Category: Anatomy

How To Sing Well In Chillier Weather

We all know how difficult it can be during the colder months in Canada – everything takes longer, and sometimes it’s so cold, it’s dangerous to be out in the elements for too long. This kind of weather has a direct impact on singers as well, so here are three tips to help you sing well during those cold winter months:

#1. Dress for Success:

Dressing for the weather just seems like common sense, but there are a few extra things you can do to help your voice out. Anytime your body shivers, you are creating tension, which directly impacts your sound. Make sure you’re wearing enough layers so that your body doesn’t need to shiver to create warmth. Protect your neck with a scarf, and try to cover your mouth and nose if it’s really cold outsie.

#2. Nourish Yourself:

It can be easy to forget to eat well, since we often turn to more comfortable food fare during the winter months. It’s especially important before a concert to ensure that you’re giving your body the best food and drink possible, so that you can be at your best. Hydration is especially important during winter months, since we often have to exert ourselves more, and the city is so dry in the winter. Make sure you’re drinking enough water!

#3. Warm-up Well:

It’s important to always warm-up before singing, but this becomes especially important during the winter months. Because of the dry air, and the cold air, our bodies produce more mucus, and dries our throat out. Give yourself an extra few minutes to warm up, and make sure to hydrate as you sing!

How else can you prepare yourself to sing well in chillier weather? Tell us in the comments below!

December 4, 2017
Math and Science In Music: Muscle Memory

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Music is such a wonderful pursuit for mind and body because it is not just an art form, but combines a myriad of other disciplines, including mathematics, biology, and physics. This series, Math and Science in Music will explore the many ways in which music incorporates a variety of these disciplines.

MUSCLE MEMORY

Our bodies are amazing at doing so many things. The physiological makeup of our bodies allows us to make music by playing instruments, or by using our voices. One of the most amazing aspects of these bodies is what is commonly referred to as ‘muscle memory’. This term can be a misnomer, because it does not actually mean that memories reside in your muscles.

Instead, our brain has the ability to develop what are known as ‘procedural memories’, an ability which is developed through repetition. By practicing something over and over again, our brain develops synaptic pathways that allow our bodies to perform these tasks without conscious thought.

For musicians, muscle memory can be a tremendous boon. Instrumentalists develop the ability to play scales and other technical aspects of music without conscious thought. Making the technical aspects of musicianship a ‘procedural memory’, allows musicians to focus on the artistic expression of their music. It is also what allows them to learn and remember massive amounts of musical data; so much so that a professional musician can sit down at a piano years later and still play a piece they haven’t performed for many years.

One caveat about muscle memory is that the synaptic pathways do not distinguish between good playing, and poor playing. If you repeatedly practice a scale or a piece incorrectly your brain with put those errors into your procedural memory, and it can be very difficult to ‘un-learn’ those mistakes.

What other effect does physiology have on music? Tell us in the comments below!

November 16, 2015
The Five Senses In Singing – Taste

Welcome to our series, The Five Senses In Singing! For the next five weeks, we will be examining how the five senses – sound, sight, smell, touch, and taste, are all related to singing!

Taste is a very important sense in singing. As singers, our instrument is an integral part of our bodies, which means that any food we put in our bodies can have a negative or a positive impact on how we sing.
One of the most important things singers need to consume is liquid; specifically, water. Although coffee, and soda might seem like hydrating fluids, they can contain caffeine, which, as a diuretic, is not helpful in hydrating your voice.
Sugary drinks like soda, and fruit juices are also not great for singers because they leave a sugary coating on the throat. Milk is definitely something singers should drink, if they can, but not right before a concert, as dairy products can also leave a coating on the throat.

In terms of food, the best kinds of food to eat are healthy ones! Anything with a high salt content will not be helpful before a performance, because the salt will dry out your throat. Leafy greens, and lean protein are the best things a singer can eat before a concert!

Why else might taste be an important sense in singing? Tell us in the comments below!

December 9, 2013
The Five Senses In Singing – Smell

Welcome to our series, The Five Senses In Singing! For the next five weeks, we will be examining how the five senses – sound, sight, smell, taste, and touch, are all related to singing!

The human ability to smell is the hardest sense to relate to the area of singing, because olfactory perception is not actually directly linked to singing. The nasal cavity however, is an essential aspect of the singing process, and one that is often discounted.

Singers need to have a keen awareness of the physiological processes that are involved in singing, including the vocal folds, the tongue, and the palates, but an understanding of the nasal cavity, and its involvement in singing is fundamental to the production of good sound. This blog post is only intended to provide a brief, and simplified outline of one of the anatomical processes involved in singing, focusing specifically on the nasal cavity.

In classical singing, the nasal cavity is considered an important resonance chamber, along with the oral cavities, and sinus cavities. The nasal cavity allows sound to resonate in order to amplify the sound a singer produces. In order to achieve the greatest resonance with the nasal cavity, the soft palate must be lifted, and widened in order to facilitate resonance with the oral pharynx.

For those interested in further exploration of the anatomy of singing, researchers at the University of Toronto created a great resource called Anatomia, which can be used to explore the anatomy of the head and neck in great detail.

* There is a great deal of misinformation available about the anatomy of singing. Singers should be discerning when choosing resources about singing, and the anatomy of singing.

Can you think of other reasons why smell, or the nasal cavity might be important in singing? Tell us in the comments below!

November 25, 2013