Singing – Body and Soul

How Does the Voice Work?

The voice is a musical instrument that lives inside the human body. So the real question being asked here is “How does the human body work?”

Nobody really knows. Keep that in mind. We are dealing with a deep mystery here. Many experts, such as physicians, pharmacists, and chiropractors, understand the body from different points of view. Some see it as a big machine, with its pumping heart, flowing fluids, and electrical signals. Some see it as a chemical laboratory, where every illness can be fought with a drug. Some look at the skeletal structure as the core of the body and address problems by attending to the spine. All have a roughly accurate working model of the body that assists them in helping people. But none has all the answers, and new discoveries are made every day.

So when you ask, “How does the voice work?” what you really need is a good, simple working model. That is what I will try to describe for you. You’ve probably seen those contraptions kids make for science fairs—spray-painted Styrofoam balls held together by large toothpicks, which represent molecules. Any scientist will tell you that’s not what molecules really look like. And no working model of the voice will tell the whole story.

But it is important to have a basic scientific understanding of how the singing apparatus moves. Once you understand the principles, and your voice is trained to express your thoughts in a vibrant way, most of this scientific information will become second nature.

Don’t worry too much about this. I’m not trying to get you into medical school, just a musical!