Singing on the Edge

Choral singers who are in the know sit on the edge.

How you sit matters because good seated posture can make a difference in how well you breathe and support your voice, which directly relates to the ease and quality of your singing tone. Sitting properly can help you fight vocal fatigue in long rehearsal sessions. It can also help you fight physical fatigue and neck and back aches and pains due to habitual poor postures. Sitting back in your seat in a collapsed or slumping posture stresses the muscles of the larynx and the neck.

The singer in the foreground is doing it wrong.
The singer in the background  receives an "E" for effort.

So impress your director! Sit up with chest lifted, uncross those legs, balance your weight slightly forward with feet slightly offset, line up the earlobe with your shoulders and hips, don’t overly arch your back, and hold the music up so that you can see your director over the top of the score without having to lift or lower it keeping your shoulders back, down and relaxed. Then sing your heart out. Be sure to monitor your body for signs of muscle tension or stress. Use the old drama relaxation and meditation exercise to monitor for tension and also to keep you relaxed and alert. Start with the hairs on the top of your head or start with your toes and gradually check every part of your body for tension. You’ll find that you’ll look good and you’ll sound good, too.