Sometimes it’s the smallest bit of information that can make all the difference. I have been a casual yoga doer for nearly 10 years, and while I do only 15 or 20 minutes a few times a week, I have done my fair share of downward dogs in that time. In all of those repetitions, I have never been able to get my heels very close to the ground—a fact I blame entirely on the intensely tight hamstrings I inherited from my father. Just recently, however, someone gave me the following instruction: “Relax the front of your ankles so that your heels can release toward the floor.”
This little piece of advice has made all the difference! Instead of trying to force my heels to the ground while doing the downward dog, I have focused on relaxing the front part of my ankles. When I do that, my heels immediately move toward the floor. Amazing!
Lao Tzu stated this principle as “do by not doing.” Each time I do a downward dog, I muse on this fascinating relationship between tension, relaxation, and the brain. While tensing of the muscles permits us to walk, move, run, and even sing, too much tension can stifle mobility. Of course, our all-powerful brains make all of this work as we consciously and subconsciously send messages to our muscles to tighten and release.
So often in our efforts to sing we create tension that prevents us from truly singing. Maybe one can sing without singing—or at least without attempting to force it.
Identifying the cause of tension is often the first step to letting it go. Often we stifle or bury our emotions, says life coach and singer Michelle Kunz (p. 46), because we lack the skills or know-how to deal with them. That can, in turn, cause havoc on our physical bodies, including our voices. Kunz recommends a variety of ways to deal with our emotions, rid ourselves of unwanted tension, and free our singing voices.
Emoting as singers is also paramount to success, but often our inhibitions stand in our way. Julie Lynn Barber offers a fun and fascinating antidote to help you let loose on stage: improvisation (p. 42). Actors have been using improv for decades in their craft but, as Barber tells us, it’s just starting to permeate into the operatic world. With no memorized words or notes to deliver, improv frees the singer to act without acting.
Too much doing can often lead us to force things unproductively, especially in an industry where so many singers are all vying for the same coveted spots. In Amanda Keil’s column (p.52), she offers an alternative to hyper focusing where everyone else is also focused. By freeing yourself from the pack and exploring untapped ideas, you just might find not only less tension but also more success.
Within the pages of this issue are little gems that just might make all the difference for you and your singing career. For me it was a reminder to accomplish more by doing less. For you it might be a career that Cindy Sadler suggests (p. 14), advice on handling a bad accompanist (p. 32), or a YAP, teacher, or coach just right for you in the directory on pp. 36-41. Turn the pages to find them.
