Awareness/Self-Awareness
Sunday, February 16, 2014
I love my voice doctor, laryngologist Michael Pitman, MD and not just cause he’s a Patrick Dempsey type and graduated in the same year I did from University of Michigan (Go Blue!) The page linked below to his hospital, The Eye and Ear Infirmary on W. 14th street in Manhattan, is an overview of most of the reasons and methods for voice therapy, which can complement voice lessons for people with serious or chronic speech or vocal problems. http://www.nyee.edu/cfv-therapy.html#awareness labeled “Awareness”. The page is excellent, but if you scroll to the bottom, you get to this:
"An important early component of voice therapy is increased self-awareness of personal traits of voice production. Change can only be achieved after self-awareness. People are frequently surprised at the sound of their own voice when heard on a recording. That surprise is caused partly by limited self-awareness of personal vocal characteristics. Do you know how your voice sounds to others? You can increase that self-awareness by monitoring your voice and the voices of others. […] For many types of voice problems, increased vocal awareness is an important first step in overcoming a voice problem. http://www.nyee.edu/cfv-therapy.html#awareness
In addition to listening to recordings, a great way to hear yourself more closely to how others hear you is to put our hands behind your head with your elbows pointing to the front, or, simply to cut your ears. You might be pleasantly surprised!
My master teacher Thomas Houser, PHD, used to remind me that I did not need to “get it right” all of the time. He allowed me to see that each new awareness about my singing was all I needed…awareness was the prize.
“Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in. Breathing out, I know that I am breathing out.” -Thich Nhat Hanh
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