Resting the Voice
I haven't sung in two days now. The last time I sang was on Wednesday evening worship and choir practice. The rest of the time, I have been pretty quiet. I have spent time at home alone and have just been quiet.
Now, I have always tried to have good vocal hygiene. I try to breathe appropriately, I stop singing when I get hoarse, and I drink water constantly. I try to use the best support that I can, even when I'm draped over my guitar, and I take singing vacations when I can.
This past week has been a good opportunity for a singing vacation. I have been quiet.
Being quiet and just listening is a learned skill. I use it lots in sessions. Many of the interns that I have spent time with over the years cannot listen or be quiet. They feel that they have to talk or sing or interrupt in order to justify being a "therapist."
I was first taught how to listen by a person working on her doctorate in child psychology - Sandy Rudder taught me about being assertive but also about being a listener. There is so much more to listening than simply decoding the sounds another person puts into the atmosphere. The lessons learned many, MANY years ago still stick with me and have helped me in my quest to be a good therapist...
I have found that simply sitting and listening gives me so much more insight into what a client needs from me and the music. This doesn't mean that I never speak or interact verbally with a client, but I spend lots of time watching and waiting for my clients to start the verbal interaction. I do interact musically - adding syllables into an improvisation, adding percussive elements, and singing - but only when I feel that the client wants it to happen in their own musical interaction.
My singing vacation is over. I go back to my job as a church music director tomorrow and back into full-time music therapy on Monday. I firmly believe that my voice will be stronger and easier to use because I have been so quiet this past week of Spring Break.
Now, I have always tried to have good vocal hygiene. I try to breathe appropriately, I stop singing when I get hoarse, and I drink water constantly. I try to use the best support that I can, even when I'm draped over my guitar, and I take singing vacations when I can.
This past week has been a good opportunity for a singing vacation. I have been quiet.
Being quiet and just listening is a learned skill. I use it lots in sessions. Many of the interns that I have spent time with over the years cannot listen or be quiet. They feel that they have to talk or sing or interrupt in order to justify being a "therapist."
I was first taught how to listen by a person working on her doctorate in child psychology - Sandy Rudder taught me about being assertive but also about being a listener. There is so much more to listening than simply decoding the sounds another person puts into the atmosphere. The lessons learned many, MANY years ago still stick with me and have helped me in my quest to be a good therapist...
I have found that simply sitting and listening gives me so much more insight into what a client needs from me and the music. This doesn't mean that I never speak or interact verbally with a client, but I spend lots of time watching and waiting for my clients to start the verbal interaction. I do interact musically - adding syllables into an improvisation, adding percussive elements, and singing - but only when I feel that the client wants it to happen in their own musical interaction.
My singing vacation is over. I go back to my job as a church music director tomorrow and back into full-time music therapy on Monday. I firmly believe that my voice will be stronger and easier to use because I have been so quiet this past week of Spring Break.
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