Singing With a Neutral Larynx Position

Video Transcript

"JAMES MENY: Okay. So now we're going to address larynx and larynx position. You might hear this from some voice teachers, you might not from others. We're not trying to sing on a higher larynx. We're not trying to sing on a low larynx. What I advocate is a neutral larynx. It's the same voice that I'm actually speaking on. Because it allows for the fluctuation so that I can actually have voice inflection and I don't sound monotone when I speak. It moves up and down as I finish sentences or I want to emphasize words. If it's pressed down the whole time, then it sounds really stupid. And I don't hear a lot of opera singers singing in this voice, where it's pressed down all the time. The problem is, is that if you had to press it down any lower, you couldn't, 'cause it's already pressed all the way down. Or if it's lifted as high as it can be, you get this sound. And then you can't go any higher without sounding screechy. So what I want is a natural, easy sound. Remember, the least amount of baggage as possible when you actually phonate or sing make it as natural as possible for you. Why carry on technique? Technique is only needed when you get in trouble. You don't want to be thinking about your technique while you're on a stage or in a play or on a film shoot or something like that. You want to be thinking about hitting your spot or why is that girl looking at me or what's wrong with this light over here or, and think of anything else but the singing. You got to let that out of your way. That's baggage."