Breathing into the dan tien

This past week has been a breath focused week in my studio.  I have several new students, so we are talking about the science of how breathing works, how a good breath feels, and things that we can imagine that help us get a better breath.  Returning students are getting informal quizzes and reminders about these basics, and then we're taking it a step further adding information and exercises based on their current level of technique.

One student needed and was ready for a new approach that would help her internalize the concepts that I know she understands intellectually, but doesn't always apply.  So we talked about Chines concept of dan tiens.  The lower dan tien is located just below the navel and 2-3 finger widths in, which just happens to be a great place to feel the sensation of a low, relaxed breath.  Energy can move up the body to the middle dan tien (about heart level) and the upper dan tien (forehead, between the eyebrows).  (Energy can actually move anywhere in the body along the meridians, but that is a longer more complicated discussion.)

We talked about imagining the breath as energy and drawing it to the lower dan tien. Then, since imagining the sound coming from her forehead (sometimes I say "sing out your unicorn horn") I had her try singing again, thinking of the energy flowing up from the lower dan tien to the upper dan tien to create the sound.  It made a huge difference for her.

Yes, I do realize that technically speaking, there are some issues with this (both from voice science and Chinese medicine perspectives), but the basic concept works and made a huge difference for her.  Plus, I am always careful to fully explain that we are just using imagery, and I also explain the science of what that image tricks us into.  The same image might not work for someone else, and that's OK.

New Book: The Boy's Changing Voice

The Boy's Changing Voice is the newest of Hal Leonard's books for the student singer.  It is designed to meet the needs of those boys right in the middle of the voice change, with songs in that range that is so hard to find music in:  F below middle C to the G above middle C.

If you are like me and own most of the Hal Leonard books for beginning and intermediate students, you already have all these songs, just in different keys.  Like most Hal Leonard products, this comes with a CD that allows you to change the key, which can be especially helpful for these young voices who may need a different key each week.

To help you get the most from this book, here's a list of the songs in the book and what keys they are in, plus where each songs shows up in other Hal Leonard publications.

• All Through the Night, Key of Bb.  
• The Student Singer, High Voice, Key of Eb
• The Student Singer, Low Voice, Key of Ab
• Aura Lee, Key of C
• Easy Songs for the Beginning Baritone/Bass, Key of F
• Barbara Allen, Key of F
• 15 Easy Folksong Arrangements for the Progressing Singer, High Voice, Key of G
• 15 Easy Folksong Arrangements for the Progressing Singer, Low Voice, Key of Bb
• Bendemeer's Stream, Key of C
• Easy Songs for the Beginning Tenor Part II, Key of A
• Bill Groggin's Goat, Key of D
• Easy Songs for the Beginning Tenor Part II, Key of D
• Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie, Key of Bb
• 36 More Solos for Young Singers, Key of F
• Come Again, Sweet Love, Key of Bb
• The Student Singer, High Voice, Key of A
• The Student Singer, Low Voice, Key of F
• Drink to me Only with Thine Eyes, Key of G
• 15 Easy Folksong Arrangements for the Progressing Singer, High Voice, Key of Eb
• 15 Easy Folksong Arrangements for the Progressing Singer, Low Voice, Key of C
• The Erie Canal, Key of gm/Bb
• Easy Songs for the Beginning Baritone/Bass, Key of cm/Eb
• I Gave My Love a Cherry, Key of Bb
• 15 Easy Folksong Arrangements for the Progressing Singer, High Voice, Key of G
• 15 Easy Folksong Arrangements for the Progressing Singer, Low Voice, Key of Eb
• It was a lover and his lass, Key of F
• The Student Singer, High Voice, Key of F
• The Student Singer, Low Voice, Key of D
• The Jolly Miller, Key of b flat minor
• Easy Songs for the Beginning Baritone/Bass, Key of f minor
• The Lark in the Morn, Key of Bb
• Easy Songs for the Beginning Baritone/Bass, Key of Bb
• Pastime with good company, Key of b minor
• The Student Singer, High Voice, Key of b minor
• The Student Singer, Low Voice, Key of g minor
• The Rambling Sailor, Key of F
• Young Ladies, Shipmates, and Journeys Baritone/Bass, Key of D
• It is also in the Tenor book of the same title, but I don't have that book.  
• Shenandoah, Key of F
• 36 More Solos for Young Singers, Key of F
• The Silver Swan, Key of F
• The Student Singer, High Voice, Key of Eb
• The Student Singer, Low Voice, Key of C
• Simple Gifts, Key of Bb
• Easy Songs for the Beginning Baritone/Bass, Key of E
• Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child, Key of b minor
• The Student Singer, High Voice, Key of g minor
• The Student Singer, Low Voice, Key of e minor
• The Streets of Laredo, Key of Bb
• 15 Easy Folksong Arrangements for the Progressing Singer, High Voice, Key of G
• 15 Easy Folksong Arrangements for the Progressing Singer, Low Voice, Key of Eb

