Inspired Breathing:

A Holistic & Natural Approach to

Respiration for Classical Singers
with Peter Jacobson
Founder & Director
Total Vocal Freedom for Singers

What Youll Learn in This

Presentation

5 reasons why breathing is so important to the classical singer

How a natural and holistic approach to respiration can help you breathe more
efficiently and easily

The 3-step Inspired Breathing process

8 images of must-know anatomy about the design of the respiratory system

12 Questions to ask yourself while breathing

7 Key Strategies for Inspired Breathing

Q&A (if time permits)

A Little Bit About Me

Currently live in Baltimore, MD

Music degrees from Concordia
College (MN), University of Illinois @
Urbana-Champaign and Peabody
Conservatory
Over 15 years experience as a
conductor and music educator
Certified teacher of the Alexander
Technique
I am an avid squash player!
Founder & Director of Total Vocal
Freedom for Singers

Total Vocal Freedom

The TVF Mission: To empower classical singers to be
totally free in their creative and vocal expression
7 Key Areas for Singing Success
1. Posture & Alignment
2. Breathing & Support
3. Performing & Auditioning
4. Practice & Learning
5. Play & Creativity
6. Teaching & Communicating
7. Leadership & Career

Every Musician Deserves

Quality and accurate information about how

their body is designed

A reliable method to free the body of unwanted

tension, stress and interference

A safe space to explore, take risks and grow

Launching soon

The TVF Academy

for Classical Singers
An online learning program for the serious classical
singer to discover greater freedom, expression and
authenticity in their vocal artistry.
Key features:
Regular online seminars & masterclasses
Regular Q&A sessions
An exclusive community for support & accountability

Why Do We Breathe?
1. Survival an exchange of gas (oxygen in; carbon
dioxide out)
2. Communication the desire to express something
Singing is a highly physical happening, a unique
form of communication produced by musclemovements set in motion by a fundamentally emotive
desire to express beauty.
Yvonne Rodd-Marling

5 Reasons Why Breathing Is So

Important to the Classical Singer
#1 Classical singers have unique breathing needs compared to
other singing styles
In general classical music has longer, more complex phrases which
require greater vocal control and demand a wider array of vocal and
emotional expression.
the quality and quantity of your breath can make the difference
between an inspired, vocally connected performance and a flat, forced
performance.
Jessica Wolf, The Art of Breathing

5 Reasons Why Breathing Is So

Important to the Classical Singer
#2 Efficient breathing is a essential element of vocal freedom
A crucial element of singing with freedom is coordinating the
respiratory mechanism to work harmoniously with the the vocal
mechanism and the entire upright support system.
The freedom of his voice was a result of a perfectly timed
coordination of the respiratory muscles.
Jean McClellan, describing working with a student

5 Reasons Why Breathing Is So

Important to the Classical Singer
#3 Your breathing is a barometer of vocal freedom
Our breathing tell us the truth about how well you are using our bodies
if we have habits that interfere with your breathing than you will stay
locked in certain movement patterns that are not useful.
The breath is an accurate barometer for identifying the habits that
create roadblocks and constrain our lives.
Jessica Wolf, The Art of Breathing

5 Reasons Why Breathing Is So

Important to the Classical Singer
#4 Efficient breathing gives you more life, vitality and energy
Breathing is our connection to the life force that sustains us. For many,
that touch point is sacred. When your breath comes in, you get a spark
of life. By accessing the full capacity of your breath you receive
maximum energy to do the things you want to do.
Breath is life; and breathing capacity is the measure of life.
F.M. Alexander

5 Reasons Why Breathing Is So

Important to the Classical Singer
#5 Breathing is an access point for creating, constructing and
expressing character
As a performing artist, you literally breath life into the character youre
playing and the character of the music. A free and responsive
respiratory mechanism allows the singer to respond truthfully with
maximum expression.
I believe that the awareness and use of the breath can inspire
inventive and imaginative interpretations of characters by influencing
frame of mind, alignment, flexibility and vocal quality.
Jessica Wolf

What is Inspired Breathing?

I find it fascinating that the word 'inspiration' has
two meaningsbeing mentally stimulated to do
something creative and breathing in.
Countless artists and creatives have pondered this
phenomena of creative inspiration, an unconscious
process that does NOT want to be controlled or
manipulated.

What is Inspired Breathing?

Inspired: of extraordinary quality, as if

arising from some external creative impulse.

Inspired Breathing: Breathing of extraordinary

quality that arises from a creative impulse and/
or desire to express oneself through sound.

The Characteristics of Inspired Breathing

Coordinated parts working in harmony

Flexible responsive & free
Buoyant a spring-like quality
Poised graceful & elegant
Easeful no wasted energy
Efficient maximum effect, minimum effort
And

Natural & Holistic

Natural cooperates with the design of your

instrument (vs. interfere with it)

Holistic includes the entire Self

We function best when we acknowledge that we are

one, whole integrated self mind, body, spirit and
voice.

