Make a Joyful Noise! An exploration of 'Belt' at AMPA

What a treat to share a day with the vocal students at the Academy of Music and the Performing Arts in Sydney last week. as we explored the, sometimes controversial, vocal quality of Belt .

It was so satisfying to share some of the tools for training (and answers to common challenges that this quality presents) that I have found through my own training and use of the Estill Voice Model. As well as targeted exercises to help us build awareness and control over what is required physically to create this sound, we kept coming back to some key thoughts to guide us in our ongoing practice:

Knowledge is power: knowing the how and why is often key in overriding long held perceptions and habits that may not serve us well in specific vocal tasks.

Work smarter, not harder: always maintain Most Comfortable Vocal Effort and remember that muscle preparation happens BEFORE sound.

Silent Practice is your friend; don’t let the sound distract you! Listen harder to the muscles than the voice.

Explore with JOY: Be aware of any physical, emotional or aesthetic blockages you may bring to exploring something vocally unfamiliar. Give yourself permission to ‘fail’, remember its a process not an exam, so make it a JOYFUL noise!

Trish x

A huge thank you to Simon Ward for the invitation, and all at AMPA for taking such good care of me.

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