Karin- McCoy- Ch 3

 I had to take extensive notes on this chapter. While reading, all the different yet similar names of all the muscles and organs that connect and influence each other to create a functioning respiratory system, I will admit the words seemed to blur together. The main things that were surprising or shocking to me was how little the diaphragm moves during restful breathing, and that the diaphragm cannot be felt on its own, but rather by the other muscles and organs that it is influencing. This makes belly breathing and the noticeable difference in types of breath make sense. I was always taught by both my private instructor in high school, and my choir teacher that the diaphragm is directly responsible for both inhalation and exhalation, but now I know that both inhalation and exhalation is an effort carried out by a plethora of different, interconnected muscles and obliques. 

I like the way the text describes the difference between breath support, and breath control. All those muscles and parts that work together to help us inhale and exhale, are responsible for our breath support, while our vocals folds and larynx work to serve as a valve to regulate our breath control. As the text says, "breath support enables the production of beautiful sounds, breath control allows those sounds to last to the end of long phrases." I will be using that quote in my future classroom and in vocal lessons. I also think it is important to understand that both the glottis and the respiratory system influence each other, not just one to the other. I agree when the text says that most people see singing as a one-way system, the air being sent to the vocal folds to produce sounds and sing. This creates a disconnect between breath support and breath control. I want to be able to articulate this concept to my future students without it getting too complicated and hard to understand. I would appreciate any thoughts on this. 

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