humility, pride and voice lessons

Bend your knees every time you breathe.
Yes, like a plie.
and don't let your jaw go back. Breathe deeply,
and let's speak the line before you sing it.

anyone who has ever taken voice lessons knows that when walk in, you leave your pride at the door. humility humiliation is at least 80% of what is taking place. Thankfully, Ben is willing enough to demonstrate, so I don't feel like a complete fool as we make faces at each other and add body movements designed to release tension, increase breath support and improve posture and balance.

It's an interesting exercise in breeding confidence; trust that the sounds emanating from my face do not actually echo those of a skein of geese. My own sense of vulnerability reaching its fullness when, as the lesson comes to a close, the door is opened only to discover the five or six multitudes of students and music school faculty within earshot outside the unfortunately thin wood door. But, I emerge and looking none of them in the eye, usher forth to the stairs and the door and the outside world telling myself that Ben would not lie to me, that history has not lied to me... that I can sing, quite beautifully... (when all the elements in the world and those the unconscious space around us come into perfect alignment).