So You Want to Sing with Awareness: A Guide for Performers

by Matthew Hoch (Editor)

Overview

Yoga, Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais Method, Pilates, Body Mapping… These techniques all promote optimum vocal performance through mind-body awareness, but where should a singer begin?

So You Want to Sing with Awareness welcomes singers into all of these methods, allowing them to explore each option’s history and application to singing and determine which methods may best meet their needs as performers. With this unique volume in the So You Want to Sing series, editor Matthew Hoch brings together renowned expert practitioners to explore mind-body awareness systems and introduce cutting-edge research in cognitive neuroscience and motor learning. Carefully curated for singers’ unique needs, the book also includes essential discussions of anatomy and physiology and vocal health.

The So You Want to Sing series is produced in partnership with the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Like all books in the series, So You Want to Sing with Awareness features online supplemental material on the NATS website. Please visit www.nats.org to access style-specific exercises, audio and video files, and additional resources.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538124727
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	04/10/2020
Series:	So You Want to Sing , #19
Pages:	414
Product dimensions:	5.99(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.17(d)

About the Author

Matthew Hoch is associate professor of voice at Auburn University. He is the author of A Dictionary for the Modern Singer,coauthor of Voice Secrets: 100 Performance Strategies for the Advanced Singer, and volume editor of So You Want to Sing Sacred Music and So You Want to Sing CCM. Hoch is the 2016 winner of the Van L. Lawrence Fellowship, awarded jointly by the Voice Foundation and the National Association of Teachers of Singing.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Alexander Technique, Larry Lee Hensel
Chapter 2: The Feldenkrais Method, Elizabeth L. Blades
Chapter 3: Yoga for Singers, Linda Lister
Chapter 4: Pilates and the Singing Actor, Joan Melton
Chapter 5: Body Mapping, Jan Prokop
Chapter 6: The CoreSinging Approach, Meribeth Dayme
Chapter 7: Meditation, Michelle DeBruyn
Chapter 8: An Introduction to Tomatis Listening, Susan Hurley
Chapter 9: Awareness and Optimal Performance: Cognitive Neuroscience for Singers, Karen Leigh-Post
Chapter 10: How Learning Works: An Introduction to Motor Learning Theory, Lynn Helding
Chapter 11: Singing and Voice Science, Scott McCoy
Chapter 12: Vocal Health for Singers, Wendy LeBorgne
Chapter 13: Awareness and Singing: Toward a Holistic Approach, Matthew Hoch

Editorial Reviews

One may easily pick up this book and go directly to a chapter of interest, but one of the revelatory insights of reading it start-to-finish is how often concepts overlap and reinforce one another across these varied modalities. As a teacher, it's a reminder of how many influences and experiences are drawn upon every day in an attempt to assist students. So You Want to Sing with Awareness is recommended for teachers looking to infuse their studio teaching with fresh ideas, and for the singer who is ready to delve into self-examination as a path of vocal discovery.

Ultimately, there is a wealth of knowledge contained in this single volume, offering tangible tools and a variety of perspectives with which singers can attend to any deficit in awareness. Important reading for students, performers, and pedagogues.

Sincerest praise for this in-depth study on body awareness methods for singers. This should be required reading for all students of vocal performance and pedagogy. As a long-time yogi, I can attest to the immeasurable benefits my practice has brought not only to the physical aspects of my vocal technique, but also the mental focus that has been so valuable to me in my career both onstage and off. This is a must read for the singer who wishes for a long and healthy career!

So You Want to Sing with Awareness is a wonderfully thorough text covering many aspects of mindful voice teaching and study. Each chapter is written by high-level specialists in our field and supported by great visual images. This volume is an incredible resource for teachers of singing, students, and professional singers looking to enhance their understanding of the mind-body-voice connection. I look forward to using this volume to support my teaching and ongoing integration of mind-body work in the studio and classroom.

From the Publisher

So You Want to Sing with Awareness is a wonderfully thorough text covering many aspects of mindful voice teaching and study. Each chapter is written by high-level specialists in our field and supported by great visual images. This volume is an incredible resource for teachers of singing, students, and professional singers looking to enhance their understanding of the mind-body-voice connection. I look forward to using this volume to support my teaching and ongoing integration of mind-body work in the studio and classroom.

Katherine Jolly

Ultimately, there is a wealth of knowledge contained in this single volume, offering tangible tools and a variety of perspectives with which singers can attend to any deficit in awareness. Important reading for students, performers, and pedagogues.

Voice and Speech Review

Sincerest praise for this in-depth study on body awareness methods for singers. This should be required reading for all students of vocal performance and pedagogy. As a long-time yogi, I can attest to the immeasurable benefits my practice has brought not only to the physical aspects of my vocal technique, but also the mental focus that has been so valuable to me in my career both onstage and off. This is a must read for the singer who wishes for a long and healthy career!

Kathryn Lewek

One may easily pick up this book and go directly to a chapter of interest, but one of the revelatory insights of reading it start-to-finish is how often concepts overlap and reinforce one another across these varied modalities. As a teacher, it’s a reminder of how many influences and experiences are drawn upon every day in an attempt to assist students. So You Want to Sing with Awareness is recommended for teachers looking to infuse their studio teaching with fresh ideas, and for the singer who is ready to delve into self-examination as a path of vocal discovery.

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