Natural & Holistic

One of the benefits of thinking holistically is increasing
effectiveness.
Jeremy Chance
We are whole. We are whole. WE ARE WHOLE!
It is well past time to cooperate with human design in a
way that insists on nourishing our integrated self.
Cathy Madden, Onstage Synergy

Good News/Bad News

Good News Nature has provided us with a perfect

instrument to respond to creative impulses and produce sound

Bad News Human beings are experts at getting in our own

way and interfering with our own instrument
Singing is so simple but we are human so we make it difficult.
Elisabeth Schumann

The Best News!

We all have the capability to get out of our own way
and consciously cooperate with natures design (i.e. sing
and breathe naturally).
By doing so we can free our entire Self (mind-bodyspirit-voice) to respond to our desire to create beautiful
sounds with our voice.
How?

3-Step
Inspired BreathingProcess
1. Learn the design of your instrument
2. Discover how you interfere with the design
3. Cooperate with the design

Step 1 Learn the Design

Our respiratory system is dependent on the larger
upright support system made up of bones, muscles,
tendons, ligaments and controlled by the nervous
system.
This upright support system is governed by the
relationship of the head & the spine, which governs, to
a large degree, respiratory and vocal functioning.

Learning
the Design

Learning
the Design

Learning the Design

Learning the Design

Learning
the Design

Learning
the Design

Learning
the Design

Learning
the Design

Step 2 Discover Interference

When we bring our unconscious habits and patterns of tension
to our conscious awareness we are given a powerful choice of
continuing the habit or doing something more useful (or doing
nothing at all!)
If youre aware, youre halfway there!
Ask yourself
What are the ways I am interfering with my own natural
breathing?

12 Questions to Help Discover Interference

1. Is there movement in my ribs?
2. Is my back responding?
3. Am I making extraneous noises?
4. Are my shoulders responding?
5. Is my spine stiff or allowing for movement?
6. Where do I sense ease? Restriction?
7. Are my legs tight?
8. Is my gaze rigid or soft?
9. What is my head doing?
10. How easy is my neck?
11. What am I hearing with my ears?
12. Where can I let go and do less?

Step 3 Cooperate with the Design

7 Key Strategies for Inspired Breathing
1. Breathe with your whole self
2. Invite ease and freedom in your head-spine
relationship
3. Make it a 3-D experience
4. Stay connected to the wish or desire to express
something
5. Let everything move that wants to move
6. Exhale first and allow for an easy, inspired inbreath
7. Smile!

7 Key Strategies for Inspired Breathing

#1 Breathe with your whole self

breathing is a coordination of the whole, top
to bottom, front to back, side to side.
Jessica Wolf

7 Key Strategies for Inspired Breathing

#2 Invite ease and freedom in your

head-spine relationship
The relationship between our head and spine in
movement governs the quality of our overall
coordination. When excessive work enters into this
relationship, causing the head to pull down toward
the body, it throws the whole coordination out of
optimal function.
Cathy Madden

7 Key Strategies for Inspired Breathing

#3 Make it 3-D Experience

I believe that breathing is a three-dimensional
activity in the torso, and that it radiates out to the
arms, legs, and head.
Betsy Polatin, The Actors Secret

7 Key Strategies for Inspired Breathing

#4 Stay connected to the wish or

desire to express something
Singing isset in motion by a fundamentally
emotive desire to express beauty.
Yvonne Rodd-Marling

7 Key Strategies for Inspired Breathing

#5 Let Everything Move that Wants

to Move
Life is movement.
Music is movement.
Singing is movement.
Breathing is movement.

7 Key Strategies for Inspired Breathing

#6 Exhale First (and allow for an

reflexive inspired in-breath)
The key to coordinated breathing is an easy exhalation,
which prompts a full and easy inhalationEverything
depends of how much air gets out, so that a full, easy
automatic inhale can occur.
Jessica Wolf

7 Key Strategies for Inspired Breathing

#7 Smile!
You always move better with a smile.
Marjory Barstow

Questions

???

What Weve Explored Today

5 reasons why breathing is so important to the classical singer

How a natural and holistic approach to respiration can help you breathe
more efficiently and easily

The 3-step Inspired Breathing process

8 pieces of must-know anatomy about the design of the respiratory

system

12 Questions to ask yourself while breathing

7 Key Strategies for Inspired Breathing

Breathe, Release, Succeed!

Part 2: Release
Tension, Be Gone: A Masterclass
in Releasing Body Tension
Wednesday, July 6th @ 2:30pm Eastern

with special guest

Michael Hanko
FreeBody FreeVoice

Michael and I will be working live with 3

pre-selected classical singers and
exploring strategies and tools to release
and undo excess body tension while
singing.
More info to come.

Two final thoughts

#1 Head-Spine Relationship
The relationship between our head and spine in
movement governs the quality of our overall coordination.
When excessive work enters into this relationship, causing
the head to pull down toward the body, it throws the
whole coordination out of optimal function.
Cathy Madden

Two final thoughts

#2 Dont be afraid to experiment!
Cole Porter says
Experiment
Make it your motto day and night
Experiment
And it will lead you to the light
Experiment
Be curious
If this advice you always employ
The future can offer you infinite joy
And merriment
Experiment and you'll see

Thank you for watching!

Cheers,
Peter