Singers
From the beginning of vocal development, to the preparation of a tour or a role,
on stage or in the studio, your vocal development is my passion.
The voice is the only totally organic instrument
Apart from the musical aptitudes specific to any instrument (intonation, rhythm, solfeggio), it is necessary to acquire certain faculties or coordinations to use one’s voice well, both for speaking (conferences, speeches, leadership) and for singing (stamina, range, quality).
Questions about the different possibilities of individual consultations and prices?
Current research has made it possible to understand and develop approaches that are based on the anatomical reality of the individual.
These are called functional approaches as opposed to the so-called traditional approaches.
The difference is the adaptation of the method to the individual. The teacher must understand what is happening anatomically in the student’s body and create an individualised rebalancing, whereas traditional methods propose identical solutions for each person, drastically limiting their effectiveness, and frustrating those for whom these ready-made solutions do not correspond.
The functional approaches offer a restoration of the coordinations of the individual, who, if he is constant in his work, reaches his potential.
My method is based on the work of international specialists, to whom I express my respect and gratitude.
I have pooled the research of different functional currents. This has allowed me to realise that there are three types of coordination that are essential for the use of the voice.
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Breathing Coordination
The quality of breathing influences the quality of life and the performance potential of the body. Whether we are healthy or not, the way we breathe is a key component of our lives.
The amount and quality of air movement to the vocal cords when singing or speaking is a key determinant of their stability and the quality of their response to produce sound.
Carl Stough developed the principles of what he called “Breathing Coordination” by observing the breathing problems of people around him.
He established a way to recognise and then develop the simultaneous and optimal functioning of all the different muscles involved in breathing.
The aim of this work is to amplify and harmonise the movement of the diaphragm in order to restore the entire respiratory function.
This approach not only influences the functional state of the respiratory system, but also transforms the whole person, by changing the oxygen level in the body.
Carl Stough has treated, and healed beyond what was thought possible, lung disease patients in the largest US military hospitals. He accompanied the US Olympic team in their preparation for the Olympic Games in Mexico.
He has been a guide to breathing and support techniques for musicians and singers from all walks of life, including several soloists from the Metropolitan Opera, New York.
This work is aimed at singers, speakers, sportsmen,… and people with chronic respiratory problems.
This approach often leads to a degree of fullness, endurance and comfort unknown until now. It also offers impressive possibilities of rehabilitation in case of vocal problems or trauma. (nodules, oedemas, bleeding, irritation of the capillaries).
Laryngopharyngeal coordination
The way in which the different parts of the larynx and the surrounding elements, such as the pharynx or the tongue, are used to produce sound plays a decisive role in the quality of sound production.
Several leading American voice teachers have studied the functional use of the larynx and its surrounding muscles. Their research shows how to develop the use of the voice from an anatomical, scientific point of view.
They have created simple tools to answer complex problems.
Overall, it is a question of the singer achieving a vocal production that protects the voice, with the idea of balancing the activity between the different articulating muscles. The main objectives are laryngeal stability and medial adduction of the vocal cords.
The aim is to eliminate all that is artificial in the sound, to free the student’s voice as it is, then to protect and strengthen it in terms of range, power and endurance.
The work consists of a discovery, evaluation and awareness of the laryngeal, pharyngeal, lingual, maxillary and cervical muscular habits.
This is followed by education in the proper use of the vocal organ and the development of a palette of colours adaptable to the musical styles studied.
The tools used are: different sounds and movements including consonant and vowel assemblies according to the needs of the voice in question, “transitional” sounds to counteract a habit that is harmful to the deactivation and fine motor exercises to counteract any excess tension.
I had the opportunity to train in the USA under several specialists. I thank Spencer Welch, David Jones and Lynn Martin for their influence and inspiration.
Neuro-emotional coordination
The emotional experience transmitted to the audience during the singing is crucial for both the singer and the audience. It allows the singer to modify the orders that his nerves transmit to his larynx, for better or worse depending on the skill of his gestures.
How can one use one’s brain and what triggers emotions, namely the symbolic representations perceived by the subject, in an optimal way?
How to use the elements of perception of the body (vision, hearing, proprioception, feeling) to learn to master this coordination?
How to feed the voice with this internal experience?
How to find the right balance between “being cold on stage” and “doing too much”?
This part of the work is based as much on the actors’ approach to the text (subtext, Stanislavski, etc.) as on current research into the use of the self and human potential (Anthony Robbins, Alexander technique, elements of research into cognitive and behavioural psychotherapy).
As I am not a therapist (at all!), the aim is to ensure that the student has the best tools at his disposal to use his neuro-emotional system, while avoiding evoking the concrete components of the possible blockages present.
The very nature of this coordination makes it delicate to approach and requires care, measure and perseverance on the part of the student and the teacher.
The aim is the unique and authentic expression of the individual in full possession of his means.