I'm back out on the road and inspired by daily exercise - today, a bike ride. Reaching forward onto the handlebars opens up the back and makes me very aware of the additional expansion that we can access if we exercise these muscles. Some singers use the terminology "breathe into the back" and it's often-forgotten …
Day 12: Operacise
I think I've just found a new name for the blog! I'll change it when lockdown is lifted. Today's a bit of a sweaty one - or should I say glowing? I decided to take the blog out on the road with me for a morning run. As you know by now, I love sport …
Friday aria: Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix
It's been weeks since my last public engagement so I've manufactured my own! It's time for the first of your lockdown Friday arias. I was planning on singing something from Greek antiquity and even wore my Cretan earrings in readiness but the sun came out and I decided to go for something naughtier. So, here's …
Day 11: Beat it
When I get hold of a new piece of repertoire, a new operatic aria, I start learning it by breaking it down into its constituent parts. I work on each element - context, language/translation, rhythm, pitch, dynamics, the composer's intentions - in isolation. In today's vlog, I explain how I go about locking down the …
Day 10: From the heart
It's been a tricky day in Lovelassland and it doesn't feel right to bleat on at length about the whys and wherefores of opera today. But it is an opportunity to think about what's important. Just over two weeks ago, we started this journey together and we've taken a bitesize look at various aspects of …
Day 9: Wait for the drop
A week ago, we started on our breathing journey. We looked at a basic 'out-breath'. We began with an explosive breath out while in a yoga cat, pulling our belly buttons through to our spines before translating this to a standing position. Today, we can finally breathe in! I guess the natural order would be …
Day 8: Taking it down a notch
At the weekend, I was marking an aria, trying to keep it down while Mr Lovelass (Nobby) was checking some emails. Afterwards, he said: "That was nice. I like it when you sing like that." Well, tiptoeing over a melody under my breath isn't going to get me heard in an opera house but it …
Feeling thoughtful
Today's the second Friday since starting the #sfh blog. Last week I wrapped up with a Facebook live so wanted to do the same but was really struggling to think of a topic. Every other day, a subject has come naturally but today it felt forced and manufactured. When I was studying at the Associated …
Day 7: Ping-a-ling
I'm honoured that people are reading/watching the #sfh blog/vlog and grateful for all the feedback and questions. Today, I'm attempting to shed some light on how opera singers sing so loud. It's not just a question of sheer volume - opera singers are not miked or amplified so it's about producing the right tone and …
Day 6: My type on paper
You're all being very studious and trying out the tips I'm giving you so I thought it was time we took a closer look at your own voices. Today, I'm back at the piano with an explanation of the six main voice types in opera, as well as approximate vocal ranges (i.e. lowest and highest …
Grace L♡velass 