The Secret of Performing with Vocal Power for Singers, Public Speakers and Actors.

Vocal Training Warrior: Vocal Training, Voice Lessons, Singers Voice Lessons, Speakers Vocal Training, Actors Vocal Training, Home Recording Studios, Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises, Clear Diction Exercises, Vocal Training Videos, Vocal Training E-books.

Many Singers, Public Speakers and Actors are constantly seeking new strategies of how they can improve their voice. If you browse the internet to search for answers, you will find many opinions. But, some subjects about achieving powerful vocal performance are not debatable. They are the systems in the body that must perform as a team to produce powerful sound. They are the Abdominal Mucles, the Larnyx or Voice Box and the Throat and Head which I call The Amplifier. The strategies of "how" to operate these systems are many but the basic systems function as they do without our consent. Let's learn important information about these basic body systems.

May I introduce the Vocal Power Team!

The Vocal Power Team - The key to becoming a powerful and understood singer, public speaker or actor.

1) The Abdominal Muscles
2) The larynx
3) The Amplifier

"When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world." George Washington Carver (1864-1943)

I am someone who has always believed in teamwork. When I directed my 75 member choral group, the Capistrano Chorale, we were all dependent on one another to practice and perform to our individual potential. When we all did, the performances were exceptional and when we all didn’t the performances suffered.

We have the same scenario in our body. We have three separate body systems that must operate at their individual potential and coordinate as a team in order for our singing or speaking to be powerful. The following material consists of excerpts from my popular book Singing and Speaking on the Edge of a Grunt. This material is simply an explanation of their basic functions. The answers to how to coordinate them to produce powerful vocal sounds are explained in the book. I hope you learn something special from this material. The body is truly an incredible machine!

1) The Abdominal Muscles

The Abdominal Muscles are located between the ribs and the pelvis on the front portion of the body. There are five muscle groups that combine to completely cover the internal organs. Further, they support the trunk, allow movement, and hold organs in place by regulating internal abdominal pressure.

The five main abdominal muscles groups are:

> Transversus Abdominus - The deepest muscle layer, its main role are to stabilize the trunk and maintain internal abdominal pressure.

> Rectus Abdominus - It exists between the ribs and the pubic bone at the front of the pelvis. This muscle group is commonly called “The Six Pack”. The main function of the rectus abdominus is to move the body between the ribcage and the pelvis.

> External Oblique Muscles - They exist on each side of the rectus abdominus. The external oblique muscles allow the trunk to twist to the left or right.

> Internal Oblique Muscles – These flank the rectus abdominus, and are located just inside the hipbones. They operate in the opposite way to the external oblique muscles. For example, twisting the trunk to the left requires the left hand side internal oblique and the right hand side external oblique to contract together.

The abdominals are an extremely important part of the breathing process, especially during exhale. They assist in forcing air out of the lungs by depressing the thorax. Then, our fifth muscle group begins its very important job. The fifth and arguably most important muscle for our discussion is the Diaphragm.

> Diaphragm - In the anatomy of Mammals, (Yes, we are one of those!) the diaphragm is a shelf of muscle extending across the bottom of the ribcage. The diaphragm separates the thoracic cavity (with lung and heart) from the abdominal cavity (with liver, stomach, intestines, etc.). In its relaxed state, the diaphragm is shaped like a dome or parachute.

2) The larynx






I must first say that I consider the Larynx to be one of the greatest miracles and gifts that mankind has ever been given.

Take a moment and consider life without a larynx. If you could not sing, speak or laugh I think you would agree that your life would change in a major way. We have actually been born with a free instrument. It is better than any instrument created by man because it can not only create pitch, but it can communicate words. No other instrument can do that. With many people, though, they shy away from singing because many students, in my experience, think they sound poor. This is often because, as in my case, somebody close to them laughed at them when they sang and maybe inferred that they had no talent. Unfortunately, with the voice, many people fail to understand that, like any instrument, it must also be trained to reach its potential.

