Hatfield - McCoy Ch. 3

 In terms of singing, the breath is our power and the lungs store air. Posture is incredibly important to singing and it isn't always what we think it should be. The diaphragm and lungs function as a vacuum to bring in air. While many teachers tell students to breathe from the diaphragm and feel their belly, that is actually just everything else being pushed out by the diaphragm, as the diaphragm is not something we can feel. While the diaphragm muscle is voluntary, it is not something that most people control. Additionally, it will do its job without someone controlling it. The diaphragm itself does not push air out during exhalation. One of the goals in singing is to delay the contraction of the intercostal muscles.

When singing, the glottis is a type of valve for the air we are controlling. Breath support is not just what happens with air, but also how it interacts with the voice. Appoggio breathing is considered the best form of breathing for singers, which combines the thorax and belly breathing.

I was interested in the differences between genders in singing. Some of the first experience I had with voice lesson was with a group where the teacher told us to focus on lower muscles as singers that were AFAB and told AMAB singers to focus higher. He always explained it as the muscles that we naturally had to be able to give birth being stronger. I think this is interesting. 

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