Hi guys!
For the mid-term you need to understand why vocal placement is important to acting work, specifically why is forward placement important?
Please comment by next Tuesday, Oct. 4, on anything else you found interesting / confusing in Rodenburg's chapter on "The Free & Place Voice."
Thx!
Joanna
I found the section about “looking” quite fascinating and pretty on the nose. No matter how much we realize or not “the voice is a mirror of ourselves,“ with many of our own habits basically on display for everyone. If someone is standing a certain position or posture it will affect their body and ultimately their breathing pattern. Simultaneously how we view ourselves will also affect how we use our voices. Whether we are feeling confident or just faking confidence, shy, silly, what have you; you can read a lot about a person from their voice if you actually take a moment to really look.
ReplyDeleteI especially would like to acknowledge the area of focus of "Listening" which is definitely 50% of the communication process, but is sometimes overlooked. Listening, I think, is the most important part of acting because it's what gives the actor the cues and motivation to express their lines.
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed the vocal excercises. What surprised me the most, was that with my cough the "ahhh" provocked not only a cough, but a much clear and more effective cough. After the excericises I am breathing much clearer and am much more relaxed. I too enjoyed the focus on listening, as with out it no true reaction can be made.
ReplyDeleteI was interested in how it seems that no matter how long one has been in training for their voice, they can still fall into phases of severe vocal stress and tension. In learning this, i realized that vocal techniques on training, protecting, and healing the voice are more objective than i had thought; as are the common causes of the initial pain or problem. Just like in any other sport (if you bend this much, you will jump this high-or-if you twist too early, you will strain a muscle) the voice has specific techniques on how it should be used, common causes of vocal problems, and certain cures and treatments for those issues. This helped me understand i am not the only one who struggles with vocal health, and gave me hope in a future of vocal freedom.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that voice placement was such a huge deal. Its amazing how much work goes into simply speaking; how you use your voice and where should it be placed. I also liked the looking part which we talked about at the beginning of the semester. You about how someone sounds or how you think they sound by looking at that person.
ReplyDeleteOf all the blockages we read about, I identified most with the Pull Back. I think it is interesting how in different situations my blockage of breath changes and increases. When I am uncomfortable I find myself pulling back and mumbling, blocking air. And as an actor, this is very dangerous and I found the placement activities actually helped me keep my placement forward the entire time. I liked being able to return to the hum to rediscover the placement.
ReplyDeleteI found the Opening the Throat with a Yawn exercises interesting. I didn't think a yawn could push the voice forward and prevent it from getting hurt. Usually laziness is associated with yawning but in this case the power that it provides is surprising.
ReplyDeleteI think that the vocal exercises really help me the most. I always try to control my voice because I have been taught to because of singing. Letting go of my breath and allowing my speech to flow freely really helps me to get in touch with my natural sounds and a more mature voice. The vocal exercises are just like stretching a muscle before you run. The voice will operate best when it has been properly warmed up.
ReplyDeleteVoice placement is something that I am comfortable with in my acting. The feel and sound of forward placement have never been things I've tried to notice, unless it was in a particular choral exercise or acting warm-up. I am a little confused on whether it is necessary to feel the buzz in your face and lips, or if it doesn't matter much if you're doing it correctly.
ReplyDeleteThe vocal exercises definitely helped my voice to feel more free and released. I feel like I always put lots of strain on it by pushing, devoicing, having glottal, pulling back, all that jazz. So the breathing exercises, tongue stretching, and chanting definitely helped to relax my voice moreso than usual. One of the things that confused me though, was the "recover" portion of some of the exercises. I'm not sure what recover is exactly. I assume it's a break the exercise in which you take in breath? Anyway, I had no idea how much the voice affected everything we do and how we're perceived so this read was very enlightening.
ReplyDeleteI've never realized that the facial muscles could hold so much tension. Especially the jaw and tongue. With jaw tension, obviously, your mouth cannot open as wide and that restricts your voice. Also, your moth cannot move accurately which restricts articulation. Your tongue stretches all the way down your throat so you know that is important. I like the tongue stretches we learn in class because I can really feel the release of tension.
ReplyDelete