The Performative Power of Vocality

Abstract

Later in Chapter 8 (“Placement”), the author speaks about the intrinsic muscles of the larynx and the “muscular sling” that affect tone as follows: “A singer must be able to consciously adjust these muscles in order to produce a sung tone rich in timbre and resonant qualities” (92). Yet in the following paragraph, he contradicts this directive by saying, “we do not have direct control over these muscles [. . .] The only way we can influence them is by thinking of the resultant sound or quality they seem to produce” (92). These statements beg the question: can we attain this result with conscious control of the laryngeal muscles, or must we only imagine the desired sound to produce it? Your Body, Your Voice is not a training manual or a “how-to” book (“The Whispered Ah” is the only guided exercise provided). Its purpose is to elucidate the mechanical aspects of the voice, how they work together, and how we sometimes put them to use in habitually damaging ways. The colorful and efficacious illustrations attributed to David Brown and the in-depth descriptions of anatomy make this publication a useful guide for both learners and trainers of voice production. By understanding how all the skeletomuscular systems can and should synchronize with no unnecessary interference, one can begin to correct those behaviors “to restore [the voice] as an integrated whole” (131).