This important volume brings together the latest knowledge of voice science, voice pedagogy, conducting, and accompanying into a single volume. It is a valuable resource for choral conductors, no matter the age ore experience of their ensembles. The Anatomy of Tone explores essential aspects of anatomy, physiology, and acoustics, and describes their impact on choral teaching and rehearsal. In addition, this book reviews groundbreaking scientific information on spacing of singers and its effect upon intonation and vocal health. This volume contains pedagogical information pertaining to: Breathing - Resonance - Formants in the choral rehearsal - Structuring the choral warm-up - The use of breath as a foundation of expressive choral singing - The use of legato as a primary tool in the choral rehearsal - Choral spacing for balanced resonance - Teaching of specific vowels and their internal architectures - Use of harmonically based warm-ups - Piano accompanying to support good vocalism and building listening skills. - Publisher's description

An illustrated guide to the dynamic physiological structures that create and individualize the voice • Explores the structures of the vocal tract and their functional relationships to the entire musculoskeletal system with detailed drawings • Examines the components of the larynx and pharynx, the effects of muscular tensions on the vocal cords, the importance of skeletal alignment, and the complex roles of the diaphragm, soft palate, lips, and tongue in vocalization • Provides exercises and techniques for increased air flow, correct posture, proper tongue position, jaw relaxation, and toning of the soft palate to improve the voice When we use the voice, we involve the entire body. Our internal balance, muscular tone, skeletal alignments, soft tissue flexibility, and even our eye movements are reflected in the voice we project to our audience, whether one person or thousands. Using the signature anatomical style of Blandine Calais-Germain’s groundbreaking book Anatomy of Movement, this illustrated guide presents a dynamic, integrated study of the physical structures of the vocal tract and their functional relationships to the entire musculoskeletal system. From the individual bones and muscles of the head and neck to the intricate structure of the shoulders to the abdominal muscles and pelvis, the authors explain how each part of the body moves, flexes, vibrates, and supports the creation and individualization of the voice. With detailed drawings and clear, concise text, they examine the individual components of the larynx and pharynx, the effects of muscular tensions on the vocal cords, proper alignment of the skull, rib cage, and pelvis, the intimate relationship between breath and voice, and the complex roles of the diaphragm, soft palate, lips, and tongue in vocalization. They provide simple exercises and techniques for increasing air flow and force, correct posture, proper positioning of the tongue, relaxation of the jaw, and toning of the soft palate. Whether singer, teacher, actor, lawyer, politician, or workshop leader, this book reveals how understanding your vocal anatomy enables you to express your best voice.

Drawn from the world's most beloved songs, the more than 70 examples in this book explore the history and crucial elements of melody, which is the very basis of song. This unique guide allows readers a new insight into the composition of songs and focuses solely on how simple musical lines combined with the right texts can make a catchy melodic phrase that lasts throughout the ages without consideration of harmony, counterpoint or other constructs.

A full-color illustrated exploration of the body in motion during yoga practice • Examines anatomical patterns and body mechanics in specific asanas, such as forward bends, twists, external hip rotations, arm balances, and back bends, to inspire confidence in students, deepen practice, and prevent injury • Provides detailed images and photos overlaid with anatomical diagrams, allowing you to see clearly what is happening within each asana discussed • Explores how various yoga postures interrelate from the perspective of functional anatomy In this full-color illustrated guide, David Keil brings the anatomy of the body in yoga asanas to life. Writing in an accessible, conversational tone, he outlines how practitioners and yoga teachers alike can utilize a deeper understanding of their anatomy and its movement and function to deepen their yoga practice, increase confidence, prevent injury, and better understand their students and their challenges. Providing detailed images and photos overlaid with anatomical diagrams, allowing you to see clearly what is happening within each asana discussed, Keil shows how the muscles, joints, tendons, and structure of the body work together to support integrated movement. He discusses the basics of functional anatomy, exploring the workings of the foot and ankle, the knee, the hip joint, the pelvis and SI joint, the spine, the shoulder, and the hand, wrist, and elbow. He examines anatomical patterns and body mechanics in specific asanas, such as forward bends, twists, external hip rotations, arm balances, and back bends, such as, for example, how a wide-legged forward bend shifts the position of the femur and the pelvis, allowing students with tight hamstrings to accomplish a deep forward bend--something they struggle with when the legs are together. Keil also shows how various yoga postures interrelate from the perspective of functional anatomy. Revealing in detail how everything in the body is connected and how your anatomy functions holistically during yoga practice, this book helps you to understand the body better and connect and integrate yoga postures in a completely new way.

Tone: A Linguistic Survey is a nine-chapter text that considers the phonetics and phonology of tone from both a synchronic and a diachronic point of view. The first chapters deal with the physiological and perceptual correlations of tone. These chapters also describe the interactions of tonal and nontonal features. The succeeding chapters provide the phonetic basis for phonological tonal phenomena. These topics are followed by discussions of the physical and physiological aspects of tone, the number of possible contrastive tones in a language, and a suprasegmental representation of tones based on linguistic evidence. This text also summarizes the kinds of tone rules found in languages and the important syntactic function played by tone in a number of the world's languages, particularly those in Africa. The final chapters look into the general and specific principles that constrain historical tone change. This book will prove useful to students with phonology course.

The first comprehensive, fully-illustrated approach to the voice that explains the anatomy and mechanics in detailed yet down-to-earth terms, for voice users and professionals of all kinds This book is the first to explain, in clear and concise language, the anatomy and mechanics of the mysterious and complex bodily system we call the voice. Beautifully illustrated with more than 100 detailed images, Anatomy of the Voice guides voice teachers and students, vocal coaches, professional singers and actors, and anyone interested in the voice through the complex landscape of breathing, larynx, throat, face, and jaw. Theodore Dimon, an internationally recognized authority on the subject, as well as an expert in the Alexander Technique, makes unfamiliar terrain accessible and digestible by describing each vocal system in short, manageable sections and explaining complex terminology. The topics he covers include ribs, diaphragm, and muscles of breathing; the intrinsic musculature of the larynx, its structure and action; the suspensory muscles of the throat; the face and jaw; the tongue and palate; and the evolution and function of the larynx.