Of course, there exist many people who sound wonderful without any training. The mistake many of these people make is that they will achieve exceptional voices if they submit themselves to effective training. This is because their basic voice is so far advanced without training. Often times I have seen these gifted vocalists conclude they have a natural talent and have a perfect voice that does not require training. Another problem these people with natural voices have, common to everyone, is the lack of knowledge of how to achieve effective breath control. The truth that I have found is that humans do not breathe correctly under normal conditions. All of us must learn this basic and vital ability.

In a comparable example with the steps required to learn another common musical instrument, if you were learning the guitar, you would not expect to immediately be able to play it once you purchased your instrument. That would be ridiculous! Anyone would expect that they must take some kind of lessons. One reason that our approach to training the voice may be different is

that our instrument already works. Since we have used it to communicate, starting with our first scream, we have already developed some level of vocalization and pitch. The important thing to understand is that your basic level of development will be different from everybody else. You must accept your current ability and move forward with confidence and dedication to create a voice that represents your individual potential.


3) The Amplifier

The what? Do I need my electric guitar? No. Actually, an acoustic guitar would be a better analogy. All kidding aside, without the resonating cavities of the neck and head, our little voice box would probably sound like a munchkin from the Wizard of Oz.

Have you ever heard an electric guitar played without an amplifier? No much to hear, is there? But, plug it into a couple of high-end Marshall Amplifier stacks and run it through some crazy effects and you will hear it for a long distance. Here is how this same principle works within our body.

As we have discussed, the vocal cords are two bands of mucous membrane tissue located in the larynx. The larynx is located in the neck at the top of the trachea or windpipe. Vocal cords produce sound by vibrating together as the air passes through them from the lungs, supported by the abdominal muscles. After leaving the larynx, the vibrations travel through the resonating cavities (amplifiers) of the neck and head. When they reach there, the sound is further amplified by resonating (bouncing) against the hard boney surfaces that enclose those cavities, especially the teeth.

This amplified vibration is eventually projected, as a complex sound, beyond the body via the open mouth. Before exiting, the sound is often enhanced by the addition of words. This is accomplished mainly with the tongue, teeth and lips. The result is called diction. We will discuss diction in depth in chapter five. At the end of the process, the resulting outside of body sound is the sound of the individual’s voice. The individual’s voice quality is also partially dependent on the thickness and length of the vocal chords. Further, the shape, thickness, and density of the bones and cartilages, and the size and shape of the empty spaces in the resonating cavities are of prime importance when determining our voice.

I hope this information was helpful.

Thanks for Reading! Visit my web site for more info. http://www.vocaltrainingwarrior.com/ebooks

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Blessings,

Jonathan Morgan Jenkins

Vocal Training. Singers, Public Speakers, Actors and All People must Communicate Clear Diction

Vocal Training Warrior: Vocal Training, Voice Lessons, Singers Voice Lessons, Speakers Vocal Training, Actors Vocal Training, Home Recording Studios, Quality Microphones, Podcasting, Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises, Clear Diction Exercises, Vocal Training Videos, Vocal Training E-books.

I propose a New Years resolution that will definitely change your life. I want you to learn to sing and speak with powerful and clear diction. Read on to accept the challenge!

Proper Diction is one of those subjects that is often misunderstood or ignored completely due to complete ignorance or cultural aversion. Yet, the mastery of performing powerful and clear diction is critical to how you present yourself as a competent citizen and educated professional in a highly competitive world.

The truth is, you can drive the greatest car, live in the biggest house or wear the finest clothes, but if you mumble your words and think talking in “cultural slang” is “to cool to get real and change” then your first impression with people will always be less than you probably wanted.

It is like a person with bad breath, dirty nails, soiled and wrinkled clothes or body odor. People will always remember these things about you and not the “flashy lifestyle.” Your presentation is very important and exercising proper diction should be high on your list of personal development goals.

One of the challenges in America is that, because we are such a melting pot of cultures, the overall “American Diction” has become very sloppy. Isn’t it true that you wish you had a dollar for every time you had to ask somebody, “Can you please repeat that?”

Let’s read the “official” definition of Diction.

