In 2018, I led singers who belong to Virtually Vocalise on a light-hearted journey through the alphabet, relating each letter to an aspect of vocal technique. When I originally put the A-Z together in 2013 it was more of a personal teaching challenge, a bit of a brain-teaser, a test of my knowledge and wit. Here, I talked about letter ‘F’....

This new infographic shares a beautiful synergy with last week’s blog post, ‘E’xpiration and before that ‘D’iaphragm - and I can divulge that its accompanying teaching video (for VV members) will provide a harmonious segue into what’s coming NEXT week as we consider letter ‘G’. Hold that thought.

Right now, for letter ‘F’ we, as singers, are thinking about freeing the neck. And by releasing the jaw, lengthening the spine etc., we are also considering some of the principles of Alexander Technique logic. 

One snippet that continues to hold my affection, is this lovely, simple recipe from Mark Josefsbergabout the logic of Alexander Technique, what he calls Alexander Technique Directions.

So pertinent for singing. And - for Life too. 

I wish to free my neck … so that

My head can move forward and up…so that

My torso can lengthen and widen and…

My legs can move away from my torso and…

My shoulders can release out the sides.

Alexander Technique postural directions act as verbal, or neuro-linguistc cues. They tell us where we want to go, which is often upward, outward, into expansion. Up, down, and out. Head up, feet or sit bones down, shoulders out, legs away…

So few words that mean so MUCH in singing-technique-speak. We have to free our bodies enough, to enable the right muscles to work in the right way, to know intrinsically which ones they are and to resist employing the wrong ones, often in total contradiction of what we think we need to do.  We have to get out of our own way.

It’s a paradox. But, consider this nugget from a singer’s event I ran in Dorset, UK in 2013. ‘F’lippin’ says it all.