Wednesday, 18 November 2015

Musical Theatre: "Group presentation- the healthy voice"





                                                    Task 1 : Research stage 1
                                                    Task 2 : Research Stage 2


Our assignment for this week is to be able to articulate and demonstrate a knowledge of the principles of voice production and vocal health in an engaging, inventive, creative, and pleasing way. We(students) should take into account our audience and structure our presentation to keep the attention of the audience. Group dynamics must also be addressed as the assignment is designed to be a collaborative effort by a group as a whole, and not a conglomeration of each its parts.

The deadline for this assignment is 19th November 2015.

P1- Describe principals of voice production and their association with vocal technique in performance:

1.) Breathing
2.) Larynx
3.) Vocal chords
4.) The tongue and teeth


M1- Explain the principles of voice production and their association with vocal technique in performance:

Breathing

  • We all have the same instrument which is called the voice mechanism. Creating or producing sound from the voice starts with inhaling air into the lungs. The effect of exhaling air causes the vocal chords to vibrate which creates sound. Trained singers, voice over artists, actors, auctioneers and others have learned how to maximize the use of breathing through years of training and practicing their craft. Professionals dependent upon voice for their vocation generally practice breathing techniques that involve breathing from the diaphragm.

Larynx

  • The human voice is made up several parts. The larynx also, called the voice box, houses the vocal chords, which are located in the respiratory tract where air passes from the lungs and when it strikes the vocal chords sound is produced. The larynx is a two-inch-long narrow organ located between the trachea and the pharynx. The larynx is an essential part of how we talk, sing and produce sound in general. The larynx is also used when breathing or swallowing and its outer cartilage forms the "Adams Apple" on the front side of the neck.

Vocal Chords

  • The voice would be nothing without the all important vocal chords. The vocal chords consist of two strings of muscle that form a V-shape inside the larynx in the respiratory tract. Speaking causes the vocal chords to clench together but then air from the lungs forces its way between the two vocal chords. The air causes the vocal chords to vibrate which, in turn, creates sound.

The Tongue and Teeth

  • Talking and singing would be much more difficult a task if not for the tongue and teeth. The teeth and tongue work together to form words after the vocal chords produce sound. We have all heard the tongue is a muscle but it's actually made up of several groups of muscles. The front of the tongue is flexible and works closely with the teeth in forming some words. Muscles located on the back of your tongue help make letter sounds like "k" and "g."

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/info_8114873_principles-voice-production.html





*I am also posting a video about "Voice Production"













D1-Analyse the principles of voice production and their association with vocal technique in performance:

Without larynx, vocal chords ,breathing ,tongue and teeth we could not produce voice. Breathing is preparing us to produce sound, during exhaling the air is creating vibrations in our vocal chords. It is important to practice breathing technique to involve breathing from the diaphragm.

Then, the larynx is an essential part of why we talk sing and produce voice. It is also part of our breathing and swallowing mechanism as it is part of the construction of the Adam's Apple. It is part of the respiratory system when air travels between the mouth and the lungs.

Also, the vocal chords are inside the Larynx and are made out of 2 strings that during air circulation  produce our voice/ sound through the movement of the two vocal chords.

The last important aspect of voice production is tongue and teeth, the tongue is responsible for creating words and letters from the sound that is produced by the vocal chords. The front of the tongue is more flexible which is mainly responsible for creating of words whereas the beginning of the tongue allows us to form sound and letter like 'g' and 'k' as I have mentioned above.

P2- describe how to maintain a healthy voice:



1.            Drink plenty of water. Moisture is good for your voice. ...

2.            Try not to scream or yell. ...

3.            Warm up your voice before heavy use. ...

4.            Don't smoke. ...

5.            Use good breath support. ...

6.            Use a microphone. ...

7.            Listen to your voice...

8.            Be conscious of you diet...
9.            Keep air around you humid...
10.          Don't stretch your voice boundaries...
11.          Rest your voice...
12.          Seek professional help for any concerns with your voice...
        
