Open Up!

Posted on | April 10, 2008 | No Comments

On Tuesday I was lucky enough to sit in on a master-class given by the distinguished New York singing teacher Neil Semer. It was an inspiring class. Neil covered the New York Theatre audition process, and then worked with four students from the Queensland Conservatorium. He repeatedly asked the singers to sing more, and open up their throat. He commented that we don't always sing with an open mouth, but we always sing with an open throat. Keeping the throat open allows us to take an uninhibited inhalation and continue the flow of the sound through exhalation to exhalation. I must state that this was my understanding of the work he was doing, watching a master teacher at work and then interpreting it is not always accurate in terms of what the master teacher is attempting to achieve. 

 Do you close off your air passages when you sing? Does your voice feel small and tight, or large, wide and open? It was so wonderful to watch the uninhibited responses of the students who were completely open and willing to try try what Neil suggested and to listen to the results. 

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