That exercises are non-musical/non-expressive could be obvious. How can one compare the expressive potential of a Bach Passion aria with an ascending and descending major triad? Dig a little deeper, though, and I hope that you will apprehend my point: It is technically valuable to exercise the voice without the imposed layer of an expressive construct, specifically because the desire to express something often engenders unnecessary layers of muscular tension.
With this in mind, this month I present a series of exercises initially designed by voice scientists to help rehabilitate the voices of non-singers. These exercises not only serve a “non-expressive” function, but also fill a likely gap in your practice routine, namely isometric exercises. Scientifically measured benefits to the inclusion of these exercises in a regular practice regimen includes increased awareness of breath control, increased sense of relaxation during both inhalation and exhalation, decreased rate of airflow while singing (and decreased sub-glottal pressure), increased phonation volume, increased maximum phonation time, and many more…
