Arthur Unplugged

The Grammy’s and Artistic Transcendence

16th February 2012 | 10:56 pm

What does it truly take to be a transcendent singer/artist for the ages?

In pop, jazz – Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Billy Holiday, Edith Piaf, Frank Sinatra; classical – Jussi Bjoerling, Joan Sutherland; in blues, folk – “Leadbelly,” Pete Seeger; in country Hank Williams, Patsy Cline – clearly I’m not even scratching the surface… But from Sunday’s Grammy Awards ceremony, who if any of these singers will we be listening to generations from now and why? Will it be Jennifer Hudson, Adele or Bonnie Raitt, Michael Buble, Josh Groban?

Vocal Awareness is always teaching “it’s not merely the ‘what’ of our expression but the ‘how.’”

Singing is the most intimate art form. It is the only artistic expression that comes fully from within. We can’t see you do it; we only hear and feel you do it. Whether you are a singer or a speaker, strive to BE who you are, never “present.”

Claim your originality. Know your Voice. Embody it! Voice is Power. Own it!

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Vocal Awareness is a Game Changer.

9th February 2012 | 8:18 am

During the Super Bowl pre-game show the singers, husband/wife team Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton singing “America the Beautiful” and Kelley Clarkson singing “the National Anthem” all clearly felt the truth of what they were singing and did a good job conveying it.

During half-time Madonna, even though seemingly lip-syncing was a compelling performer bringing extraordinary energy and style to the show. I truly wish they were my students as Vocal Awareness would help them sing even better. Adding more Edge and Arc, i.e. resonance and presence would create an immediate visceral impact and greater vocal health. Clearly they are already talented and successful. But in Vocal Awareness we learn not to settle for what is, but rather to discover and achieve what is truly possible. Even the simple act of breathing in Vocal Awareness becomes a “profound game changer, ” just like the 4th quarter sideline pass and catch from Eli Manning to Mario Manningham was a game changer.

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Oneness

21st January 2012 | 3:06 am

“A person experiences life as something separated from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. Our task must be to free ourselves from this self-imposed prison, and through compassion, to find the reality of Oneness.” ~ Albert Einstein.

I share this insightful observation with you because Vocal Awareness also embodies the concept of Oneness in everything we do and all of who we are. From the quality of a Loving Breath, to a visual connection of the line of our spoken language to embodiment of the presence of who we are at all times as we claim our Identity in our Persona Statement.

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Václav Havel Passing

23rd December 2011 | 7:25 am

Over the weekend, the world lost a great artist/world leader/humanitarian – the former President of the Czech Republic, leader of the Velvet Revolution and a renowned playwright – Václav Havel. One of his noted statements was expressed in a 1997 book he wrote when he said, “None of us – as an individual – can save the world as a whole, but…each of us must behave as though it were in his power to do so.”

To borrow from American Philosopher William James, Vocal Awareness teaches that ‘the great use of a life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.’ We ARE here to make a difference. The sum of our life is not contained solely in the action of simply dropping a pebble in a pond. It is rather, as I often say, that when we do drop that pebble in the pond, it sends reverberations out across the surface touching everything it comes in contact with. Those ripples and waves touch us ALL in ways sometimes unimaginable. We ALL matter! We ALL have an opportunity and a responsibility to contribute no matter how small or how great the contribution.

As we close out this year, let us commit as this great man did to do whatever it takes to be our very best. And just as that pebble in the water, we simply don’t sink to the bottom – our energy touches everything it comes in contact with and can make a difference. Start dropping your pebbles today, let us ALL make some waves.

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Sword Swallowing

11th December 2011 | 2:35 pm

In Vocal Awareness we talk about the need to Allow a Slow, Silent, Loving Breath and also about Loving and Letting Go. These are two rituals which open us up to trust our mind/body/spirit. This is particularly relevant when confronted with throat tension as our throat is where we hold so much tension and fear.  I recently read a New York Times quote from a sword swallower that parallels the difficulty speakers sometimes have with opening up on the multiple levels Vocal Awareness requires.

There are approximately 100 practicing sword swallowers throughout the world. As with Vocal Awareness, sword swallowing as an art involves extensive psychological and physical preparation. There are no tricks, gimmicks or shortcuts. Throat tension can be a real issue that must be addressed. David Darwin is a sword swallower in Philadelphia and he shares how a mantra and daily preparation can seemingly suddenly create results:

“It’s really unpleasant. Your body does not want to do this. It triggers a reflex, ‘Let’s get this foreign object out of my throat right now!’ For months and months, you tell your body, ‘It’s O.K. We’re going to do this.’ And one day, your body listens and your throat opens up and the sword drops down.”

In Vocal Awareness we are always reinforcing the connection between mind/body/spirit. Fear is held as tension in the throat, larynx, tongue and jaw. Vocal Awareness helps us to “open the throat” and remove this fear.  The tongue alone is the strongest muscle in the body per diameter.  And it’s connected indirectly to the larynx.  When we Allow a Slow, Silent, Loving Breath we are able to release the tension that has been blocking and preventing us from expressing ourselves fully.

Vocal Awareness is by no means as physically dangerous as the practice of sword swallowing but it can be as daring.  Like the sword swallower we want to begin a daily mantra to tell ourselves over and over that we welcome opening; we welcome sharing ourselves with the world. We don’t need to shut down, hold our breath or tighten our tongues and jaws. We don’t need throat tension. Instead we dare to Love and Let Go. We dare to give ours Selves permission to BE who we truly are.

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