Patience

We all want to be somewhere quickly, and singing is no different.

Lockdown in the UK has given those of us lucky enough to be able to work from home a chance for time to slow down a little, but we are all suffering from the need to have everything done already- so how quickly can you really master a technique?

Jerome Hines' book Great Singers on Great Singing is definitely worth a look. It's fascinating that so many world class opera singers have such different ideas about what their singing technique actually is.

Incredibly, 19 year old Pavarotti spent 6 months with his teacher Arrigo Pola just working on technique before he did anything else at all.. I imagine he learnt the value of patience very well, but only in retrospect!

How do you warm up? What exercises are you completing daily? Are you patient with yourself and your voice?

Singing during the lockdown

It's wonderful to get back to teaching to my students via zoom- and humbling in many ways.

One adult has recovered from Covid-19, although he was left short of breath for weeks. Younger students are free of the usual weighty rucksacks and more expert than their parents at setting up the tech, but lacking in energy and a bit lost. The next concert, the next exam grade, even the next rehearsal has disappeared.

Schools are setting a bit too much work in attempt to appear in control of the situation, parents and students are vying for computer time, Wifi, space and peace. Some families are in mourning, some have medical professionals in the family, some are just struggling to keep going. Singing take a back seat.

I can hardly contain my delight though, when I see the shoulders straighten, the eyes brighten and the voices waking up again to pick up where we left off- it reminds me why we all do it.

So if your own practice has taken a bit of a beating, just keep singing when you can, and don't worry if you haven't got the range or strength you did a few weeks ago.

Try breathing everything out, then allowing your breath to naturally refill your lungs, (also useful to destress!) yawning, and then vocalising on an "ooo" vowel to any pitch just to wake it up again.  It will come back.