Weekly Insight #19: Voice as a Divine Faculty

The voice is one of the highest faculties of being human—a divine gift that allows us to shape thought, share meaning, and connect with others. Through articulated speech, we shine a light on what matters most, giving form to our emotions, ideas, and intentions. 

When we learn to use our voices with clarity and purpose, we tap into something extraordinary. It’s not just about speaking or singing—it’s about unlocking the power to communicate with authenticity and connection. 

🎤 The Role of Technique: 
Developing your voice starts with technique. Breath, articulation, and resonance are not just skills to be mastered—they are tools in your toolbox. When practiced and made habitual, they become second nature, ready to support you in expressing yourself clearly and authentically. Technique provides the foundation for bringing your thoughts and emotions into focus, helping you articulate them with precision and power. 

Adding Connection to Technique

During the pandemic, I discovered new ways to guide students remotely toward this connection between technique and authentic expression. One session stands out in my mind. A young man, an accomplished cellist, was learning a tune about love. His technique was excellent—everything in its right place, with clear words and strong vocal delivery—but something was missing. 

I could sense that he wasn’t fully connecting with the meaning of the song. Realizing that this kind of work can feel vulnerable, I suggested he turn off his camera. I asked him, in the privacy of his home, to touch something that had personal meaning to him—something only he would know—and then sing the piece again. 

The shift was immediate and profound. Without the pressure of being seen, and with a physical connection to something meaningful, he unlocked the emotional depth of the song. The technique was still there, but now it was in service of the expression, and the result was deeply moving. 

This moment reminded me that technique alone is not enough. It’s the bridge to something greater—something that connects us to the emotions and intentions behind the words we sing or speak.

✨ Guiding Others to Their Own Wisdom: 
There’s a quote I once read that has stayed with me: “A teacher can help us touch the wisdom that’s already within us.” In my work as a performer and teacher, I’ve seen how powerful it is when people access their own voice. It’s not about imposing something external but about helping others discover what’s already there—the clarity, confidence, and connection that come from using their voice fully and intentionally. 

🔑 Shining a Light Through Voice: 
The voice, as a faculty of logos—the word, the reason, the light—has the power to transform. Whether in a conversation, a performance, or a moment of personal reflection, your voice becomes a beacon, illuminating not just your own path but the paths of others. 

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending a concert at the Dakota with one of my former students, a fine and expressive singer. The duo Rachael & Vilray showcased authentic and clear vocalism, drawing the audience into a moment of profound connection. Moments like these remind me of the transformative power of voice.

Key Takeaway: Technique is the means, but the voice is the light. When you cultivate your voice, you cultivate your ability to articulate, connect, and illuminate the world around you. 

#DevelopingYourAuthenticVoice #VocalHealth #Leadership #Authenticity #Teaching 

Engage with Me

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Have you tried using IPA symbols or specific vocal exercises in your practice? How do you approach improving your vocal clarity? Share your experiences, ask questions, or let me know what topics you’d like to see explored in future posts. 

And if you’d like to dive deeper into these techniques, I explore more practical exercises and insights throughout my book. It’s all about making the process of voice production practical, accessible, and tailored to your unique needs. 

Note: if you’re viewing this on a mobile device and don’t see the ‘Subscribe for Updates’ option, try switching to the web version of the blog. You can do this by scrolling to the bottom of the page and clicking ‘View web version.’ This will allow you to easily subscribe and stay updated with more insights like this.

Weekly Insight #18: From Breath to Vowels—A Foundational Warm-Up 🎶

In Weekly Insight #17, we introduced the Farinelli Exercise, using breath as the foundation for vocal clarity. This week, we add the next layer: engaging your articulators—your tongue, lips, jaw, and teeth—and exploring the pure vowels /i/, /e/, /a/, /o/, and /u/.

