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Showing posts from November, 2017

Working Through Illness

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From time to time, everyone must pass through seasons of forced rest and recovery. Often through no fault of our own, we find ourselves exposed to germs at a time when the immune system we rely on is depressed for one reason or another. One mentor of mine phrased it thus: "Sometimes there's just a bug with your name on it." It's important for singers to remember that these times require careful attention to one's instrument. Vocal rest, when there is pain in the throat or larynx, is an absolute necessity. However, much work can still be accomplished during this time-out from singing. Score study, which too many singers ignore, to their detriment, can still be undertaken while in the sick bed. In fact, this mental practice is every bit as necessary as the physical kind whenever one is preparing music for performance. Too often we picture "practicing" as something we do in the same manner every day, when it needs to be an organic process that ebbs and f