Speaking of Voice: “My Go-To Warm-Up” by Anthony Arnold

MY GO-TO WARM-UP, by Anthony Arnold (Miller Middle School Advanced Choir)

 

I believe that 90% of singing is air and controlling the air. Due to this belief, I incorporate breathing exercises that engage the students to focus on controlling their air flow to produce their beautiful tone. The exercise we use is a modification from the product entitled, “The Breathing Gym”. 

 

Students start with their left hand on their mid-section and their right hand in a fist. Students will provide a suction cup effect on their hand and breath in air for four (4) counts. This suction cup effect forces the students to open their throat more than just “breathing in”. On count five (5), students will “pop” their hand away from their face and start to hiss out the air for four (4) more counts. The left hand during the hiss plays an important function during the hiss as the students want to contract their mid-section, inter coastal muscles, and glutes to try and get all the air out of their bodies. 

 

Metronone is set to seventy-two (72) BPMs and the exercises go in the progression of:

b. In (3), POP, Hiss (8)

c. In (2), POP, Hiss (12)