Practice 9/13/16

I expected really bad reflux when I woke up, but it actually wasn't that bad. I do have a bit of a runny nose, and it feels like allergies. I'm not congested, and I don't feel any other symptoms, so I don't think I'm sick. My vocal default today is pretty low.

• tiny lip trills, with descending glides from super light to more speech-like.
• "about to sneeze" space (works better than telling myself to breathe air on the back roof of my mouth) [o] 54231. Really focusing on onset and maintaining the same sneeze space while I descending. Keeping things very light. Starting pitch around G4 and some above and below. 
• Loose lips/Novocaine jaw. Watch that you don't close down the vowel as you end the phrase. 
• Play 6 before singing to cue approach from above. 
• [li le la lo la] 534231271. Think towards [o] or something more closed. Make it more speech-like on the ending. 
• "nehng" 54-32-12-34-54-32-1. Bounce, Looseness in the consonants, but as close to nasal as possible (well, they are nasal, technically, but it's a placement thing). 
• Watch your jaw. You don't need it!
• [u-y-i] 5-5-54321. Reiterate the top note, even if it's sustained. Release into each one. Maintain same "about to sneeze" before every onset. 
• [a e o] arpeggios. WATCH that you don't punt your air. Wat 'cha doin,' girl??? Just don't! Plugging one ear makes it easier to detect/eliminate distractions so you can focus on the breath. 
• [e] very closed. 
• thumb under teeth cue. 
• ~30 min. I decided to listen to some of my lesson because I was feeling released, but I couldn't quite figure 
• Listen to Lesson 9/11/16 
• ~10 min. My voice felt pretty lined up at this point.

This was a much more successful practice, and I think it all starts with the breathing. If I can establish a good breathing cue from the beginning, everything is much easier. That, and keeping everything released and "soft," especially in the jaw and my molars.