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 The quality of your voice when you speak is just as important as your general appearance, or the words you use. Feeling good, feeling good about yourself and presenting yourself in the best possible way to the world are important goals we all share. Your voice is as important as your visual appearance! Only Integrated Voice brings elements of posture and balance together with all aspects of voice. These include breath support, resonance and the movement of the vocal mechanism. Together they illuminate what’s possible and pen new options of expression through your voice and voice quality. 2. What Exactly Is The Integrated Voice Approach? Integrated Voice approach, developed by Marina Gilman, develops your voice and your vocal/physical presence. Marina has brought together the best aspects of traditional voice and speech training with the principles of body movement and dynamics as taught in the Feldenkrais Method of Awareness Through Movement. Traditional voice training methods are combined with attention to what is happening in the rest of the body. Lessons and classes develop increased mobility of the spine and ribs, improved skeletal support and muscle coordination. The result is a freer, more flexible voice, in short an Integrated Voice. In fact, only someone with Marina’s vast experience, gained through training and working as a singer, voice and speech teacher, vocal coach, speech language pathologist and Feldenkrais® somatic educator could have developed such an approach! Integrated Voice illuminates what’s possible and opens new options of expression through your voice. Integrated Voice uses a whole person perspective to work with: SEE VOICE FOCUS to learn how Integrated Voice can help you with private lessons or classes. 3. Can You Take Integrated Voice Lessons Even If You Already Are Working With A Teacher Or Coach? YES! The Integrated Voice lessons and classes are designed to complement traditional voice teaching. The emphasis is on the body dynamics that support and often interfere with vocal production, ease, and expression. 4. What If You Just Don’t Like The Way Your Voice Sounds Or Feels? Can Integrated Voice Help? Sometimes we just don’t like the sound or ‘feel’ of our voice. It sounds ‘off’ to our ears, or it is hard to speak; the sounds don’t come out easily or when they do, it is not the sort of sound you would like to be making. Maybe strangers seem to react to the quality of your voice? They make assumptions about who you are and how much you know, because your voice is too high, has a nasal quality, has a harsh quality, or perhaps is too low. Our self-image includes our voice. Even though each voice is unique, determined by the vocal structure, structure and shape of the mouth, nose and throat, there are still things you can do to change the quality of your voice. How we help: The Integrated Voice teaches you how to use the way the air flows from the vocal cords through the spaces in your mouth to improve your sound. These techniques will effect how your voice sounds to others, as well as how it feels to you. The Integrated Voice approach uses basic voice and body awareness exercises to improve the quality of the sound and feel of your voice. You will become a more effective communicator. SEE VOICE FOCUS to learn how Integrated Voice can help you with private lessons or classes. 5. What Is The Feldenkrais Method? How Can It Help You? The Feldenkrais Method®, developed by pshycist and mechanical engineer Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984), provides a safe, non-invasive, low impact way to feel better, reduce stress and move with increased comfort and ease. Taught in groups or individually, Dr. Feldenkrais developed over 1000 movement sequences that are designed to increase a person’s body awareness. With these lessons you will learn to move with increased ease, efficiency, less pain and discomfort. SEE MOVEMENT FOCUS to find out how private or class lessons in the Feldenkrais Method can help you. 6. Can Voice Movement Integrations’ Offerings Help You Even If You Are NOT A Singer Or Actor? YES The Feldenkrais lessons (Awareness Through Movement classes or Functional Integration individual lessons) are designed to benefit anyone who wants to feel better, move with greater ease and learn to manage the physical tension brought on by stress. Integrated Voice is designed to help anyone who uses their voice for their job or fun to improve the way their voice sounds, increase flexibility and become a more effective communicator. 7. Do You Need To ‘Take Care’ Of Your Voice? Absolutely!! Think about how many ways you rely on your voice for a living. Do you ever worry that your voice will not be there when you want to speak or sing? When you open your mouth to speak, do you expect it to just be ‘there’? When you get a cold, allergy or talk or yell too much, do you notice a change? Maybe it is harder to talk, or your voice fades into a whisper, you can’t yell or raise your voice like you used to. Do you expect these symptoms or problems to ‘go away with time’? If your voice problem lasts for more than 2 WEEKS it may be serious!!! It is important to go to a doctor specializing in voice. They are called Otolaryngologists or ear-nose-throat doctors. Some, but not all specialize in voice disorders. It is important that you see someone who is a voice specialist to be sure that your voice problem is not related to a serious or life threatening illness. Common voice symptoms include: Most of these symptoms are not serious and can be treated by medication and/or speech therapy (with a voice specialist). Sometimes they can be an early sign of a serious problem or even cancer. Early diagnosis and treatment is essential! What’s possible for YOU? Let’s find out! Call or email to schedule a lesson or get information on our current classes and workshops. “After a vocal cord hemorrhage and three surgeries, I was unsure if I'd ever be able to sing again. Marina worked with me and recreated a technique based on Feldenkrais teachings and on an awareness of body that allowed for my chords to find alternative paths to voice. I not only have continued my career as a singer, but now sing better than I did before.” Michelle Drucker Friedman Congregational Cantor, Emanuel Congregation, Chicago, Illinois |