🔑 Why Does This Matter?
Developing emotional intelligence—like refining your voice—takes consistent, intentional effort. Both require clarity, connection, and authenticity:

• Clarity: Just as clear speech or singing begins with breath and vowel work, clear communication starts with self-awareness.
• Connection: Practicing vocal exercises helps you observe the subtle ways your body shapes sound, much like emotional intelligence helps you understand your reactions and emotions.
• Authenticity: Your voice reflects who you are. Exploring foundational warm-ups builds trust in your instrument, helping you align what you say with how you say it.

🎤 Vowels, Articulators, and Emotional Expression
The five pure vowels—/i/ (see), /e/ (chaos), /a/ (father), /o/ (oh), /u/ (food)—are the building blocks of vocal clarity. Mindfully exploring these vowels helps you:

1. Engage the Articulators: Observe how your tongue, jaw, and lips naturally adjust for each sound.
2. Connect to Breath: Sustain vowels smoothly, maintaining support from the breath.
3. Express with Intention: Understanding these foundations strengthens your emotional and vocal clarity, whether in speech, song, or leadership.

Demonstrating how to engage the articulators for clear vowel production. Small, intentional movements of the tongue, jaw, and lips shape the sound and resonance of each vowel.

✨ Emotional Intelligence in Action
Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote: “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” Vocal exercises, like the 12-minute warm-up, provide a creative and disciplined way to build this enthusiasm.

• Repeating a simple text or melody encourages self-awareness without judgment.
• Practicing diverse vocal styles fosters empathy by engaging different perspectives and emotions.
• Authenticity in vocal work aligns your voice with your core values, creating trust and clarity in communication.

📹 This Week’s Video: From Breath to Vowels
In this week’s recording, I’ll guide you through:

1. Revisiting the Farinelli Exercise to engage your breath.
2. Introducing a Pure Vowel Warm-Up to refine articulator movement and vowel clarity.
3. Demonstrating how breath and vowel work support authentic emotional expression.

🔗 Watch the video here

For those following along, this is the second step in our 12-minute foundational warm-up. Small, intentional steps—like connecting breath and vowels—help you build a confident, authentic voice, whether you’re singing, speaking, or leading.

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Key Takeaway: Emotional intelligence and vocal clarity grow through consistent, mindful practice. By starting with breath and adding vowels, you build the tools to express yourself authentically, confidently, and clearly.

#DevelopingYourAuthenticVoice #VocalHealth #EmotionalIntelligence #Leadership #OperaBiarritz

Engage with Me

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Have you tried using IPA symbols or specific vocal exercises in your practice? How do you approach improving your vocal clarity? Share your experiences, ask questions, or let me know what topics you’d like to see explored in future posts. 

And if you’d like to dive deeper into these techniques, I explore more practical exercises and insights throughout my book. It’s all about making the process of voice production practical, accessible, and tailored to your unique needs. 

Note: if you’re viewing this on a mobile device and don’t see the ‘Subscribe for Updates’ option, try switching to the web version of the blog. You can do this by scrolling to the bottom of the page and clicking ‘View web version.’ This will allow you to easily subscribe and stay updated with more insights like this.

Weekly Insight #17: Building Your 12-Minute Practice Plan—Start with Breath

In Weekly Insight #11, we explored the importance of breath as the foundation for vocal production, introducing the Farinelli Exercise as a way to reconnect with and steady your breath. This week, we’ll build on that foundation by demonstrating how to sustain counts in the Farinelli Exercise and showing how it fits into a complete 12-minute practice plan. 

Margaret Harshaw, one of my greatest mentors, often reminded me that short, intentional practice sessions were the key to consistent growth. She suggested sessions lasting 11–12 minutes, tailored to your unique needs but grounded in fundamental exercises to strengthen your voice. 

To frame this, let’s draw from Aristotle’s timeless principles of rhetoric: ethos (credibility), pathos (emotional connection), and logos (logical clarity). 

When you think about your voice, these principles resonate deeply: 

• Ethos: Your voice’s steadiness and clarity reflect your credibility. 

• Pathos: Emotional resonance is conveyed through your tone and breath. 

• Logos: Logical expression depends on precise articulation and control. 

All three rely on one critical foundation: your breath. This is where we start—with the Farinelli Exercise, a simple yet powerful technique to activate and steady your breath. 

