Complete Vocal Fitness: A Singers Guide to Physical Training, Anatomy, and Biomechanics

(Hardback)

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Complete Vocal Fitness: A Singers Guide to Physical Training, Anatomy, and Biomechanics is a primer on sport-specific training for vocal athletes. Elite athletes apply cutting-edge research in movement and physiology to customize fitness regimens that ensure peak performance. The principles of sports science that enable them to fine-tune strength, flexibility and dynamic stabilization to meet the requirements of a given sport are invaluable for preparing the body to meet the physical demands of singing. This book will teach you to: Optimize alignment by identifying and resolving postural distortions Balance strength and flexibility throughout your torso to facilitate full breathing and promote coordinated breath management Improve oxygen consumption to enhance your stamina and ability to sustain long phrases Stabilize your spine and major joints in order to continue performing with solid technique while meeting the demands of stage movement Musicians of all kinds benefit from understanding the basics of how their instruments work. This book is also a guide to how the vocal instrument functions. You will find accessible descriptions of the fundamental components of vocal anatomy laryngeal function, articulation and resonance explaining their movements, their interaction with one another, their integration with the anatomy of breathing and alignment, and relating them to common non-anatomical terminology often used in the voice studio.

Reviews

Claudia Friedlander has a deep understanding of thebiomechanics of singing, and she does a beautiful job of explaining it to therestof us. For singers and teachers looking for ways to improve vocaltechnique, her book is the perfect place to start. -- Deborah Voigt, internationally renowned soprano
Performers of opera and musical theatre are, in fact, singing athletes. We need to maintain our bodies and instruments with the training and focus of a marathon runner, and Dr. Friedlander has written a guide on how to embrace a lifestyle which will not only enhance physical health but also the health of one's instrument. Every singer should own a copy of this book! -- Jennifer Rowley, Metropolitan Opera soprano
Finally, here is a book that treats singing as the athletic endeavor that it is. It offers step-by-step instructions for identifying then correcting physical imbalances through targeted stretches and strength training exercises. The illustrations are much more useful than the anatomy books weve used for years, because they address issues of the singer and include only the pertinent information. If you are serious about singing, this book should live on your piano! -- Rod Gilfry, Associate Professor of Vocal Arts, USC Thornton School of Music, baritone

Author Bio

Claudia Friedlander is a voice teacher and fitness expert based in New York City. She has presented workshops on vocal fitness for The Voice Foundation and the Performing Arts Medicine Association, and was an invited panel discussant on health and wellness for OPERA America. Her students have performed on Broadway, and at leading opera houses including The Santa Fe Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. She is the author of the monthly column Musings on Mechanics for Classical Singer Magazine as well as a widely read and cited blog on vocal technique and fitness, The Liberated Voice. In 2008, she joined the faculty of the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall, where her most recent project was the development, in collaboration with Joyce DiDonato, of The Singers Audition Handbook, an interactive online career development guide for young singers.