The Science Part!
Estill Voice Training is a programme for developing vocal skills based on deconstructing the process of vocal production into control of specific structures in the vocal mechanism. By acquiring the ability to consciously move each structure the potential for controlled change of voice quality is increased.
In plain English, what this means is that we can learn to feel each of the muscles we use to sing and we can isolate them. Once we know how they feel, we can train them, just like an athlete would. Without this information, we tend to rely too much on what we hear. When you sing or speak, the sound you hear is not what other people hear, so it is unreliable. But if you can feel the muscle working, you have a much better chance of training it and controlling it.
The system was established in 1988 by American singing voice specialist Jo Estill, who had been researching in this field since 1979. Estill's research led to a series of vocal manoeuvres to develop specific control over individual muscle groups within the vocal mechanism. These “Figures”, modeled on what were once the “Compulsory Figures” in ice skating competitions, are exercises designed to develop control of specific structures that contribute to the sound and feeling of the voice. Each structure has two to four conditions, or options, that are explained and explored through introductory exercises.
In my own teaching, I build the knowledge of these compulsory figures into each lesson. A portion of our time will be spent introducing or revising a figure and practicing it in isolation. We will then put it into practice by incorporating it into whatever music we have been working on. Over time, as the knowledge of these figures builds, a shorthand is developed, and the student becomes more proficient in their understanding of their voice and how it works.
In plain English, what this means is that we can learn to feel each of the muscles we use to sing and we can isolate them. Once we know how they feel, we can train them, just like an athlete would. Without this information, we tend to rely too much on what we hear. When you sing or speak, the sound you hear is not what other people hear, so it is unreliable. But if you can feel the muscle working, you have a much better chance of training it and controlling it.
The system was established in 1988 by American singing voice specialist Jo Estill, who had been researching in this field since 1979. Estill's research led to a series of vocal manoeuvres to develop specific control over individual muscle groups within the vocal mechanism. These “Figures”, modeled on what were once the “Compulsory Figures” in ice skating competitions, are exercises designed to develop control of specific structures that contribute to the sound and feeling of the voice. Each structure has two to four conditions, or options, that are explained and explored through introductory exercises.
In my own teaching, I build the knowledge of these compulsory figures into each lesson. A portion of our time will be spent introducing or revising a figure and practicing it in isolation. We will then put it into practice by incorporating it into whatever music we have been working on. Over time, as the knowledge of these figures builds, a shorthand is developed, and the student becomes more proficient in their understanding of their voice and how it works.