I was riding home from teaching a riding lesson yesterday and heard a talk show on the radio that was discussing how to make the most of your voice when you sing. The guest on the show was a jazz singer who teaches voice lessons in Virginia. When asked what advice she gives her students for creating the best sound from their vocal cords, she mentioned an exercise that releases tension in the jaw and drops the tongue, so that it lies flat on the lower teeth. Once you open your mouth, as if to yawn, you will find it easier to produce the sounds, starting with a vowel, for instance, with minimal effort, but maximum results. She teaches that tension is the enemy of the singer. Muscles that are tight cannot efficiently create the energy necessary to perform.
In addition to my passion for horses, I have a great love of music and singing and at one time dreamed of performing professionally. I was very shy when I was young and had to back out of a 5th grade performance of the Beatles classic, "Yesterday", after becoming sick to my stomach with stage fright. I tried again in college, singing with my boyfriend's band at a dance and somehow made it through without fainting. I even took a few voice lessons from a woman in New York city in my early 20s but other than singing at a friend's wedding, have kept my voice a well kept secret. Now, when I find a rare moment of quiet at home, alone, I turn on the ipod stereo and with my own personal microphone and small amplifier, I "practice" my singing. I'm not sure who or what I'm practicing for, but you never know when someone else close to me is going to get married.
As I listened to the radio and the voice instructor's explanations, I realized that recently, I've been using more body awareness and release of tension in my singing to create a much stronger, much more "elastic" quality to my voice, able to move up and down the scales with less effort. It seems that since I've begun my life in centered riding, I've noticed how the release of tension, increase in body awareness and centering , with breathing and soft eyes can improve my singing and for that matter, can be applied to ANY physical activity that you wish to accomplish proficiently and with minimal effort.
As an instructor, it is necessary to keep a large arsenal of tools at your disposal to assist in explaining particular concepts to students. I don't currently have any singers as riding students but I do have students who have engaged in other athletic activities. Knowing how to explain the correct use of the body and releasing tension while participating in a particular activity like riding or singing, is the most challenging part of my job. Probably, because it is the most challenging part of riding for me.
Recently, when I was riding, it occured to me that as a health professional I deal with patients who are nervous, scared and in pain at times and my experience allows me to remain calm, confident and reassuring in order to be a part of their care. But, I had to have training and instruction before I could become an experienced professional. They don't call it "practicing medicine" for nothing.
For example, in order to qualify to perform a procedure in which I examine the colon using a flexible scope, I had to have specialized instruction and training. In the beginning, I was moving my hands and going through the steps as they had been explained to me, but I was not really understanding the big picture. My body would tense as I struggled to find the correct position, inadvertently forcing the scope to move against resistance. Of course, the feedback I received from my patients when they felt discomfort, was immediate. Because I am outside of the body, able to look inside only with a 2 dimensional screen, I needed to have a sense of what was happening as I moved the instrument in one direction or the other, almost through "feel". As I became more adept at the physical skills I needed to complete the exam, I found I did not have to think so hard about what my hands and my body were doing-it became automatic. The tension was gone.
And so, in every aspect of my life and now with riding, I must learn to find the focus and the emotional center that creates the calm and the relaxation, once I have the coordination and physical skills to ride . Then I can allow the automatic part of my brain, the muscle memory as it were, to take over. Whether I'm singing, scoping or riding, it will make for a much more balanced, harmonious experience for all concerned. And if I turn up the tunes while I ride I can SING AND RIDE! Wouldn't that be a joy!
In addition to my passion for horses, I have a great love of music and singing and at one time dreamed of performing professionally. I was very shy when I was young and had to back out of a 5th grade performance of the Beatles classic, "Yesterday", after becoming sick to my stomach with stage fright. I tried again in college, singing with my boyfriend's band at a dance and somehow made it through without fainting. I even took a few voice lessons from a woman in New York city in my early 20s but other than singing at a friend's wedding, have kept my voice a well kept secret. Now, when I find a rare moment of quiet at home, alone, I turn on the ipod stereo and with my own personal microphone and small amplifier, I "practice" my singing. I'm not sure who or what I'm practicing for, but you never know when someone else close to me is going to get married.
As I listened to the radio and the voice instructor's explanations, I realized that recently, I've been using more body awareness and release of tension in my singing to create a much stronger, much more "elastic" quality to my voice, able to move up and down the scales with less effort. It seems that since I've begun my life in centered riding, I've noticed how the release of tension, increase in body awareness and centering , with breathing and soft eyes can improve my singing and for that matter, can be applied to ANY physical activity that you wish to accomplish proficiently and with minimal effort.
As an instructor, it is necessary to keep a large arsenal of tools at your disposal to assist in explaining particular concepts to students. I don't currently have any singers as riding students but I do have students who have engaged in other athletic activities. Knowing how to explain the correct use of the body and releasing tension while participating in a particular activity like riding or singing, is the most challenging part of my job. Probably, because it is the most challenging part of riding for me.
Recently, when I was riding, it occured to me that as a health professional I deal with patients who are nervous, scared and in pain at times and my experience allows me to remain calm, confident and reassuring in order to be a part of their care. But, I had to have training and instruction before I could become an experienced professional. They don't call it "practicing medicine" for nothing.
For example, in order to qualify to perform a procedure in which I examine the colon using a flexible scope, I had to have specialized instruction and training. In the beginning, I was moving my hands and going through the steps as they had been explained to me, but I was not really understanding the big picture. My body would tense as I struggled to find the correct position, inadvertently forcing the scope to move against resistance. Of course, the feedback I received from my patients when they felt discomfort, was immediate. Because I am outside of the body, able to look inside only with a 2 dimensional screen, I needed to have a sense of what was happening as I moved the instrument in one direction or the other, almost through "feel". As I became more adept at the physical skills I needed to complete the exam, I found I did not have to think so hard about what my hands and my body were doing-it became automatic. The tension was gone.
And so, in every aspect of my life and now with riding, I must learn to find the focus and the emotional center that creates the calm and the relaxation, once I have the coordination and physical skills to ride . Then I can allow the automatic part of my brain, the muscle memory as it were, to take over. Whether I'm singing, scoping or riding, it will make for a much more balanced, harmonious experience for all concerned. And if I turn up the tunes while I ride I can SING AND RIDE! Wouldn't that be a joy!
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