The first part of the session was spent doing floorwork, focusing on the ribcage and breathing and freeing the voice. We used several of Cicely Berry's exercises for this work.
Second, we explored Tina Landau and Anne Bogart's vocal viewpoints, helpful for expanding our vocal ranges, be it pitch, dynamic, tempo, etc.
Unfortunately, our work was cut short at 3PM. But, when all was said and done, it did feel luxurious to have so much time working on these varying elements of the voice, even before invoking any text. I'll let the jammers who attended comment on their personal experiences with the exercises but it became evident to me as a theatre practitioner & director that I need to challenge myself to keep finding ways to engage and train the voice as well as the body.
To sign off, here's another quote from Ms. Berry that I thought was particularly salient:
"It is curiously difficult to work on our own voice both boldly and creatively, because it means we have to let go of our own patterns. Let me explain: given that our voice is our sound presence, and is the means by which we commit our private world to the world outside, it is tied up with how we think of ourselves -- our self-image -- and with the image of ourselves we wish to present. It is therefore bound absolutely to our own self-confidence, and so is particularly sensitive to both criticism and to feelings of unease."
