Five reasons why you should sing

Singing is good for health! Is good for our body, it is an effective natural therapy for the physical well-being and of the whole person.

I share an article written by Umnia Shahid and published in "The Express Tribune" on Oct. 9, 2014.

Are you afraid to sing at a family gathering or in the privacy of your bedroom because you feel it won’t be music to people’s ears? Don’t sweat it. Bring out the Madonna in you because singing has multiple physical, mental and spiritual benefits. The Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts and Health has undertaken extensive research to support their aim of getting the National Health Service in the United Kingdom to provide medical practitioners the option of “singing on prescription.” As compiled from time.com, here are five reasons why you should sing.

1.Boosts cardiovascular health:
Singing is an aerobic activity that increases oxygenation in the blood stream and exercises major muscle groups in the upper body, even when sitting. It decreases risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease.

2. Stimulates the brain:
Singing requires memorising lyrics and following a melody as well as connecting words with emotion. Breathing while singing brings more oxygen to the brain, which results in neurons firing, enhancing mental awareness, concentration and memory.

3. Reduces stress:
When you sing, your brain releases feel-good chemicals including endorphins. This makes singing an effective mood lifter and a valuable tool in alleviating depression. Singing with a group develops a sense of community and belonging, thereby reducing anxiety. Singing is even used as therapy for people with cancer, dementia and for stroke survivors.

4. Natural healer:
Other than time, music is a great healer. Singing has similar effects on the body and mind. It ensures physical, mental, psychological and social well-being. It also improves the posture and breathing, as it increases the capacity of the respiratory system.

5. Builds confidence:
Singing helps develop skills to speak in a natural, powerful and confident voice. It can improve your ability to use your speaking voice with more clarity and confidence. Singing releases a hormone called oxytocin, which helps reduce anxiety, thus helping you overcome your fear of public speaking. Oxytocin also increases feelings of trust, which strengthens confidence in not only yourself but also those around you.

Preliminary piano lesson

Here is a video that presents the lesson in a few minutes preliminary to start playing the piano: a beneficial activity for the body and for the whole person.

In the video are explained in a simple way the fundamentals of proper approach to the instrument.

It clarifies that a state of muscle relaxation is functional with the proper performance. The rhythmic pulse is the basis of our coordinated movements and everything corresponds precisely to the physiology of our natural breathing, in the two phases inhaling and exhaling.

From the very nature of our body comes the music!

The correct posture of the choir-singer

I translate a short excerpt from the most famous German method for chorus: Basiswissen Kirchenmusik 2 (Chor- und Ensembleleitung), that is Fundamentals of church music, volume 2 Conducting of choir and ensemble), which among other things is defined text ecumenical, because it is intended to churches of various denominations. 

On p.78 we find interesting principles of the corrrect posture of the singer, and of course these recommendations apply to children because the physiological fundamentals are the same for children and adults.

The text reads thus:

"The posture. Singer intends conscious his whole body as a instrument. A good attitude stems from a balance of active muscles and relaxed. A key element of our body is the spine. Given that the vocal muscles and especially the respiratory muscles (diaphragm) are closely related to the spine, physical exercises in choir should always be aimed at straightening the spine. The result will then automatically correct the position of the head and a free and open chest. Good posture not only improves breathing and vocal duties, but also the attention and concentration of the singers. Experience has shown that a posture in tension upright and natural, standing or sitting, it makes the singer attentive and motivated, and every director want an attentive cantor." 

Are also given some practical advice:

"Only non-rigid body, but also not without support, is the basis for a good song. Physical exercises are mainly for straightening the spine. Exercises for posture and breathing should never be considered in isolation from context of the emission of sound." 

It is provided with this picture, the caption which describes "the position of the diaphragm":

  

The rhythm and the body

Every musical experience begins from the experience of rhythm, because it is the physiological basis of music, is the link that connects the perception of music with the deep experience of our body to be in motion. And our body, we all know well, can not in any way be separate and distinct from our emotions and our rational life.

Adults can also take an immediate perception of rhythmic structures, from simple regularity of the pulse and its possible organization in binary form (a strong accent, a weak one) or ternary (a strong accent, two weak). The regularity of the pulse of the wrist is always cited as the first form of rhythmic experience that can be felt by every human being.

Breathing in its binary alternation of inspiration and expiration, is the physiological context in which it can be easily experienced a simple process of regular rhythmic organization.

Any other experience of the body, from walking to the alternation in the movement of the arms, can be used for the detection of a rhythmic structure elementary.