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The Farinelli Exercise: Master Your Breath

The Farinelli Exercise helps prepare your voice by focusing on the inhale, suspend, and exhale phases of breathing. It’s a foundational tool for aligning your breath with your vocal technique, ensuring power and control. 

Step-by-Step:

1. Inhale deeply, feeling the expansion in your ribs and abdomen. 

2. Suspend the breath for a few seconds. 

3. Exhale slowly on an unvoiced “S,” maintaining consistent airflow. 

Objective: Steady your breath, focus your mind, and ground your voice for practice. 

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Watch the Video:
To see this exercise in action, watch the video below. I’ll demonstrate how to sustain the counts and share my own adaptation of this timeless technique: 

Mastering the Farinelli Exercise: A Quick Guide for Singers and Speakers

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Introducing Your 12-Minute Practice Plan

Margaret Harshaw’s philosophy of short, tailored sessions aligns beautifully with Aristotle’s principles. Here’s an overview of a 12-minute plan: 

1. Breath Work (2–3 minutes): Start with the Farinelli Exercise. 

2. Foundational Warm-Up (5 minutes): One Note Exercise to practice vowels and observe articulators. 

3. Range Exploration (4–5 minutes): Extend your range by transitioning smoothly between pitches. 

4. Resonance Building (3–4 minutes): A Five-Note Scale on /a/, focusing on control and natural vibration. 

This week, focus on mastering the Farinelli Exercise. In the coming weeks, we’ll explore the other exercises with accompanying videos to guide your practice. 

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The Key Takeaway

Aristotle’s rhetoric and Harshaw’s philosophy both remind us that intentionality is key. A short, focused practice plan allows you to build clarity (logos), express emotion (pathos), and project confidence (ethos). 

Start small. Begin with the Farinelli Exercise to connect your breath to your voice, and build from there. Over time, these simple routines will strengthen your voice and help you communicate with clarity, purpose, and authenticity—whether you’re singing, speaking, or presenting your ideas to others. 

📸 In this scene from La Traviata, Germont-père comforts his son while bearing the weight of a difficult truth. It’s a moment filled with emotional complexity—a reminder that life and communication are rarely black and white.

Engage with Me

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Have you tried using IPA symbols or specific vocal exercises in your practice? How do you approach improving your vocal clarity? Share your experiences, ask questions, or let me know what topics you’d like to see explored in future posts. 

And if you’d like to dive deeper into these techniques, I explore more practical exercises and insights throughout my book. It’s all about making the process of voice production practical, accessible, and tailored to your unique needs. 

Note: if you’re viewing this on a mobile device and don’t see the ‘Subscribe for Updates’ option, try switching to the web version of the blog. You can do this by scrolling to the bottom of the page and clicking ‘View web version.’ This will allow you to easily subscribe and stay updated with more insights like this.

Weekly Insight #16: Seeing Sound – Visual Learning Through the IPA

In previous insights, we introduced the five core vowels—/i/, /e/, /a/, /o/, /u/—and their role in vocal clarity. This week, we’ll focus on how these vowels transition from one to the next, much like colors blending seamlessly on a palette. 

To guide us, we turn to the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). This tool goes beyond describing sounds—it provides a universal system for visualizing how sounds are formed. What makes the IPA especially powerful is its inclusivity. By taking the core vowel sounds from Romance languages, it creates a system that crosses linguistic boundaries. Unlike phonetic systems tailored to specific languages, the IPA offers a way to communicate about sounds in a more versatile, universal manner. 

This accessibility is what makes the IPA such a valuable resource for vocal exploration. Whether you’re singing, speaking, or refining your technique, it helps you visualize and understand the unique ways your voice creates sound. 

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A Real-Life Example: The Power of a Round Vowel

This photo from La Traviata captures a moment where a carefully shaped, round vowel amplifies both the sound and emotional depth of the performance. The clarity of a rounded /o/ or /u/ vowel is not just technical—it’s expressive, creating resonance and presence that carry through the hall.