Diction
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Diction, in its original, primary meaning, refers to the writer's or the speaker's distinctive vocabulary choices and style of expression. A secondary, common meaning of "diction" is better, and more precisely, expressed with the word enunciation — the art of speaking clearly so that each word is clearly heard and understood to its fullest complexity and extremity. This secondary sense concerns pronunciation and tone, rather than word choice and style.
Diction is divided into two types: Denotation is the literal meaning of a word. Connotation is the attitudes and feelings associated with a word.
Diction has multiple concerns; register — words being either formal or informal in social context — is foremost. Literary diction analysis reveals how a passage establishes tone and characterization, e.g. a preponderance of verbs relating physical movement suggests an active character, while a preponderance of verbs relating states of mind portrays an introspective character. Diction also has an impact upon word choice and syntax.
Diction is comprised of eight elements: Phoneme, Syllable, Conjunction, Connective, Noun, Verb, Inflection, and Utterance.

Don’t you hate some of these “High Brow” definitions?

Now it is time to discuss some solutions to our “Diction Dilemma”. First, let me remind you of something very familiar to you. The English Language when it is actually spoken by the English. That’s right, our former landlords across the Atlantic Ocean. Most people like to hear the English speak. Their diction, for the most part, is very clear. Proper diction is a part of their culture. I like to watch news reports from England. You will see somebody, for example, that looks like they came from India (there is certainly a strong accent in this culture). But, when they open their mouth and start speaking, they speak very clear English, the accent and all! This fact demonstrates great hope for anybody who wants to clean up his or her diction. If someone from India can completely change how he or she talks then anybody can.

There are many aspects of diction that can be discussed that need improvement. I thoroughly discuss these in the chapter on Diction in my e-book, Singing and Speaking on the Edge of a Grunt. I will attempt to simplify one of the obvious ones: Improper use or complete lack of Consonance.

The Consonances that get neglected the most are the ones at the ends of words. For instance, we may not pronounce the D in Made, the T in Flat, the K in Park or the CH in Latch. Go ahead and test yourself. Find something to read and read it out loud. You are probably like most people and you do not make the effort to pronounce these consonances. When you do not, your speech is sloppy and run together. We are so much in a hurry these days to get from one end of the sentence to the other, we forget about what we are saying. Then, we get irritated when someone requests that we repeat ourselves. Somehow it is their fault and not ours. Am I hitting any nerves? Good!

One important reason why Consonances are so important is simple physics. Lets take a Consonant like T. It does not matter if it is at the beginning of a sentence or at the end, the performance is the same as is its importance. Perform the Consonance T. You will notice that the tip of your tongue touches the back of your top teeth and, after you build up some air pressure, you let it all go and hence we have a T. The important aspect of this is that it is what I call an “explosive Consonance”. When the air pressure is released, the “explosion” moves a lot of air molecules a longer distance than if we just said the vowel “aw”. This being the case, the T will travel farther in the air. Therefore, it will be heard at a greater distance and your diction will be more powerful. If you are an actor on a stage all by yourself performing a monologue, the back row will be able to understand what you are saying more clearly. And if that is true then those closer to you will definitely understand you. This is always the result that clear diction will provide.

In private practice, one way I coach vocal students to accomplish this is to “get in character.” Simply pretend that whomever you are speaking to, act like they are all hard of hearing and your message is very important. When you do this, you will find yourself moving your lips, face and jaw to try to make your diction also clear by the actions of your body. I would say most of us have tried to speak to someone very hard of hearing or had to communicate across a distance with our facial expressions when we had to be quiet. This exercise will bring your body diction to its optimum potential. Add the clear Consonance to the mix and your will become a clear communicator every time.

To conclude, practice reading your Lyrics, Speech or Monologue slowly and with clear and articulate diction. Take your time. The goal should always be not WHEN we get to the end of a sentence, but HOW we get there.

I hope you enjoyed the article on Diction.

I also hope that you will click on the links below for a FREE Diction Video Lesson, FREE preview of my Ebook and a FREE Holiday Newsletter.

Goodbye for now!

Jonathan Morgan Jenkins/Vocal Warrior

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Vocal Training. Karaoke Singers, Public Speakers and Actors need the same Vocal Training.

