Thursday, April 4, 2013

Kristin Linklater and warming up the voice



Kristin Linklater's main theory is that "knowing how to connect language to breath and voice is a golden key to hang on the chain of an actors craft"
                                                                 - Kristin Linklater
Linklater is along with Berry brings more of a formal approach to theatre with extensive research into the voice and resonators. 

Linklater speaks about a natural sounding voice, freeing your voice. Using humming, sighing, yawning, buzzing of the lips and pushing sounds up or down into the different resonators around the body. Completing the exercises set out by Linklater you must never imitate the sound but let it come naturally.

Using the exercise created by Kristin Linklater I can construct a warm up and down for the voice. Beginning with breathing from the diaphragm, working our way through the exercises. Starting with a soft hum (my voice when not pushing or imitating a sound is quiet) then opening it up into an ahh sound, still not pushing the voice. I then yawn as many times as I need and make sure I smile as I yawn to stretch and open up my mouth, this also creates a natural ah sound. The laying on the ground I pant. Lying on the ground helps me to see that I am working my diaphragm. The panting warms up my diaphragm and helps me remind myself how to breathe with it, especially if I am doing this in the morning.  Then I can go through a brrring of the lips on one note then repeat the burr but exploring different pitches. I then begin to explore the sounds of different resonators around my body. Trying to get the sound up in my nose, front of the skull, back of the skull and ribs by humming. I then go through another deep breathing and I feel as if I am ready for a stage performance. 

Utilizing these skills that can be learnt through repetition I can enhance not only my voice but also the work presented in performance because of having a stronger sounding voice. 

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