Voicing

Voicing is a two-edged sword. Professionals such as actors, actresses, singers, and the like use voicing to simply improve the quality of their own voices. People not involved in entertainment practice it for its other health benefits. Of course, anybody can benefit from voicing on multiple levels. The voice training provided for professionals and for those seeking health benefits does differ, but only slightly. Since a professional's voice is a means of livelihood they require a slightly more technical instruction; conversly, those training for only therapeutic reasons do not require such technical training. In order to produce a quality, or a whole voice, the resources of the entire body must be called upon; vocal chords alone are not enough. This is what we teach: how to coordinate the body to produce sound. In our unique method of Centered Breathing, an exhaled breath passes over the vocal chords, thereby producing sound, or voice, while simultaneously, the entire body resonates along with it. While a quality voice is very important, and something we hope to achieve, voice training is also an essential relaxation technique. Tense outer muscles located near the body surface are readily relaxed with massage, however there are interior muscles that massage cannot reach. Voicing and Centered Breathing cause both nerve and bone to resonate. This resonation reaches inner muscles, thereby allowing them to relax. Like a tightened screw that is eventually loosened by vibrations, so the whole body is made to relax from voice resonation. The ancient Indian practice of Ayurveda Medicine believes there is a way to achieve healing by voicing. Though the particular voicing aspect of Ayurveda Medicine has seemingly been lost through the years, a very similar Japanese style called Kotodama has survived and is still practiced today. Kotoba means "word " and Dama (or Tamashi) means "spirit".

Although the actual basic order of the Japanese vowel sounds is a, i, u, e, o, here at Studio Ray we change that order to a, e, i, o, u, followed by a hummed n sound. Each particular vowel sound has a very specific geographic location in the human body where it massages. For example the "o" sound effects the lungs, throat, bronchial tubes, and windpipe, or simply put: the chest area. Each vowel sound and the area it affects is discussed in detail later. If you want to massage certain portions of your body, the according vowel sound must be used for that particular area. When you first begin training for voicing, pitch is not especially important. Your natural voice is sufficient. As you practice and become more familiar with your voice and body, then pitch begins to play a much more important role. As we tell our own students, it is very important to practice Centered Breathing and humming before and after voicing.

As explained in full detail on the Centered Breathing page, it is important to remember that while practicing Centered Breathing you should imagine that inside your lower abdomen there is an onion-shaped balloon, with a small hole or opening near the top. This imaginary hole should reside inside of your body just below the bottom of the sternum, with an airline leading up to the throat area. This imagined opening will rise and fall with in your body as you breathe. Of course, the sound is produced when the vocal chords inside the throat vibrate, but you should feel that the source of your voice originates from this small imaginary opening deep inside your body.

Japanese vowel sounds and their respective functions:

(A): The "A" sound predominately affects the upper frontal body region, especially the face, nose, chest, shoulders, and upper torso, but also includes the entire body.
(E): The "E" sound predominately affects the upper frontal body region, especially the face, nose, chest, shoulders, and upper torso, but also includes the entire body.
(I): The "I" sound predominately affects the area around the spinal column, starting from the pelvic area and tail bone, then following up the spine to the back of the neck, and reaching up to the top of the skull.
(O): "O" affects the front of the upper body, around the chin area, going down the shoulders, rib cage, and sternum.
(U): This sound concentrates mostly on the upper skull, but also includes the temples, eyes, nose, and ears. The traditional U sound that is common in traditional Noh plays differs slightly from the everyday spoken Japanese and is the preferred voicing vowel.
(N): This final sound is more of a hum than an actual vowel sound, but its vibrations primarily incorporate most of the head, including the nasal and ear passages, cheeks, and back of the head.