Welcome back for more important information on Vocal Training, Breathing Exercises, Clear Diction Exercises and Vocal Coaching.

Attention ALL Vocalists!

The important word here is ALL. All refers to Singers of all ages and styles, Public Speakers who have a membership with Toastmasters Inc or specialize in Speaking at Corporate Seminars, Actors who need to project their Voice with Power and Clear Diction and Athletes who need to improve their Oxygen Intake for Optimum Physical Performance.

My experience with Professional, especially institutional, Vocal Training through the years is that the private instruction and lesson material is often taught in a very "Sterile" manner with little personality. Or it is taught by many people with no formal education that consider themselves Professional Vocal Teachers just because they have sung for a few years.

Anybody who has attended most University Music Programs knows that there has always existed a separation between the "High Brow Professor Crowd" and the "Amateur, Pop Music Crowd." I have experience in both fields. I grew up with parents that had a music store that catered to pop music and they also promoted rock concerts. I played hard rock in many bands.



Then, I challenged myself and got a formal degree with Music Teaching Credentials. I understand both sides of the "Vocal Music Educational Experience." Due to this real life education on both sides of the fence, I am able to teach effectively to both sides. Further, my vision is not limited to just singers. I want to teach ALL PEOPLE how to operate their voice in a powerful, controlled and effective manner.

Further, one of the greatest oversights in the Vocal Training Books, in my opinion, is that they are not marketing to "all vocalists" in one book. The techniques I teach daily and have compiled in my revolutionary e-book, “Singing and Speaking on the Edge of Grunt,”
(http://www.vocaltrainingwarrior.com/ebooks) for Singers are the same ones I use for Public Speakers, Actors and even Athletes. My book can be on all three shelves and be one book.

Try this experiment. The next time you travel to a large bookstore, locate these three sections. Vocal training for Singers, for Training for Public Speakers and Training for Actors. You will find a fair amount of books on Voice Training in the Singers section. In the other sections, look through the books. You will find only a very small mention of the subject or none at all.

This is incredible!

The fact is that the same comprehensive techniques to achieve Voice Power, Endurance and Clear Diction are needed for all three disciplines. They are forever joined, and not separate.

My book was written to teach Singers, Public Speakers, Actors and People who talk, beginners and pros, the proper way to sing and speak. My successful techniques are in harmony with the basic functions of the human body. From my College Music Education Experience, my over 25 years of teaching private voice to Singers and Speakers, the 10 years that I directed a large Choir and the numerous vocal competitions I have judged, I have been amazed at the absolute lack of basic vocal training that I have seen.

http://www.vocaltrainingwarrior.com/about_me

I wrote this book to offer a manual to my own students and now I want to share my proven techniques to as many people as possible.

All my clients fully understand all the physical components of the human vocal instrument. Then they learn HOW to use them with power and confidence. Another example is my work with Athletes. My breathing techniques have helped many athletes to increase their stamina and overall abilities. Breathing correctly is important for everyone.

Readers of my e-book will further benefit from the following:

1) They will learn how to breathe correctly. This will be important even if they are not singers or speakers but just need to talk better.

2) They will be introduced to a thorough study of the three major body systems used to produce sound.
a) The Abdominal Muscles
b) The Larynx (vocal chords)
c) The resonating chambers of the neck and head

3) After a thorough understanding of basic function, they will learn how to coordinate these systems to produce powerful, clear and controlled sound.

4) They will learn the intricate aspects of proper diction and how to use the natural physical tools within their head to produce clear and powerful communication.

5) They will learn the secrets to proper interpretation during any type of vocal performance.

6) Ultimately, they will become confident and independent vocalists, able to teach others.

I can’t stress the absolute importance of the proper understanding of how your voice operates. Even if all you do is talk.

My revolutionary e-book is on sale for only 27.00. Clients pay me as much as 2,400.00 a year to get this information. Now that’s a discount! Buy it now and change your voice and your life!

Let me know how you are doing. Jonathanjenkins@vocalwarrior.com

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See you next time.

Jonathan Morgan Jenkins
http://www.vocaltrainingwarrior.com