Singing technique with Nadia

Yesterday our choir had an extraordinary lesson with Nadia. She was a radiant personality; as she walked into the room it was as though we were embedded in her qi. She had no previous experience with Tai Chi. I know that many physical exercises in singing have to do with breathing and the movements resemble Tai Chi to a great deal.

She started off with theory and the first three odds of singing:

1. Posture
Imagine our head is straight and suspended by a string from above. Our shoulders sunken and in singing they simply do not exist. Back straight and torso prolonged, the hips slightly bent and relaxed, the tail bone low and not protruding too much. Our voice clearly became better as soon as we were more aware of our posture

2. Breathing
A short explanation of breathing physiology, how the abdominal muscles were organized and utilized. The shape and role of the diaphragm during exhalation. Singing is factually a procedure of exhalation. In short, singing is not carried out by the throat but by the abdomen.

3. Using the whole body. The bones are the resonance body for the sound, low tones are produced by the chest bones, higher tones(head voice) by the facial bones

Our posture and stance needs to be heroic, nearly arrogant. When I sing or practice Tai Chi, I now imagine being the hero Radames in the opera Aida. In the older days the scholars and the singers played a core role in social hierarchy. the people who were being listened to. Speaking should be rhythmic, clear and slow, the tone of the voice low, dark and calm.

The singers I know have extraordinary levels of qi. "Singing is positive energy, you need to be in high spirits and keep your mind clear from disturbing thoughts." said Nadia

Tai Chi would be an excellent complement for choirs and opera singers because they have so many aspects in common.