uSing my voice... where do I start?

You might ask yourself what is a good way to start when practicing your voice.

I am from the generation where people were taught about 'belly breathing' and we had to make our muscles strong for breath support. Such a shame, I wasted so much time and effort. 
Not to mention all the back and knees trouble I got, not ever imagining it was due to my so called breathing and support exercises! 

If you still believe you need to do all that, please be aware that there are other ways. All that doing is really not necessary and it will just be on the way of your own voice.

I am so happy I came across the Alexander Technique, and that my first teacher in this technique is also a singer, a classical singer. Ron Murdock, he was the one to open my mind and freed me from having to 'breathe for work'.

Unfortunately the majority of people still believe they need to take a breath in order to sing, and they feel 'relaxed' when breathing out. Well, of course you will need enough air to get your phrase out, yet if you do know exactly what you want to say your brain will take care of sending the message to the rest of the body so that it will know how much air you will need to speak or sing the desired phrase. The real work lies on the out-breath!  

Do you think its weird? No, it is not. It is simply another way to do it but much more connected to what mother nature intended. When you do use your voice you are breathing out after all!

Instead of thinking how to breath in, get your thoughts into how you are breathing out, and just refuse to collapse the torso whilst doing it, that way the muscles will keep on their full length giving you freedom to sing.

And you probably wonder how to do it?
You will need a bunch of Alexander Technique lessons in order to get the freedom to do it. 

Click for more info about breathing