One of the main things I hear people say about what they want to experience in their voice is FREEDOM.
I personally love hearing that, because it resonates in my soul as well. I LOVE the feeling of singing with freedom!
But what is vocal freedom? Is this something you can learn and practice?
The answer is…YES!
The first step we can use to approach this idea of “freedom” in the voice starting with resonance.
What is resonance?
Resonance in the voice occurs when sound moves freely through the vocal tract.
(If you’re curious, I can get into the science of what creates resonance and really geek out on it. For now, I’ll focus on the experience of resonance.)
Resonance is the experience of a free-flowing sound, (without pushing, tension, or straining!
It’s what allows a single voice, not amplified, to be heard over a full orchestra, for example.
But, it’s not about “loudness” or amplitude.
Resonance can be heard even in the softest, “pianissimo” notes…
(And sometimes those soft sounds can move the soul even more powerfully than the loud ones!
Have you ever experienced that?! I certainly have.)
Resonance carries the energy of your voice to listeners in a powerful and clear way.
It often creates a visceral response for the listener. It moves people.
When the voice is resonating, the vocalist typically experiences “ease of phonation”–as if the voice is just “coming right out”!
My students often talk about how they experience “surrender,” “letting go of control,” and “ease” when their voice is resonating in a healthy way.
They are often surprised and say things like: “Wow, is that my voice?!”And they like it, too!
That’s because creating healthy resonance requires us to LET GO of “micro-managing” our body–and allow the voice to “do it’s thing”!
(Wouldn’t it be so nice to just stop trying to overthink and micro-manage everything, and let things flow?)
So, how do we let the voice just “do its thing”?
Well–we first create the conditions for healthy and free resonance to occur.
Then, freedom arises.
How do we create those conditions?
We start with “energetic” alignment–the source root of where our singing and expression comes from. It’s from the “inside–out.”
When we align our energy body for singing, the physical body actually responds in a reliable way to create the conditions for a free voice to express.
We align our energy body through a combination of specific practices.
For example, we often start with toning the root chakra using energetic seed sounds, physical postures specific for that person, and breath work.
Then, we apply those tools into vocalise exercises, so the body gets used to feeling aligned while singing.
Much of this work is about “deconditioning” ourselves from the patterns we hold onto that keep us stuck in our voice and expression.
These patterns often come from childhood experiences, traumas, conditioning we’ve received around what is “ok” and “not ok” around our voice and expression.
Oftentimes, “freeing the voice” is less about singing and speaking beautifully (although that is a wonderful “by-product” of this work!)…
and more about healing and releasing the layers within ourselves that hold us back and keep us guarded in our expression.
True Vocal Freedom
We do this practice so that we can truly feel FREEDOM in our voices.
I see this happen over and over again for my students.
It is an art, a craft, an expression, an embodied healing practice–it is life!
I love supporting my students in learning these practices so they can be empowered and apply it on their own.
It’s like having a tool belt for what you need so you can feel free, consistently, in your expression.
This is what lights me up and keeps me in ‘vocal service’!
If you are feeling called to tap into freedom around your voice, and learn tools to support your healing and singing, then I invite you to send me a message to rush@rushdorsett.com. Let’s chat about practices you can use to tap into freedom in your voice.
In the meantime, I invite you to take a moment to do some singing today and move/express the emotions/experiences present for you! (Trust yourself on that one)
