Episode 06 Client Conversations
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00:00 Unlocking Dynamic Vocal Movement: An Introduction
00:42 Exploring the Lower Larynx and Its Impact on Singing
02:38 The Journey from Static to Dynamic Vocal Techniques
04:35 Understanding Air Pockets and Vocal Tract Shaping
14:41 The Evolution of Vocal Mastery: A Student's Reflection
22:12 Connecting Body, Breath, and Voice for Optimal Singing
26:44 Realizations and Revelations: A Singer's Growth
32:33 Looking Ahead: Continuous Improvement and Vocal Flexibility
Unlocking the Secrets of Dynamic Vocal Movement
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Philippe: Let's, let's talk about, this is a really good, very important, so when I say dynamic movement and dynamic movement potential, dynamic movement potential means that all the muscles within your singing system, which there are about a hundred different muscles. They're all in the, they all have the potential to move.
Dynamic movement is they are in motion while you are making sound. So, you're going to demonstrate this again. You did a great job with it.
Exploring the Lower Larynx: Myths and Realizations
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Philippe: And, and just tell me, in your own words, what you discovered about the lower larynx. You, you felt like most people. If I, if I've heard, I need to keep my larynx low.
Okay. What's the first thing you do? You grab a hold of your larynx from the inside and you hold it down. Yes. So, what happens when you do that?
I'm getting stiff in my, with my lower muscles. Yes. Do you, do you have dynamic movement potential if you're holding down? No, I have just a grab. Yes. So, I, I can illustrate this from, from the side.
The Power of Airflow and Vocal Flexibility
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Philippe: It's like when I, when I became aware of this migration of air and that is like, rr, Cool. At the same time, the, the, the message was like, okay, drop the larynx. So it was like, I opened the space for a four and then fixated it. And then do nothing with that. It's like, yeah. And all the, all the notes below, they can do something with themselves because there is, you know, there is some space below, but above it's still cut.
It's still closed. So when I dropped the larynx before, this notion from today, I was like, okay, drop the larynx. So I like, it was like, uh, accidentally locked it on certain height, you know, and then didn't think about it. I just focus on that, on this. So this got stuck. It wasn't moving anywhere higher or lower.
So it was like a waiting for certain, I suppose, the break, where the break is happening. And then it stopped. It didn't, it didn't finish the movement. Yeah, exactly. So if we lock any one piece, All singing is controlled by muscles. All of it. Airflow is controlled by muscles. Positioning, adduction, uh, twang, tongue position, embouchure, saw, everything is controlled by muscles.
So if we lock a muscle, we enter a static muscle contraction, and the definition of that is it's holding. It's, it cannot move. So that's the opposite of what I'm teaching in my course, Dynamic Movement, and Dynamic Movement potential is always the ability to move at any given moment. It doesn't mean that I cannot exert force.
We have to exert enough force and enough tension, but the force isn't going to block. It's like more of a resistance. So I can stretch, I can, I can maintain a lower larynx, but it feels more like the larynx is just hanging on an elastic. It's just, it's weighted down. It's just easy. So if it needs to tilt to stretch the vocal folds, it can.
And in the beginning, the larynx is always moving way too much for beginning singers. Intermediate singers, you start to learn that, oh, okay, I can get the same notes. By maintaining a more calm larynx, which is just a thought, really. It doesn't have to go up, but in the beginning, a lot of teachers will teach singers to raise the larynx so they can hit the notes easier, but then now you have to work back down and say, now you got that higher position, now you can relax it, you'll still get the note with a lower larynx because your skill level is improving.
Discovering Vocal Tract Shaping and Its Impact
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Philippe: Another thing that you said that I think is [00:05:00] really good. is um, these air pockets. So this is really good. So describe to me what you're feeling with these different air pockets. What do you mean by that? I mean, if I'm not entering this notion, this, this concept, the height is, I feel like controlling the height of the note is directly connected to this area.