I have one boy that I will be sending to get this book.  The keys aren't perfect for him (and I probably won't find a book that is perfect), but with my other books and the ability to choose the best key when using the CD, I feel like this will be something that we will be able to use until his voice matures a little more and I know whether to have him get tenor or baritone/bass books.  

Another great bonus of this book, although it might be slightly confusing to students at first, is that all the songs are written in treble clef.  It means that students will have to get used to reading as low as F in ledger lines, but it also means that these songs look low, and that has a major psychological effect.  Many boys at this age are anxiously awaiting their lower voices.  I think it will make a big difference in how a student approaches the song if he things of the ledger lines in treble clef as low notes as opposed to seeing ledger lines in bass clef as high notes.  

Guest post: Duets

Since I'm not teaching a lot of duets these days, Nicole Marschall has written a guest post to share some of her favorites duets and duet books.  Thanks, Nicole!

Are there other books or sheet music sources that you use for duets?  Please share.  

Treasures for Two, Andy Beck – This is my FAVORITE duet book for young singers.  Any voice combination.  Both parts have melody and harmony.  Favorites:  Who Has Seen the Wind?, Till the Stars fall from the sky, The Snow Begins to Fall, Remember Me and Benedictus.  My young women especially love these songs, very lyrical and beautiful melodies.

Standards For Two, Sally K. Albrecht  - Great jazz songs and jazz musical theatre songs with mid range songs, lots of harmony.    All duets can be m/m, f/f, or m/f.  Some of my favorites:  Button Up Your Overcoat, Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye, Friendship, When I Fall in Love

The Contemporary Singing Actor, Duets Edition – Many options of duets from contemporary musical theatre shows.  Some of my favorites:  For Good (Wicked), In His Eyes (Jekyll & Hyde), Who Will Love Me As I Am?  (Sideshow), I’ll Cover You (Rent), All I Ask of You (Phantom), I’d Give It All For You (Songs for a New World), The Last Night of the World (Miss Saigon), The Proposal (Titanic), Sun and Moon (Miss Saigon)

Classics for Two, Patrick M. Liebergen – A nice mix of well known classics.  Favorites include:  Laudamus te (Vivaldi), Pachelbel’s Canon of Peace, Panis Angelicus (Cesar Franck) and When at Night I Go to Sleep (Humperdinck)

Duet Album, Boosey & Hawkes – Great classical duets that are both well known and a bit more obscure.  Favorites – Die Schwestern (Brahms), Lost Is My Quiet (Purcell), Sound the Trumpet (Purcell), and Spring Wind (Eric Thiman)

American Folk Songs for Two, Andy Beck – I have just discovered this book and have not used it much yet.    Traditional folk songs arrangements include:  Go ‘Way from My Window, How Can I Keep from Singing?, Simple Gifts and The Water is Wide

Folk Songs for Two, Jay Althouse – Another of my favorite books for young singer duets.  Favorite arrangements include:  Poor Wayfaring Stranger, Scarborough Fair, Homeward Bound, Cindy and Shenandoah

The Singer’s Musical Theatre Anthology Duets Editions

Musical Theatre Anthology for Teens, Duets –Lots of great musical theatre duets, some songs are not duets in the actual production.  Some favorites:  My Favorite Things, It’s A Grand Night for Singing, Sisters)

Broadway for Two by Andy Beck & Brian Fisher – A great mix of duets!  Love this book!  A nice mix of contemporary and classic duets.

Duet sheets:  Ave Maria (Saint-Saens), La ci darem la mano (Don Giovanni), Sull’ aria (from The Marriage of Figaro), Via, resti servita, madama brillante (The Marriage of Figaro)