Singing Lesson #1

I've wanted to learn proper singing technique since I nearly fainted in chorus class in 6th grade and dropped out of the class. A parent of two of my divers is a professional singer who gives private lessons, so I've jumped in with both feet!

Today we talked a bit about my thoughts on singing, we got to know each other a bit and then did some stretches for the spine, rib cage, neck and shoulders, along with some breathing exercises. After taking 5 deep breaths I was dizzy and sweating! I realized I haven't been breathing well during the normal course of my day. After the lesson I felt energized and uplifted, so I immediately signed up for another month of lessons.

Here is a highlight of my first lesson:

*humming nnnnnmmmmmggggg
*singing eeeeeee with tighter mouth corners than my American upbringing has created
*singing 9 note scales up and down
*singing all 5 vowels

When singing different types of scales I often forgot the order of the vowels and was a bit embarrassed. Several times I put myself in the place of my beginning divers who certainly feel that way I did during my lesson. What fun to be learning a new skill from scratch!

I'm supposed to purchase a note-reading book and begin that process. I haven't been put in a "low-medium" or a "medium-high" box yet, but I'm excited about finding my box. Perhaps next week!