The Secrets of the Voice: In the Beginning was Vibration, then Sound, by Sigrid Countess von Galen

The Secrets of the Voice:

In the Beginning was Vibration, then Sound,

by Sigrid Countess von Galen

Contact: countessvongalen@gmail.com

Before we even sing the first tone, we have already made a complex light-speed journey through our body: The BRAIN gives the command for action to the muscles, the EAR controls and with the help of the BRAIN yet again makes the necessary balance adjustments for the muscles.

The collaboration of the brain, ear and muscles enables us to breathe, speak and sing (and to digest). The better the coordination of our muscles, the more stimulation our brain gets, and thus, the results are audible in an effortless voice!

The ear is the most important organ amongst all our senses - one of its responsibilities is the exchange and supply of energies: The brain needs sugar and oxygen but that alone does not make it think. 

It also needs stimuli from ALL sensual organs. 

The ear provides ninety percent of energy for the brain. This happens through the perception of high frequencies. There are more sense-cells for these than for low ones. Therefore, high frequencies transform into a higher number of impulses for  the brain-activity.

The ear is also the organ for our body-balance. The balance-organ in the inner ear controls every muscle of our body. The muscles communicate with the nerve of the balance-organ via the spinal chord.

The nerve of the balance-organ collaborates with the nerve of the hearing-organ.

Our body-consciousness is based in the ear: Tension and relaxation, too much effort or too little with the muscles, posture, movements - all are controlled by the ear.

I will never forget my first experiences with deaf but speaking students, with whom I had the privilege to try out new out-of-the-box approaches under supervision of my then professors. I was amazed that it was possible to not just speak clearly and take on stage roles but also to sing with a hearing impairment.

The students I worked with were able to experience and master singing within their range via the muscle memories and those of the vibrations in their bones. They knew instinctively to reproduce a tone and phonetic sound correctly and effortlessly, by remembering the vibrations, when I signaled the result!

There is always a slight delay of a split-second before a sound arrives at the listener - a precious moment that gives the speaker or singer the chance to let their body receive the next breath and to focus on the next sound.

This moment is also vital for an audience to reflect upon, what was just said or sung, and then they are ready to receive the next bit, thus 'hanging at our lips'.

These natural pauses are the key to true communication, as we truly listen.

It is literally like a silent wave or flood of vibration coming back to us from a listening audience - a blissful and most wonderful experience!