training which makes them excel in auditory and motor memory. This answers the question why a person cannot follow a tune or can sing a note with difficulty. Vocal training can definitely improve the sensory- motor control of singing. Citation: Front Hum Neurosci. 2013; 7: 237.
Published online 2013 Jun 3. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00237
Voice projection is important in singing. A singer with a loud and clear voice commands the attention of the audience. There are four important aspects to make a great voice projection: stance, well-balanced respiration with the breathing coming from the diaphragm, resonance, and opening of the mouth. A singer should stand with feet shoulder width apart to improve balance and breathing. Breath support should be taken from abdominal contraction with enough flow of air to make vibration of vocal folds efficient to produce a well projected sound. The sound will be more focused and enhanced once it passes the resonating chambers. If you want to have more voice projection, open your mouth when you sing.
Singers with vocal range problem or pitch breaks should have their vocal folds evaluated for swelling, scarring, and vocal lesions. Muscles of the neck and vocal muscles should be assessed for vocal fatigue. Singers with muscle tension problem will present with symptoms such as pain when singing or talking, pain in the neck, pitch break, hoarseness, loss of vocal range and strained voice. An articulation problem is usually coming either from the oral structures or neurologic in nature. Post nasal drip or phlegm at the back of the throat can be assessed for Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease once allergy and sinus disease is ruled out.
The singer’s woes as mentioned should all be evaluated and diagnosed so as to follow the principle of “treat the cause and not the symptom.” The St. Luke’s Voice and Swallowing Center offers diagnostic services such as Flexible Nasopharyngoscopy, Videostroboscopy, Functional Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing, Voice Evaluation and Computerized Speech Laboratory.
The best gift a singer can give herself is to take care of her vocal apparatus and maximize her gift of singing.
Dr. Mary Arlene Ardeña-Bongosia is a consultant of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery of St. Luke’s Medical Center-Quezon City. She underwent Vocology Training at the Grabscheid Voice Center in Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York and had her Laryngology Fellowship at the University of California Davies Voice and Swallowing Center. She was formerly the Chair of the Philippine Academy of Laryngotracheobronchoesophagology and Phoniatrics (2014-2016) and is currently a member of Performing Arts Medicine Association in the US. Her advocacy is to provide vocal health empowerment to professional voice users.