[Menvi-discuss] vocal anatomy help needed

Thu Aug 25 00:15:23 EDT 2011

I agree, Brandon did an excellent job describing vocal anatomy.

Sonja Biggs, MA, TVI, COMS
Vista Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired
2470 El Camino Real, Suite 107
Palo Alto, CA  94306
650-833-9766

"Dream the impossible dream...then live it!" --Brandon Keith Biggs, Age 19, Blind Performer, LCA-CRB1

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From: menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org [menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org] On Behalf Of Teresa Haifley [dthaifley at iowatelecom.net]
Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 5:57 PM
To: 'This is for discussing music and braille literacy'
Subject: Re: [Menvi-discuss] vocal anatomy help needed

I just thought Brandon described that well.

-----Original Message-----
From: menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org
[mailto:menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org] On Behalf Of Debra Baxley
Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 8:19 PM
To: 'This is for discussing music and braille literacy'
Subject: Re: [Menvi-discuss] vocal anatomy help needed

I wondered how you know so much about vocal anatomy.

Debra

-----Original Message-----
From: menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org
[mailto:menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org] On Behalf Of Teresa Haifley
Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 7:36 PM
To: 'This is for discussing music and braille literacy'
Subject: Re: [Menvi-discuss] vocal anatomy help needed

Debra,
I guess I'm not sure what you want to know.  I don't have a company or a PhD
or anything like that if that's what you mean.  I'm a music coordinator,
choir director, organist, piano teacher, and braille music
consultant/specialist for our state library.  (And wife and mother of 3.)

Teresa

-----Original Message-----
From: menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org
[mailto:menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org] On Behalf Of Debra Baxley
Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 5:56 PM
To: 'This is for discussing music and braille literacy'
Subject: Re: [Menvi-discuss] vocal anatomy help needed

I'm new to the list; I'm wondering what Theresa's title is?

Debra

-----Original Message-----
From: menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org
[mailto:menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org] On Behalf Of Teresa Haifley
Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 4:33 PM
To: 'This is for discussing music and braille literacy'
Subject: Re: [Menvi-discuss] vocal anatomy help needed

Well done, Brandon.

-----Original Message-----
From: menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org
[mailto:menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org] On Behalf Of Brandon Keith (Biggs)
Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 7:56 PM
To: This is for discussing music and braille literacy
Subject: Re: [Menvi-discuss] vocal anatomy help needed

Hello Kelsey,
Vocal anatomy is very difficult to understand unfortunately. My teacher
described it to me as:
there is the diaphragm which is in the chest and abdomen where the air goes
when one takes a breath. My voice teacher described the diaphragm as:
A bell with an elastic covering over the mouth. The elastic covering
basically stretches around the base of your lowest rib. (so one can either
breathe and have the elastic stretch down, breathe and let it stretch up or
breathe and let the elastic stretch out into a large almost circle.

Next comes the larynx which is where your atoms apple is. Your vocal folds
rest on the opening of the larynx. The larynx I believe is like a long tube
that goes down to the diaphragm. My voice teacher explained the vocal folds
as:
A rubber band that can become long and thin or short and wide. Stick your
two palms together and that is your vocal chords on a high note. Move your
fingers in with your palms separating and the heal of your hands staying
together. You should have a circle. That is your chords on a low note. (I'm
not sure if that is approaching on pedagogy, but the vocal folds do move
producing different pitches).

next is the tongue and palits.
The tongue attaches (I believe) to the pharynx and larynx). The far inks is
where your food goes, so not as important as the larynx and tongue.
The tongue is really long and it goes way back into your mouth. If you stuck

your finger into your mouth you won't be able to touch the root of the
tongue. The tongue comes to a smaller blunt point in the front part of the
mouth you probably use the most.

Right above the tip of the tongue in the front of the mouth there is the
roof of the mouth.
The roof of the mouth consists of two major components:
The soft pallet and the hard pallet.
The hard pallet is the bone you feel right behind your top gums. If you
trace with your tongue backwards along that hard part you will eventually
reach the end of the bone and a section of your mouth that is softer. This
soft section is called the soft pallet.
The soft pallet goes from the ending of the hard pallet to the Uvula.
The Uvula is a flap of skin that hangs down off the soft pallet. Right
behind the Uvula is the end of the nasal cavity.
If you had a tube you could stick it from your mouth, out your nose. Or up
your nose and down your throat, or up your nose out your mouth... The tube
would go past your Uvula.
The soft pallet (And hence the Uvula) can go up and down.

Right in front of the teeth there are the lips. The lips can stretch in and
out, widen and close. Like a rubber band.

around the mouth there is the jaw. The jaw bones attach to the teeth most
directly. You can also feel it at your chin. If you follow the jaw bone
around toward your ears, you will feel it curve upward. If you now venture
in toward the front of the face, you will feel a muscle that flexes when you

clench your teeth. This is the muscle that opens and closes your jaw.

I hope this makes the vocal physiology a little clearer. If you want more
descriptions, I can tell you a ton of books on vocal physiology and
pedagogy, but they really aren't blind friendly.
I touch touch touch my teacher's vocal instrument and touch and touch and
touch my own. If I were you I'd be making sure you can feel where your ribs
end, what happens when you breathe all different ways, what happens when you

move your mouth all different ways.
Yes, I've stuck my finger in my teacher's mouth and yes, I often stick my
fingers in my own. If this is a public class and if you aren't close to your

teacher I wouldn't suggest sticking your fingers into your teacher's mouth,
but I would definitely touch and fully feel their breathing and throat.
Please let me know if you have any questions,

Brandon Keith Biggs

Check out
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/brandonkeithbiggs
Also add me on facebook!
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--------------------------------------------------
From: "kelsey nicolay" <piano.girl0299 at gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 5:17 PM
To: <menvi-discuss at menvi.org>
Subject: [Menvi-discuss] vocal anatomy help needed

> Hello,
> This might be a little off topic, but I am taking a Voice and Articulation

> class.  The professor indicated in a meeting with him today that he would
> be doing a section on vocal anatomy with diagrams.  Since I can't see the
> diagrams, it will be difficult for me to fully understand what he's
> talking about.  Therefore, does anyone have any ideas about how he could
> explain vocal anatomy of the head and neck to me without a diagram?
> Thanks,
>
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