So if we go up, you instantly feel like, and then your thoughts migrate towards, Oh my God, I'm breaking. I'm losing this strength. And when you create the space in the back and just send those wafts of air through the vocal cords, because you feel like you're creating the sound instead of gasping. And they instantly go to the certain point and there is no need to feel this like climbing of air to the right spot because that was I was feeling before and now you can like omit all this procedure which is which is effort which is which is like tiring the muscles you can feel it's it's the longer you do that the most the more tired you feel And when you, when you open the right space and then just execute the breath, it goes to the right spot.
And even though, I don't know if I'm right with that, but I don't really think like I need to open the whole path, you know, the whole way. Only this right, this right space for the right note. And if I do this, of course, the area around this opening, but it's not like you're getting like, uh, D D five, like, and this space like has to be open as well.
It's, it's not even a even feeling when I go higher. I open this space and this is like, it's like a laser beam, which is reflected by the right place, like the right mirror, which was a way thing, but it was covered by the curtain. Um, So the, the yawn, it's like raising the curtain for, for the mirror to reflect the beam.
That's what I'm feeling right now. It's like, instead of, I'm slowing down my, my, my thoughts. If I speed up this, what I, which I presented right now, it will, it will be like, but there is a pool and there is like whole climbing. And when you do
And immediately, I feel like the belly is more involved to that without the belly. Again, I, all the effort is going to those muscles like, and I even feel the need to work with my face to get the note, you know? Yeah. And when you open them and send this beam. Just do this little push in your belly. It's like, brrr, brrr, brrr, brrr.
And to don't, like, brrr, don't explode, you have to create this supragonal pressure. Or suck the air. That's what I'm, that's what I'm referring to, sucking air. To not go like, like, like crazy cow, you know? No, it's like
And now I did that. For the first time, for the first time it was aware, you know? All right. Today's lesson, yeah, today's lesson made me involve this, like, I'm doing this. It's not happening by accident. Yeah, well, it's great. It's, everybody, you have experienced this now, so now you're putting it into words, which helps you to anchor your understanding into your body.
So, what you're talking about Is this is how the shaping of the vocal track why it's so important If you have the right vowel shape you are creating a shape And the parts of that shape Receive your sound like you said, they're mirrors and they're going to reflect it out But if there's a curtain, they can't receive the sound and reflect it out.
So the shaping is you Opening those little spaces that create literally, quite [00:10:00] literally, along that tube, different little pockets of air. And it's those little pockets that are amplifying the different frequencies. Those are what the formants are. That's where the overtones come from. That's why the vowel precision is so important.
And you're absolutely right. If you try and press your sound and air into that space, you cannot shape the same way because you'll have too much tension in the muscles and then you'll have the curtain in front of the mirror. So once you get those shapes, those literal little curves and pockets inside of your vocal tract are now amplifying the frequencies.
You want, and it feels like your sound travels up in higher and higher into your head and your mask. That is the biofeedback. That is simply where we have feelings. Our nerve endings can feel those vibrations. Our nerve endians in the chest cannot feel high vibrations. It's only in the mask, in the head, where we can physically feel.
So we have the biofeedback that the shape is right. That we're getting, receiving those frequencies, they're getting amplified, and like you said, if they're amplified, then it's like that mirror, that it just bounces off and the laser shoots out. So that's what's happening, and the biofeedback is the physical feeling of vibration is shifting, it's shifting higher.
And we have to have the dynamic movement, and dynamic movement potential of the muscles, that they're in motion. They can exert force, more or less force. But, they must be in motion, so that's me putting what you are experiencing in your words into context of, yes, this is the design of your instrument, and it will always work this way.
So, when we lock the larynx low, or we stretch the soft palate all the way up tight, and we're trying to hold both. Now, we cannot create those, those, um, fine, subtle shapes that will amplify the frequencies. So it's always in motion, really, and it needs to stay in motion, and the better you get, the easier it gets.
Then you're like, oh, okay, I just receive the sound, or I just create the shape, like you said, these little air pockets. And when it's there, they kind of suck in the air and the sound and shoot it back out. And I don't have to work anymore. I just have to shape. So vocal tract shaping is super important.
Easy to talk about. You don't, it doesn't really click until you have the physical experience. Yes. You know, another thing, it's crazy because now I. We're talking, I'm not singing, but I'm feeling like my synapses are creating a new connection. I'm literally growing right now because now I, you know, because when you hear the comment, okay, don't go with the sound like, ah, let's do this, like, whoa, this, this slide.