Using a well-shaped vowel in a dramatic moment from La Traviata. (Opéra Biarritz)

The Art of Gradual Transitions

Imagine shifting colors on a computer palette, where one shade blends effortlessly into the next. The five core vowels follow a similar progression, flowing naturally between shapes:

1. /i/ (see):
• The tip of the tongue typically touches the back of the lower teeth.
• The rest of the tongue reacts, often curving higher, depending on the speaker.
• The jaw maintains a round, vertical shape, keeping the mouth aligned for clarity.
2. /e/ (chaos):
• The tongue stays in the same position as /i/, with the tip still near the lower teeth.
• The jaw drops gradually, opening slightly more than for /i/.
3. /a/ (father):
• The tongue relaxes completely into the lower palate.
• The jaw opens further to accommodate the wider vowel shape.
4. /o/ (oh):
• The tongue stays inactive, and the lips round slightly.
• The jaw closes slightly compared to /a/, focusing the sound through the lips.
5. /u/ (food):
• Like /o/, this vowel relies on lip rounding, which becomes more pronounced.
• The tongue remains at rest, with the shape shaped entirely by the lips.

Practicing the Five Core Vowels

Here’s how to practice these vowels and observe their progression:

1. Vocalize the Sequence:
   Say the vowels in this order: 
   /i/ (see), /e/ (chaos), /a/ (father), /o/ (oh), /u/ (food).
   Focus on how each vowel flows into the next, like colors blending on a palette.

2. Mirror Work:
   Use a mirror or reverse camera to observe: 

   • The tongue’s positioning for /i/ and /e/. 

   • The jaw’s gradual opening as you progress through the sequence. 

   • The lips rounding for /o/ and /u/. 

3. Feel the Difference:
   Focus on how the front vowels (/i/, /e/) use more tongue engagement, while the back vowels (/o/, /u/) rely primarily on the lips. 

4. Record and Reflect:
   Create a video of yourself practicing the sequence. Watching your movements and hearing your sound will reinforce your learning. 

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Why This Visualization Matters

By using the IPA as a guide, you gain a universal framework for understanding vowel production. Its roots in Romance languages provide a simplicity and inclusivity that make it accessible across linguistic boundaries. This clarity allows you to focus on the physical movements—subtle shifts in the tongue, lips, teeth, and jaw—that shape these sounds. 

Adding tools like mirrors and recordings enhances your awareness, helping you see, hear, and feel your progress in real time. 

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The Key Takeaway

The five core vowels—/i/, /e/, /a/, /o/, /u/—are more than sounds. They’re tools for building clarity, consistency, and control in your voice. By practicing with intention, visualizing their transitions, and using the IPA as your guide, you’ll unlock greater confidence and precision. 

It’s also important to remember that these descriptions are general guidelines. Every voice, every mouth, and every vocal instrument is unique. As you practice, take time to observe how your own articulators—your tongue, teeth, lips, and jaw—naturally shape these vowels. 

Don’t worry if your vowels don’t align perfectly with the descriptions here. Instead, use this information as a starting point for discovery. Notice what you do and ask yourself: Is this the most efficient way for me to produce this vowel? Over time, further observation and awareness will help you unlock what works best for your voice. 

Vocal practice isn’t about rigidly following a single method—it’s about discovering the most effective way to use your unique instrument. 

Take time this week to explore these vowels. Use the visuals, tools, and exercises to deepen your connection with your voice and bring intentionality to your practice. 

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Engage with Me

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Have you tried using IPA symbols or specific vocal exercises in your practice? How do you approach improving your vocal clarity? Share your experiences, ask questions, or let me know what topics you’d like to see explored in future posts. 

And if you’d like to dive deeper into these techniques, I explore more practical exercises and insights throughout my book. It’s all about making the process of voice production practical, accessible, and tailored to your unique needs. 

Note: if you’re viewing this on a mobile device and don’t see the ‘Subscribe for Updates’ option, try switching to the web version of the blog. You can do this by scrolling to the bottom of the page and clicking ‘View web version.’ This will allow you to easily subscribe and stay updated with more insights like this.