REMplenish and Singing
Friday, March 29, 2024 by Billy Roberts | Singing
Within the past year I have found several ways to keep my throat in better shape so that the upper register comes more naturally without more exercise than should be necessary. Over the years, I have found that daily use of the Lütgen high voice exercises is the best way to keep my upper range in shape, but these past few months especially I’ve seen the benefits of freeing up tension at the root of the tongue. Letting go of that tension allows me to lighten my voice and have a fuller range of dynamics for high G and A-flat, notes that have occasionally felt forced or difficult to reach.
I received a new tool several weeks ago that promotes good breathing, posture, and tongue placement, and using it is as simple as taking a drink of water. The tool that I am referring to is a REMplenish bottle. For years I have dealt with excess tension at the root of the tongue. In the past, this has at times caused my external throat muscles to be unnecessarily engaged and has even caused neck and shoulder issues. In working through these issues, I have developed better posture for piano, horn, and voice.
The REMplenish bottle is a 32 ounce water bottle with their patented Myo-Nozzle system, which incorporates a myofunctional therapy device into the straw. The high quality bottle is easy to use but requires pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth in order to take a sip. It is recommended to drink one to two full bottles daily to gain the most benefit. Even if you seem to gain no benefit from it, this is still a well-built water bottle that is dishwasher safe. A special brush is included for handwashing the straw.
I have noticed dramatic improvement in my own singing over the past few weeks as I’ve used this bottle, namely that I need less time to warm up. I’m also experiencing better sleep because I fall asleep more easily and wake up less often during the night. Over the past few weeks, as I’ve used the REMplenish bottle, I have gradually felt less stress throughout the day. Taking a drink from the bottle is in itself very relaxing if I am conscious of letting go of any tension at the root of the tongue or in the neck and shoulders as I drink from this bottle.
Although I was a bit skeptical at first, mainly due to a lack of reviews from anywhere other than the REMplenish website, I am very glad that I decided to go ahead and order this bottle. Since using it, I have had better breathing through the nose. It has helped me to be more aware of good head, neck and spine alignment. I have also been amazed at how well it has helped my tongue to work correctly. By getting the tongue out of the way so that I can sing without engaging the muscles in my neck, this bottle has helped me take one step further into freeing up my voice.
Beginning Voice Lessons
Wednesday, October 25, 2023 by Billy Roberts | Singing
One of the most challenging issues for a musician is balancing work, family, and practice time. This is especially difficult when the primary source of income is not music. This year, as I focus on piano pedagogy coursework, I have chosen to focus on horn and piano as my primary instruments. Although I long to return to daily vocal work, I have chosen to let go of all vocal ambitions except choral singing until May.
I will be available for beginning voice students in the summer of 2024. For the time being, I will not be taking any advanced high school students in voice. I will use my extra time outside of tutoring, piano pedagogy, and accompanying to enjoy the horn. This has been a difficult decision to make, because prior to marriage and starting a family much of my identity came from being a singer. However, as I look at the long term picture, focusing on horn and coursework this year will be much less stressful than juggling three different instruments while trying to earn my piano pedagogy certificate. I have confidence that this path will ultimately benefit both my singing and horn playing.
Lamperti Keeps Singing Simple
Thursday, May 25, 2023 by Billy Roberts | Singing
The focus of this blog is on maintaining the voice through daily vocal exercise when practice time is scarce. The best tool I have found for this is the Lamperti book of daily exercises, although the Lütgen and Sieber exercises have also been useful for me. Although my primary job is tutoring math for high school students and preparing adults for the GED or Accuplacer exams, I have enjoyed becoming more involved with music over the past few years. As another school year comes to an end, I look forward to the opportunity to refocus each summer. Although I continue tutoring year-round, slight adjustments to my work schedule and my time outside of work help me to make the most of this season each year.
I first became acquainted with the Lamperti studies about ten years ago. My son had just been born, and I was not heavily involved with piano or French horn during this period. I had prior experience singing both tenor and baritone, and most of my musical energy was focused toward singing. I chose to sing baritone that summer in a local community choir. I was working a 40 hour per week non-music job, but I had access to a piano at lunch and spent about 30 minutes per day vocalizing. When I discovered the Lamperti exercises, I immediately found them useful in placing the voice and in building fundamentals. Unfortunately, I disregarded the disclaimer typically made in the forward of such books to avoid high notes that could not be approached correctly, and the book that I had covered the full tenor range from low C to high C.
What I failed to realize right away was that there is simply no healthy vocal technique for singing notes that are too high for a balanced, healthy voice. When I let go of the chest voice completely, I could get up there with a very light head voice that made me think maybe I had a high C. I also found that if I used an operatic technique but kept a certain amount of tension around the larynx, I could approach that area of the range with full voice. However, the type of modification I had to do was very unnatural. There are certain throat muscles that do provide support for the larynx, but if you have to think about it too much you’re probably doing it wrong. Really the only thing to understand is what it feels like for the throat to be relaxed without being spread wide.
This is where the Lamperti exercises become very useful. The first half-dozen or so Lamperti exercises are designed to place the voice. After my efforts with the original book failed, I discovered that there was an alto version which was suitable for basses and baritones. It spans the range from low A to F# above middle C, unlike the tenor/soprano version which covers a full two octaves. When I got back into the Lamperti studies, after a long period of piano and lighter singing, the alto book rather quickly helped my voice to find its place again. I’m at a place now where I can take about seven of the exercises each day and incorporate them into a twenty to thirty minute vocal routine, and I’ve made it through the book in four days. Then on the fifth day, I choose whatever I feel like for singing or additional exercise during that vocal time. Vacations or time off can disrupt this routine and cause some difficulty getting back into shape, but for the most part a little daily maintenance keeps singing easy, as it should be.
