1. What does it mean to support the voice?

McCallion (1998) has mentioned that the voice is inseparable to the entire being – meaning voice production is not solely limited to the voice organs. To my personal understanding, rather, it is supported and produced by making sure that our entire bodies are in optimal condition (or at least in a condition we know we want to be in). He draws comparisons of vocal production in an adult to a baby – whereby the latter, by being a clean slate, does not jeopardize their own voices. Perversion, regardless if it is misuse, underuse, overuse can cause our voices to be damaged in the long run. Perhaps what McCallion wants us to realise, is to have the consciousness regarding the usage of our voice – and not just leave it to our subconscious to determine how we should use them – because not being aware of how we use our voices can damage it.

To support the voice, the body needs to be in the right position. Far more than often people collapse their chest, their spines or their shoulders. This collapse causes our breathing capacity to be squashed – our lungs will not be able to expand and contract to its full potential and our diaphragms won’t be able to support the voice – what results is an additional effort used in speaking – and our voices will be well supported.  Conversely, some people arch their backs too much and cause unnecessary strain in their spine and abdominal muscles – causing too much tension in their speech. Personally, I tend to slouch a little when I speak. However, I have experience playing wind instruments – and so naturally my breath capacity could be larger than most people. Perhaps this breath capacity compensates for my bad posture – but in the long run I know it isn’t beneficial to my body – and that I realise through the lesson activities that I could sound a lot better if the breathing and posture can be improved.

Another issue that concerns support is the position of our feet. I often shift my weight to my feet because of a little spinal mis/alignment issue. McCallion (1998) proposes that the feet has to be slightly apart, and that the weight is evenly distributed to achieve a “well-balanced and well-directed” state for breathing and voice production to take place (p. 20)

Regarding self-consciousness and spontaneity, I agree with McCallion’s points that we should see self-consciousness as a good point – not one that hinders our performance but rather empowers us. Awareness of our bodies make us know what to do in circumstances that may lead to a falter (e.g. if we feel like our energy level is drooping during a speech, we stand up straighter). Having this awareness and choice allow us to function at our best. We need to be equipped with the necessary awareness and skills in order to be free - as ironic as it might sound.

My understanding of supporting the voice:

References:

McCallion, M. (1998). The Voice Book: For Everyone Who Wants to Make the Most of Their Voice. London: Faber and Faber Limited