And you're like, okay, yeah, that's supposed to be better. I, I understand why you're telling me this. Yeah. This is like this edgy, not real. But from this perspective, I feel like it's, it's impossible to learn how to do this correctly. If all the shape is like going to into two different dimensions and it has to match on the certain notes.
And you try to do is like, this is stuck. This is jumping, you know, it's not like, Ooh, because that's what I felt. I felt like for the first time it was aligned the bottom and the, and the, and the, and the top, it was like expanding to the sound and everything sat in the right place. Instead of those comments like, like this dumb soldier, you know, like drop the larynx.
Okay. Yes, sir. Go forward. Yes, sir. And it's it's not working. And now I know okay, it was impossible. It was impossible. You, you know, if you know what you're doing, you can jump like that because you're flexible. You're, you're fit, you're skilled. But to, you know, To get an idea how does it work with this approach is like trying to ride a bicycle with just jumping on the pedals instead of just Circling them.
It's just the same, it's just [00:15:00] the same dumb, Jesus Christ. Yeah. Well, it's great. It's evolution.
The Journey of Vocal Discovery and Improvement
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Philippe: So, coming back, one of the first things I'd say to every singer, and I probably said this to you when I first met you, I said, The first thing you have to change in order to change your singing is the way you think about singing.
Yes. It's, it's simple. It's not easy. It's, keep singing simple. It doesn't mean your journey is always going to be easy. But if your approach is simple, it will become easier. Even when you're really good, you still have to concentrate. You still have to hit these shapes. You still have to grow into that space and adjust.
And it's, it, you are willfully creating the sound. So it's much more, it's much simpler, but it, I don't think it, it ever becomes easier. I'm making it, I'm making a difference. It's easy as anybody can do it. Simple is just a smart way to do it.
Embracing Simplicity and Mastery in Singing
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Philippe: Great basketball, great basketball legend Kobe Bryant. Rest in peace.
I said the secret to his success was mastering the basics. The artist did the simplest, most basic things to perfection and then that allows for the complex and the inspiring. So it's great. It's very good. So now Maybe you can with feeling those things that you become aware of see if you're more successful with the tongue trill now
Simple can it be?
Right, so the first one was already better than when you started today and the second one was much better than the first So it's working That's crazy how I can like See from from From the window what I was doing before because now I feel what was lacking why I was constantly Bashing my throat against it because now I feel like this
You see what the earlier I was spoke this was open Like, I'm stuck, you know why? Because this was like jumping. I was like,
this, this jump made me to crack instead of,
it's like the landing.
So what are you doing different? I, uh, I let it move instead of contract like crazy because earlier it was like a digital, you know, not analog, analogical. It was like lower. Okay. Lower learnings. All right. All right. I don't need that. And now it's like, uh, slower, slower, slower landing, landing, landing. And it goes to my voice, natural voice, and then it's like, Ooh, okay, just for an experiment, just to show you what I'm doing without this, I'm closing entirely, uh, upper space.
And only with this, I'm doing the, and earlier I was like,
that was the difference. Okay. Yeah, great. So, now you have a more simple approach, which is more natural. It's just you're allowing for dynamic movement to always be part of what you're doing. You can still choose within that range to have and be very, very low in the larynx, but it's not, you're right. If you do that, you will turn off some of the higher frequencies.
Very low larynx the whole time. I'll just let the larynx. So it's hanging low naturally.[00:20:00]
Now you have much, many more frequencies in that sound. I mean the, the amount of openness is up to you, but the movement is the same. The mechanic is the same. It cannot be like, okay, locked here. Right. That's, that's, that's the end of the word. This, this movement can be like, or like, but it's always, all right, so, you know, you can do it on the lip trill, you know, you can do it on the tongue trill.
Now, I just find that easy, like you said, and then just go, do the same thing on a light trill. Ah. Okay.
Yeah, great.
