Frequently Asked Questions (Performing)

BAG PIPES

Hi Mike, I received my manual today. Thanks. Remember me? I am the piper. I was wondering which is more effective-attending the 2 day group workshop or getting individual telephone consultation. Thanks a lot. I have a bit of bronchitis. Do you know if I can breathe correctly and blow my pipes at the same time?

From Mike:
Please get rid of the bronchitis. NOW. Go to Recommended Program. Let me know how you are doing.

TIRED TRUMPET LIPS

Hey Michael, I am a 37 and I have been playing the Trumpet for the past 24 or so years. I am a good player but I am very limited based on what I call bad breathing habits. I talk with several of the top notch players in the industry and none of them after a long concert get tired at their lip. Instead they all say that they are tired in the lower back. I however get tired in my lip because I know I am not breathing deep. Playing the Trumpet means a lot to me. I will be in situations where I may have to improvise a solo and my mind hears one thing but because of the lack of development with correct breathing I am forced to settle for something less than expected of myself. Can you help me?

From Mike:
Dear "Tired" Take the breathing tests for hidden signs of breathing blocks. Purchase our Recommended Program.

LARYNGITIS

From Mike:
To me, laryngitis is a combination of poor mechanical function and irritated throat and speaking membranes from that poor mechanical functioning. Worsened by poor nutrition. I have seen it reduce significantly in a two hour private session.

DEVELOP and FEED his breathing system -- click here

SINGING OPERA

I am currently training to be an opera singer, and still do not feel that I have mastered the correct breathing needed to create the sound I desire. I would like to know if you have any experience with singers, and what technique you feel is best for me to use. I am able to support my sound somewhat of course, but my voice often tires quickly. I recognize how important breathing is to my career, and would like to use proper breathing to preserve my voice so it will be robust for many years. If you wish, I will complete the breathing tests listed on this page, in addition to any others you might feel appropriate

From Mike:
Lots of experience with singers. I love to work with singers. With few exceptions, they are some of the healthiest and happiest people in the world. Think of your entire internal body as a sound producing instrument. You must be both standing, relaxed and properly erect simultaneously. This is for most contradictory as gravity and being bent and twisted in subtle ways creates breathing blocks. It takes years to release them unless you can feel immediately what it is like to make the sound you want. Click on Results to get a sense of what I am referring to. When you work with me you experience some techniques that help you find the inside sense of what the easy, full, voice feels and sounds like when it is unfettered with internal tensions and weaknesses. I combine various techniques and exercises to get you there in a few hours instead of months or years.

I can't easily tell you what I do because it is something like riding a bicycle, juggling, eating and smiling all at the same time. But I can often coach you into the proper place within a few hours. The trick is to experience the sound NOW so that you can go back to it as a kinesthetic felt sense experience instead of a technically correct and often somewhat restricted experience that might sound good but not have the optimal internal coordination to invite a strong and more spontaneous singing voice that comes from who you really are.

I am looking for highly motivated people that are totally committed to living life to the absolute fullest. Tell me how much chest expansion you have now by taking this test. Take a cloth tape measure and wrap it around your upper chest below your collar bone. Exhale fully and measure the distance. Inhale fully and measure that distance. What is the difference between the two measurements.

Example: Fully Exhaled = 35 Fully inhaled 371/4 Expansion is 2.25 inches. 1-2 inches is average depending on your height.. 4- 5 inches is great. I'm 6'2" & have a 4 inch rise..

If you haven't already, access breathing tests.

And send me the results. I can get a pretty good picture of your situation from all that. I look forward to meeting you.

Mike

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SINGING & VOICE PROBLEMS

The following Singing and Voice Problems email typifies a problem often overlooked by many classical voice teachers. The teacher, no matter how well intended, rarely takes the student beyond where the teacher has gone him/herself. If you breathe you can sing. If you can sing, you do not necessarily know how to breathe. Trust me on this. It is an axiom of the breath.

Dear Mike,

Hello! I have been looking at your web site for the past two days, I looked and read every single page, I found it so interesting, touching the particular issues I was looking for on the Internet, the web site is also very well designed, I was really happy to find it. Telling you a little about myself, my name is Benjamin I am 22 years old, I go to voice training it's been exactly a year from now since I started, I luckily found a great voice teacher that devoted himself literally (our relationship is far more than between any regular teacher and student), I started with a small little voice very nasal, today I am a tenor (Lyrico- spinto) with a range of a little less than 3 octaves, we've progressed tremendously in such a short time, I can already sing most of Pavarotti's repertoire, and Jewish Cantorial. All the credit go to my teacher, but we are both determined to continue on improving, developing the vocal potential. My teacher never put any special emphasis about the proper way of breathing as other voice methods would, "we were born with the natural best way of breathing" he says, he himself was a terrific world known Opera singer, "I always had enough breath", his career was cut short due to a pneumonia, he couldn't perform anymore, feeling that he wasn't able to sustain an opera anymore (before that he used to be a real lion on stage), since then he stopped and much later he began giving voice lessons. That is actually the purpose of me writing to you, in the beginning of my voice, training, singing Arias felt physically very hard, after half an hour singing I felt how the diaphragm was getting tired, especially at the higher registered, although being within my vocal range ability, I was unable to continue singing, my teacher kept saying that it's normal for someone that just begins singing, and taught me how to approach it lighter. We did special scale exercises for that, to built the flexibility and make the diaphragm stronger, now it is really different, I can sing for much longer, but I still feel that same feeling, in a smaller way of course, I also run out of breath sometimes especially singing in the high register, that's why I would like to have your opinion on that, if your method for breathing improvement may be able to help me, I would surely buy it, my teacher agrees that improving the "natural" breathing can only be helpful for a singer. (I read your reply to the opera singer in the "FAQ" section, but I felt the need to tell you about myself, in order for you to help me better).