From this it can develop all kinds of complex skill, and already the ternary structure may seem more difficult (this happens to a lot of music students!), but the limits of learning ability can never be defined in a rigid way.

Music teaching and education

At the conclusion of the course of  Elements of Music Teaching and Education, I taught this academic year 2011-12 for students of Level II (Biennium) of the Conservatory of Music in Mantua, I would like to make some brief conclusions.

My teaching approach, consistent with some of the most historically important of those principles set out, provided a continuous dialectical and critical involvement of the students present. It has therefore created a climate of cultural good and effective.

A school is, in my opinion, a continuous process, in which any presence, any contribution enriches and broadens the perspective, and none can be said to have arrived at the conclusion of a path, each path of culture and research is always transitory and changeable, and its therein lies the beauty and power of culture and perspective of higher education.

It 's necessary to maintain a constant focus on teaching and its educational foundations. For this I am very passionate about the creation of this course.

After three introductory lectures on the history and issues of general education, followed by four lessons of history teaching and music education, classes 8 and 9 (true "center" of course) were devoted to the theme: "The Music Academies in Italy between new and old systems".
 
The course was finally completed with the last six lessons, dedicated to problems and methods of musical education in various fields (preliminary, theory, practice, instrumental and vocal). Students were able to download progressively from a page of my website educational materials (over five hundred pages), consisting of my introductions and attachments taken from the works of various authors.

Is it possible learn to play the piano at age twenty?

That question was posed by a young woman on a social network.

I replied: I think, to learn to play the piano is a beautiful thing, at any age, it means establishing a new relationship, active with the music, valuing your own passion.

You will notice the benefits for your body and your soul!

Personally I think we can begin the practice, rather than from theory, because the ear and the musical instinct can guide you and accompany you in a satisfactory manner; be able to learn everything that can then be reformulated even theoretically.

Best wishes of good fun!

The school, the music and the joy

Émile Jaques-Dalcroze (1865-1950) 

The education of the sensitivity and personality, through rhythm, must precede the ear, because the rhythm is a primordial element of the music. 

 This education has given to the child a chance to become aware of itself. Educated to know the mechanism of this wonderfully built his body, the child will feel the birth and growth of the desire to fully use the powers at its disposal.

You will also develop the imagination, because his mind, free from all tension and all nervous resistance,  will surrender to fantasy.

He will experience profound joy, higher order, because it is not based on special or external circumstances. What sets it apart from the pleasure is that becomes a permanent state of the individual. Do not depend either on time or by events that occur around us, it is an integral part of our body.

This joy does not manifest with bursts of laughter, like cheerfulness, can remaine hidden inside of us, flourishing in the privacy of our "I", whereas vibrate all the active forces of the individual, that must not be wasted, but oriented, without suffocating them.

The joy comes in the child when his faculties are freed from the inibitions.

This self-knowledge is the result of an education: it is up to the tenacious teachers turn a  little flame of joy, shines timidly at the beginning and irregularly, then light up and feed into a source of light and heat that will continue to grow becoming brighter, warm and beneficial.

(1915)

Annulla

Carl Ph. Em Bach: communicate to the heart and speak to the imagination

From experience we know that all too often the people who listen to great technicians and virtuous, though talented, can not capture any sense: they arouse astonishment but not emotions, actually generating a sense of boredom.  

Who is able to communicate the heart and spoke to the imagination, has other qualities than just a virtuoso who just play the right notes: indeed, melodic and linked units would no longer have any meaning if he was wrong even chords.




(Quotes from: Versuch über die wahre Art das Clavier zu spielen, Teil 1, Berlin 1753 )

Augustine of Hippo: Do not explain in words what my heart sings

"Praise the Lord with the lyre, the harp of ten strings sing to him.Sing to the Lord a new song!" (Psalm 32/33, 2-3). Put off what old now and, you know the new song. A new man, a new testament, a new song. The new song is not suited to older men. Do not learn it unless the new men, men renewed by grace, from what was old, men now belonging to the new testament, which is the kingdom of heaven. All our love to it sighs and sings a new song. However, raise a new song not with the language, but with our lives.

Sing to him a new song, sing to him with art (see Psalm 32/33, 3). Each question is how to sing to God. You must sing to him,but not out of tune . Refuses to have offended his ears. Sing with art, oh siblings. When, in front of a music connoisseur, you're told: sing to him so to please him, with no preparation in the music, come to be with trepidation upon singing, because you would not want to displease the musician: the fact that escapes the layman, is noted and criticized by a connoisseur. However, those who would dare to present himself to sing to God with all your skill, good judgment who knows the singer, who looks exactly everything and hear everything so well? How could you show an ability so perfect in the song, not to offend no ears so perfect?