Connecting Registers and Enhancing Vocal Control
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Philippe: Now you've got the chest and head registers completely connected. Yes. Everybody can work on the slow adjustment throughout the passaggio to make that audible shift, minimize it. We cannot, I don't think it's, it's smart to try and get rid of it. Because if you try and get rid of it, you're ignoring that it exists.
It's like working with a stick shift and a clutch. You don't want to be like, every time you shift. So what do you do? You get better at shifting, right? So that's what we're doing is, is, is combining those registers. So our shift becomes less audible. There's always going to be us there. We have to change gears.
So, it can be as subtle as possible, and it will still be, to some degree, audible. And that's okay, because no one else is going to really hear it when you're singing. You know, if, if it's there and people hear it, some people like that. It's a style.
There's so many, uh, yodeling from in modern pop music, especially female singers nowadays are just flipping all over the place. Yes. So It's cool, but it's cool because it's controlled, and it's willful. The work at connecting those registers is by applying your newfound dynamic movement, letting go of any muscles that are locked.
Oh, that's one thing you said that I think was really important. When you do this, You feel more body connection to your breath. Yes, and that is so right on this is why a lot of Coaches will say don't don't move your support. Just get the right vowel. What are they saying? They're basically looking at it from the opposite side saying if you get the right vocal tract shape You'll get the resonance.
You'll have the flexibility and your body Your support will engage more naturally. So that's why there's a big school in a thought in that direction. I find that not working with the body at all produces singers that can't sing very loudly. So there is, you, you need to work things from both sides.
Consider your arm doing a bicep curl. If you just only control the up and drop and drop it back, what's going to happen is you're going to walk around with very short monkey arms because one muscle is going to be very powerful and it won't let the other one go. And if we have that in our throat, we're going to be very lopsided singers.
So we've got to control the, the, the up and the down equally. Equally. Then you'll be very strong. You'll be very flexible. You, you have vocal control. So again, you're absolutely right. When you get that pockets, those pockets, the right shape in your vocal tract, your body will engage more naturally. That's, that's really cool that you noticed that.
So just keep being aware of it. It's not like you're having to work, right? You just feel it. You just feel it subtly connecting. Yes, yes. And that is actually support. So that, that's what support's all about, finding the body, breath, voice connection and then not abusing it. If it's there, it's there. If it goes away, you're like, oh, I lost it.
Oh, I lost it. If you lose it, it means one of two things. You need more of it. Or your vocal track shape just went somewhere else. Yeah. With me, the second option is more probable right now was always the point because [00:25:00] when I, when I, when I created everything, right. It immediately activated itself, you know, it was like, oh, yeah, finally I can work And earlier I was like, yeah push push with the belly push with the belly, but everything was like What the hell are you doing?
We've we are doing the work and you're giving some extra pressure So that's crazy because you know, this is completely different perspective for the same For the same things, but they are totally different right now You are a singer that's very, you're, you're a strong human being. You, your mind wants things and it's willing to take an action.
So you're a singer that, that does more than they need to. There are singers that don't do enough. So for singers that are always doing more than they need to. They have to learn to let go, you know, just do less for singers that are not so involved. They need to learn to come on, come on, put some effort into it.
Finding Balance: The Zen of Vocal Training
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Philippe: So people are different, but just like in life to be, to get very Zen about it. It's all about balance, trust and trust in your instrument, your, your voice. is designed to do exactly what you want it to do. If it's not, you're probably in the way somewhere. So it's like discovering how it works to guide it or to allow it to happen.
And in that discovery, we're going to interfere and mess things up a bit. So just be sensitive of that while you're singing, singing your songs, while you're vocalizing, doing your exercises. Recognize when you do something that is changing it. So we got to learn what to do and what not to do. So, but this is great.
Reflections on Learning and Vocal Evolution
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Philippe: It's been a really good That was one of the best lessons I had. It's crazy because, you know, you're always like, yeah, we're going to sing something and something is going to happen. And now I feel like all this time was needed for my brain to hear the right information and on the right time. And, oh, that's crazy.
You know, the, the very proof is that you basically are. Telling the same things over and over on the different different approach with And i'm I admire you for that for this patience because I I know From from from from from the side. I know how it looks but i'm helpless with that It has to happen.
