100x100/11: Direct Manipulation of the Vocal Tract

Attempts to manipulate elements of vocal tract often spoil singing.

Attempts distort proper coordinations; ignore faulty intentions actually causing physical, acoustic, expressive problems.

Attempts put effect before cause, faith in reverse-engineering.

Specific attempts give specific problems, eg:

• Attempts to “lift soft palate” give tension in “tongue root”. (True lift neither muscular nor local.)

• Attempts to turn, or lower, larynx give tongue retraction, palate lowering.

• Attempts to “release tongue root” through protrusion give distorted text, swallowed sound: tension’s causes untouched.

Such attempts can be singer’s primary problem.

Vocal tract holistically motivated through well-formed intention. Ill-formed intention or unsuccessful embodiment causal problem.