YogaVoice®: Yoga and Systematic Vocal Technique as 21st Century Vocal Pedagogy

YogaVoice® is a unique 21st century synthesis of the eight-limbs of Classical Yoga technology and Systematic Vocal Technique (SVT). The application of these principles to the lives and work of both professional and amateur singers can facilitate self-awareness and artistic empowerment.

YogaVoice® begins with the assumption, based in Yoga technology, that all people possess innate balance and wholeness. Our voices, as sonic representations of ourselves, also possess balance and wholeness. Yet learned patterns of behaviour and response to external stimuli cause impediments to our bodies and minds and, by extension, to our vocal freedom and wellness.

This workshop will begin with a brief discussion of Yogic principles that promote mindfulness and self-awareness, as they relate to physical, emotional, and mental wellness. Following will be an overview of bel canto vocal methodology as described through the lens of SVT (taught by Richard Miller in The Structure of Singing, Schirmer, 1986.) These two time-honoured disciplines are then drawn together to form a unique 21st century approach to voice training and usage. The Chakra system will be referenced as a foundation for understanding the elements of SVT in the context of a singer’s BodyMind. Course participants will gain a new perspective of the human voice as an innate instrument that can express a person’s deepest artistic intentions and, at the same time, serve as a built-in tool for wellness.

Course participants will have the opportunity to explore the practical application of the lecture content through a YogaVoice® sequence of user-friendly yoga breathing exercises, physical postures, and vocal toning practices. They will walk away with new techniques for applying YogaVoice® in their own practices. If time permits, an optional singing demonstration may also be included.

This course is recommended for anyone interested in the body/mind connection and how it relates to the performing arts (singers, conductors, pianists, pedagogues).