It's like walking learning how to walk. I know I see how you're doing that, but i'm My face is all bruises. It has to be. It has to be. Yeah. Well, good. I'm super grateful for that because it's going to the place I want it. It is. Absolutely. It has always been going to this place and it's going to a much better place yet.
It's just you, you're peeling back the layers, and there is no, there is no skipping over these steps, because there are a lot less of instructional steps, like you said. I may be repeating the same thing with different words and descriptions and exercises and things. I'm going to be repeating the same thing until your brain is ready to accept it.
And it's the same for all of us. I can't evolve faster than I can evolve. I can only speed up the process. And, and now the fun thing is, as you unlock something, you get acceleration and then you, then you basically find out six months down the road, you'll find out, Oh, you'll have another big, Oh, moment.
And you'll be a little irritated. You'll be a little irritated. Like why didn't I get that six months ago? Because it's so obvious now, but you have to validate the work you put in. To get to the point where you can even notice it understand and feel it That is work that is time in the game and that is [00:30:00] the only way progress really happens in anything.
Yeah Because you don't want to just sing one note better one day you want to sing everything better and better as you go For the for the rest of your life Who is interested in coming, getting some coaching, and singing one karaoke song well? And that's the only song they sing for the rest of their life.
They might get applause at every karaoke, and they're gonna feel great about it. But is that what you want? That's true and in in reality it will never happen You can you can think that it's happening like you're singing well, but you know from from the perspective of a person who's know how to who knows how to sing he's like Yeah I'm happy you think you can sing that song You literally don't don't hear the difference I remember my my Journey with the hearing when I started to work with the guitar and it was like, yeah, I'm playing.
What the hell? And first I got the tuning that was, oh my God, that was out of tune. I never heard of that, you know, before it was like, yeah, I'm playing. I'm clicking the right frets. What the hell? And then after like four or five years of playing with the sound, you know, with different effects. I, I really didn't hear the difference.
And then I was like, Jesus Christ, this sound is so, so bad . And I was playing it for like two years. And the biggest revelation to me was with the voice. Because you can hear, you can hear the guitar tone. , but the voice to do, especially today with autotune and all the stuff, it's like, you know, half of the voice on the song are effects, you know, basically reverbs DS compressors and stuff.
And when you try to hit that, it's like, what the hell? I, I, I, I got depressed. I remember that. I, I remember that day I was about to give up on that because I was like, I'm not made to do that. You know, I, I, it is impossible. And then I realized, oh no, those guys aren't sound like that. They are faking. It's, it's fakery.
It's impossible. It was, I was trying to sound impossibly. And then I realized, okay, so, so now I know what, how, how many layers probably are there. But I'm aware of the process is what it works like that. It's never be like you were born with super hearing, super, super senses. And then you're a genius. No, without the work and experience, it will always be like you, what you're saying.
Yeah. I, I think I know that, but you don't nothing until, yeah, I completely agree with what you said. Oh, well. Congratulations on today.
Maintaining Dynamic Movement for Vocal Freedom
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Philippe: Um, enjoy working with it and just remember, allow, always maintain your dynamic movement and your dynamic movement potential. If you lose it, something is grabbing on and holding in a static muscle contraction and that will keep you from getting what you want.
So it's like sometimes you have to look and say, what was it? Is it my tongue? Is it my lips? Is it my, my throat? Is it my body? So sometimes you have to go on the, the exploration of discovery of what am I actually holding on? But if you maintain the mindset of keep things in motion the entire time, not, you know, not cartwheel, backflip, double twist and not, not too much motion, just the ability to move.
Then, um, it's going to work much better because at the end of the day, we're moving air and the air is energized with sound. It's just energized molecules and air is a gas. So it's going to move more like water. Water's a liquid, right? But they move very similar. So it's waves. It's, it's emotion. It's a fluid.
It's going through there. So, um, it, or the nature of it, it's, it's better to think of it as being fluid. Okay. That's why people like to say, keep your singing fluid, keep it flexible, keep it in motion. But you did a great job today. So thanks for the discussion and sharing your thoughts and discoveries.
Thank you so much. Thank you so much for everything. And we're seeing each other on Monday. Yes, I'll see you next week.
