Dombroski-McCoy-Ch. 3

 Reading about the spine in particular made me think about how breathing and posture are affected. I had a friend that had scoliosis, and she found it helpful to lay on her back on the ground to sing because it gave her support. I personally like singing with my back against the wall, like McCoy suggests. I'm sure there are more ways and methods for different people, but I think it is important to remember that we must keep the spine elongated so we have space to breathe. 

I discovered one of the things I'm trying to fix right now is how I'm breathing, particularly in the release. McCoy says we must release the tension in our abdominals before we inhale. Especially after a long time, my abdominals seem to lock up and it's hard for me to get a good breath to set up the next phrase. Seeing the diagram of the lungs and muscles helps me understand what exactly is going on. 

The three types of breathing are also helpful to remember. I think most students start by clavicular breathing, so it is important for us as voice teachers to be able to recognize that and then be able to help them breathe more efficiently. McCoy gave a few ideas on how to recognize it, and I would love to learn even more ways on how to breathe correctly. 

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