Posture in Singing
Weekly Teaching Tip – August 25, 2014
by Tricia Grey
I have recently found a tool that I think is very helpful in addressing posture- both for me and for my students. For those of us who spend many hours a day in front of a computer or reading music on a piano, maintaining good posture sometimes goes by the wayside by the end of a long teaching day. I have found that reminders to students to stand straight or bring their shoulders back a little are not particularly
long lasting. Although we don’t want our students o adopt a militaristic stance, it is important that the body is aligned and the chest is relatively high in order to breathe correctly. We don’t want a rigid upright posture, but we do want the chest a little higher and the shoulders a little more back than is common for most singers.
I have found a product that helps with this- it’s called the Posture Pleaser by Body Rite. You can get it on amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Mag-Eyes-BR1000-Posture-Pleaser-/dp/B000YZ5V14/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&am p;qid=1408389646&sr=8-1&keywords=posture+right.
It’s a very light weight that you wear for an hour or less daily. What I have found is that if I am really tired and worn out, when I wear this little device, I suddenly feel much better, as if body tension has gone. I think this is because it subtly re-aligns your spine. After teaching and playing the piano all day, it really helps re-energize me.
For students who tend to slouch, it really helps to have them wear it during their lesson to experience the feeling of singing with correct body alignment.
It is not heavy or awkward- but it really works!