Here he is giving you almost the tone of the melody to sing: do not go in search of words, as if you could translate into a chant of articulate sounds which God delights. Sing in exultation. Singing with art to God consists in this: to sing in jubilation. What does it mean to sing in exultation? Understand and not be able to explain in words what my heart sings. For men who sing both at harvest and during harvest, and during some intensive work, the first feel the pleasure aroused by the words of the songs, but later, when the excitement grows, they feel that they can not express in words and then vent only modulation of notes. This part we call "jubilation".

The jubilation is that melody, with which he pours out his heart as he is unable to express in words. And for those most appropriate to raise this song of joy, if not for the ineffable God? In fact, it ineffable one that you can not express. And if you can not express, and besides you can not keep silent, what you have left if not "Jubilee"? Then the heart is open to joy, without the use of words, and the extraordinary greatness of joy will know no limits of syllables. Sing to him with jubilation in the art (see Psalm 32/33, 3).

Quotes by Augustine, Commentary on Psalm 32/33, in Enarrationes in Psalmos (403)
The portrait of Augustine by Vittore Carpaccio

Let childhood ripen in children (Rousseau, Emile)

Do the opposite of what is customary and almost always do well. Since their purpose is not to make a child a child, but a doctor, never seems too soon to fathers and teachers scold, correct, criticize, cajole, threaten, promise, educate, persuade.

Make it better: be reasonable not ever thinking with your student, especially to make him agree that he is sorry; always pull at stake right about unpleasant things has the effect of harassing and discrediting what could make earlier and in intellect that does not is still able to understand.


He practiced in the body, organs, senses, but keep in idleness forces his soul for as long as possible. Beware of all the feelings prior to the judgment that is able to evaluate them. Hold, stop the alien and impressions, to prevent that evil can be born, do not rush to want to do good, that can never be such if it is illuminated by reason.

Consider any extension as an advantage: it is a substantial gain to get close to your destination without losing anything, let childhood ripen in children. And when they really need to be educated, refrain from giving today's lesson that you think you can give without delay tomorrow.

The figure of the teacher in the view of Quintilian

Marcus Fabius Quintilian, from Institutio Oratoria

First of all, the teacher takes to his students the disposition of a father and thinks he will succeed the place of those who entrust their children. He himself has no vices and will not bear. Its severity is not oppressive and does not exaggerate in giving confidence , not to raise one hand I hate, despise the other.  

He talks a great deal of honesty and good: in fact, the more often admonish, punish much more rarely; he is absolutely short-tempered and does not omit the corrections that you he has to do, teaching is simple, resistant to fatigue, methodical rather than flimsy. Responds willingly to those who asks questions, questions of its own people who do not arise.  

In praising the exposure of students is neither park nor excessive, because the first attitude creates discomfort in them for the effort, the second makes them lay in quietness. In correcting the mistakes is not harsh and is not absolutely insulting: just this, in fact, many away from the purpose of study, namely the fact that some teachers complain as if they hated.  

He himself says something every day, even many things, that listeners can ponder to himself. Although in fact derive from reading enough examples for the imitation, however, supplies the voice more fully alive, and especially that of a teacher to his disciples, provided they have been properly trained, love and respect. Barely on the other hand one could say how willingly we imitate those to whom we are well prepared .

 

The Foundations of music education aimed at the well-being

The rhythmics is a discipline that comes from observation and practical experience of the functionality of our body.

The vocality is one of the main features of these, which we possess in nature and we just need to find out how the latent potential of our body.

These simple principles, applied to a keyboard instrument (the classical piano, or an electronic keyboard), can be easily achieved with positions and movements that give benefits, relaxing and musically effective.

These concepts are developed in e-book The Foundations of music education aimed at the well-being. Playing Singing Wellness. Theory and practice. This text not only deepen the content of the theory that underlies my method of teaching, but I present the procedures that apply to the three disciplines in practice interacting, the bodily rhythmics, the vocality, the instrumental application to keyboard instruments.

Here are some of the topics covered in the e-book:

Music: a great need, a great resource that we can discover with an effective method

Let me tell you my experience with a "musical diary pedagogical"

The interaction between play and sing

The bodily rhythmics: technique and exercises

The vocality: technique and exercises

Method for choir

The application to the keyboard instrument: Piano Method

Merry Christmas with music

Merry Christmas to all readers of this blog.

Click the link to listen to "Silent Night" sung by the Thomanerchor Leipzig