Shigo Voice Studio: The Art of Bel Canto

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Divine Sensations 2

“There are two divine sensations in life. One of them is singing.” —Margaret Harshaw

Provocative, isn’t it?

No, this post isn’t going to be about sex. You can read that post if you go to the Archive page and enter the word “sex” in the search window.

What am I going to talk about?

The lift that is felt while singing—a feeling of extension. It happens during sex too, don’t you know! But I said this wasn’t going to be about sex, right?

Back to this lift or extension matter.

The ear makes this happen.

Not forgotten. My first big experience at the Listening Centre in Toronto in 1999. I’d just stood up from working on a piece of art [they don’t want you doing anything analytical during the training] and felt that my cervical vertebrae had been stretched up to the ceiling as if by an unseen force. It was very striking. My tongue unlocked too, but that’s another story.

How did this happen? The training works the muscles of the ear which integrate with the muscles of the body. And it’s not just mechanics. There is a psychological aspect.

If inhalation lengthens the spine and exhalation shortens it: joy makes us extend, while sorrow, grief and anxiety fold us over into a ball.

What is the teaching of the Classical Italian Song-Schools?

Inhalare la voce.

This means to stay in the feeling of inhalation and extension. It means to stay in the feeling of joy.

It’s that simple.

And yes, the same thing happens during sex.

Ready to tap into your divine singing sensations? Book a complimentary call with me here!


Find the original Divine Sensations post here. That post on sex and singing? I’ll make it easy on you: find it here.