Reading about how your method can cure or reduce stuttering, arose my interest as well, I do not have a severe stutter, but I hesitate when I speak, sometimes for a long time, it is usually ok, but I wish to work on that too. I thank you very much for taking your time reading this long letter Mike, I wish you a lot of success in your projects, by helping people breathing correctly and optimally, I look forward hearing from you.

Yours truly. B

PS: Feel free to put my letter in your web site for other people, that need the same kind of help, I would just ask you to take out the personal things, thanks.

From Mike
Well done Benjamin:

You have uncovered the key to a lasting, free and easy singing voice. Optimal breathing.

I am pretty sure that if your teacher had seen me he would not have had to quit the business. I would love to work with you BOTH. Your teacher is WRONG about everyone breathing normally.

Many develop breathing blocks due to trauma, emotional suppression, forcing the breath or gasping during other exertions. Technique alone will not sustain the singing voice and will often sound like technically perfect but slightly unreal communication. when it needs to use the power of classical song.

It would be an honor to work with you but you must come to our office for a few days.

I could put you in touch with a classical voice breathing student of mine in California who sang Carnegie Hall in July 1999. Prior to that she was losing her highs and was very troubled abut that. We got them back plus lengthened her low note sustains by about double. It took three sessions.

Mike

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SINGING & BREATH CONTROL

Mike:

I am so glad I have found your website! I have sung for several years and have one major problem -- I have no breath control. What products/information would you recommend to get me on the road to better breathing as well as better singing? Thanks for your help.

From Mike:
Begin with "Opposing Forces" listed in the #191 Secrets of Optimal Natural Breathing manual.

Blessings,

Mike

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SINGING AND THYROID

From Mike:
The thyroid can swell to capture more of the substances it needs to feed itself. This may cause tightness in the vocal area. There is a good inexpensive test for hypothyroidism that is under thyroid.

Mike.

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SINGING AND SUPPORTING ITS FOUNDATION

Hello Mike, I was wondering if you can help. Is it true to say that for singing we need to keep the diaphragm expanded, to resist its temptation to rise back up into its natural position for control of the air? Is this achieved by the following exercise: Keeping the lower ribs expanded and with hands on waist coughing gently 2 times and you should feel an outward pulse against your fingertips. A gentle but firm outward pressure. This support should be established just prior to the sound and maintain it to the end of the vocal sound.

From Mike:
Not happy with the cough. Also, not so much focus on the waist as many have different views of the waist. Try more in the soft area above the pelvis and below the ribs. Push out with the belly muscles as you speak or sing or do your vocal exercises.

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Vocalist diet. http://www.about-breathing.com/building_healthy_lungs.pdf

SPEECH THERAPY

Dear Mike

I am a speech pathologist, specializing in voice disorders. Lately my case load has been overrun with patients with vocal cord dysfunction or paradoxical vocal cord movement. Most have been misdiagnosed as asthmatic. Have you worked with these patients. A lot of what I do with them is breathing work. Would really like hearing from you.

Maria D

From Mike:
Dear Maria,

That makes perfect sense. I just a week ago added speech to the subtitle of the manual to "The Art and Science of Improved Respiration and Speech without drugs or Surgery". http://www.breathing.com/articles/spasmodic-dysphonia.htm

Come to our office and do an intensive with me and you will learn how to rapidly accelerate your progress with your patients.

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Mike

STUTTERING

Question: I believe good breathing can help alleviate stuttering. Do you recommend any particular breathing exercise(s) for this problem?

Thank you. T.T.

From Mike:
Extending the exhale several times more then the inhale has worked with some. Take the breathing tests for hidden signs of breathing blocks.

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Mike

STUTTERING

Hi I have speech problems I Stutter I just wondering if there's any Tapes or something to help me with my Breathing & Stuttering

From Mike:
Many people think of themselves as stutterers. If you are willing to redefine yourself and think of yourself as one who "used to stutter" or who is "stuttering less and less" we can make some progress.

Are you willing to do this? Optimal Breathing School.

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