 M2 Explain how to maintain a healthy voice:

·         Drink plenty of water. Moisture is good for your voice. Hydration helps to keep thin secretions flowing to lubricate your vocal cords. Drink plenty (up to eight 8-ounce glasses is a good minimum target) of non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic beverages throughout the day.
·         Try not to scream or yell. These are abusive practices for your voice, and put great strain on the lining of your vocal cords.
·         Warm up your voice before heavy use. Most people know that singers warm up their voices before a performance, yet many dont realize the need to warm up the speaking voice before heavy use, such as teaching a class, preaching, or giving a speech. Warm-ups can be simple, such as gently gliding from low to high tones on different vowel sounds, doing lip trills (like the motorboat sound that kids make), or tongue trills.
·         Dont smoke. In addition to being a potent risk factor for laryngeal (voice box) cancer, smoking also causes inflammation and polyps of the vocal cords that can make the voice very husky, hoarse, and weak.
·         Use good breath support. Breath flow is the power for voice. Take time to fill your lungs before starting to talk, and dont wait until you are almost out of air before taking another breath to power your voice.
·         Use a microphone. When giving a speech or presentation, consider using a microphone to lessen the strain on your voice.
·         Listen to your voice. When your voice is complaining to you, listen to it. Know that you need to modify and decrease your voice use if you become hoarse in order to allow your vocal cords to recover.
·        Be conscious of your diet – avoid spicy or acidic foods that may give you acid reflux, heartburn or an upset stomach. These can lead to damage to your vocal folds.
·        Consider using a humidifier at home if the air in your home is especially dry as it provides added moisture to the air you breathe.
·         If you’re experiencing differences or changes in your voice (because of puberty, overuse or injury), don’t overcompensate or try to imitate a “normal” sounding voice. You will likely do more damage than good.
·      Minimize throat clearing; it can cause injury by harshly banging the vocal folds together.
·         If you do have a sore or scratchy throat, try resting your voice or seeking medical attention if it does not resolve within a few days.
·        Seek professional help if you have concerns. Voice specialists and pathologists are available to work through issues with you one-to-one therapy sessions.

*I am also posting a video about  'How to Keep Your Singing Voice Healthy - How to Improve the Quality of Your Voice'.






                      http://majoringinmusic.com/five-tips-to-keep-your-voice-healthy/
                      http://your-personal-singing-guide.com/voice-care.html
                      http://www.singingforaliving.com/articles/pro-secrets/



D2-Analyse how to maintain a healthy voice:

      During the whole research activity i have discovered of keeping a healthy voice that are crucial. The first method is to drink water; try to avoid any alcohols, fizzy drinks and smoking as they will damage your vocal chords. Also, conserving your voice is very important, try not to scream and shout too much as it will strain and damage your vocal chords. It is also important to rest your voice regularly in order to prevent any overuse of your throat, which may result in pains. In addition it is very important to have a good warm up of your voice before singing. This is because without a warm up you are not able to produce sounds that you would like. This is cause by the fact that our muscles are responsible for singing and if they are not well prepared for singing then the effect will not be there. This can be dangerous as it can damage your vocal chords. Furthermore, an important aspect of singing is using a microphone during performance because the voice will not be as strained, as well as the microphone creates a stronger voice. Maintaining a good diet is a key aspect of keeping a healthy voice, it is important not to eat spicy food as it can damage the vocal folds. Another important aspect is listening and analysing your voice because then you can hear and feel our voice and find out what it is that we can improve on in our singing. The best method for this is to record your singing and play it back to yourself in order to analyse your strengths and weaknesses. The last and very important thing is carrying out regular vocal chords check ups, you should not underestimate the importance of getting a regular check ups of your vocal chords with an expert.

1 comment:

  1. Well done. Could you please separate the labels for me. (i.e. make the current label: @HealthyVoice, two labels: @HealthyVoice1 and @HealthyVoice2.

    ReplyDelete