The Athlone School of Singing 3.27

Why Singing?

“Singing is everywhere and singing is in every one of us, to one degree or another”
Sally Garozzo

The Benefits of Singing are many and varied. Singing has physical, mental and emotional benefits. Singing is a gymnasium for the body and soul. It works deeply into our physiology: deepening breath and heart rate, altering brain wave patterns and strengthening the immune system. It also releases endorphins, the body’s pleasure hormones, into the brain and body. As you sing, you articulate and use facial expressions, so you improve muscle tone in the face, throat, neck and jaw, thereby promoting a youthful appearance. Improving the muscle tone in the larynx, which singing does, also helps to calm snoring, which improves sleeping and counters insomnia, which in turn increases our well-being and health. Singing also improves the muscle tone of your rib cage, and in your back and abdominals (belly and lower), because these muscles are involved in controlling the outflow of air and stabilizing the larynx as you sing.
Singing is utterly absorbing. Like physical exercise, it requires a level of focus and bodily activity that shifts our minds away from our usual patterns of thinking, even away from quite pressurized and stressful attitudes. Singing is without doubt a wonderful stress management aid. Learning to sing stretches people, and will naturally and easily move you out of your comfort zone and daily routine, which is very good for all of us. Challenges, when we overcome them, and doing different things which stretch us, make us feel very good. It can help to build confidence and self-esteem, and can increase capacity for self-expression. Singing is a great leveller, because in the process of learning, we laugh together and share the same experiences and feelings together.

Singing can help to….

Reduce stress and improve mood
Lower blood pressure
Boost the immune system
Improve breathing
Reduce perceived pain
Improve a sense of rhythm
Promote learning in children
Forge comforting memories
Promote communal bonding
Provide comfort
Motivate and empower

Singing in groups ……

Breaks down barriers
Embraces, encourages and enables diversity
Promotes equality
Develops harmonious relationships
Fosters creativity
Promotes thinking
Improves personal confidence
Promotes greater physical fitness, well-being and natural health
Creates a huge sense of personal achievement

About Petrova

Born with a love of singing Petrova started performing at age 7 in the national “Scór na nÓg” competitions. Petrova continued to perform in secondary school and in university where she performed on an almost weekly basis. In secondary school she appeared in her school musical “Calamity Jane” where she caught the musical theatre bug. Petrova has been a member of “Athlone Musical Society” for 10 years where she currently serves on committee and has won a prestigious AIMS award for her performance of Katisha in “The Hot Mikado”. She is also a member of local choir “Anam”. With “Anam” she has appeared as a soloist in conjunction with the Army Band, the Garda Band, the Harlem Gospel Choir and also internationally in Vienna at the International Choir Festival. Petrova is an accomplished wedding soloist and has performed in many churches and cathedrals around Ireland and also internationally in the UK, France, New York and Italy. Petrova has performed both as a soloist and chorally in many concerts and recitals both nationally and internationally including the AIMS “Applause” concert in the Helix and at many corporate functions. Petrova has been studying singing and voice for over 10 years and has studied with Deirdre Hannify, Birr and through the Leinster School of Music with Dr. Veronica Dunne. She is currently studying for her IVA certifications with Andres Martorell and other IVA master teachers including Jeffrey Skouson.

On teaching Petrova says “After working in the telecoms industry for 12 years I was looking for a new challenge and realised what I was looking for had been with me my whole life. I love to sing, and I believe it is not only good for the soul but good for general health and very calming. When I started teaching it was fantastic to see my student’s progress. I came to the IVA method as I was looking for a way to connect my chest and head voice and IVA achieves this by teaching good singing technique.”

The IVA Technique

(As described on the IVA Website @ www.vocaladvancement.com)

The IVA technique is based on 17th and 18th Century principles of singing developed by the Schola Cantorum. The goal is to train voices to sing in a free and natural manner, smoothly, from the bottom of the range to the top with no breaks or sudden changes in quality. Training in this technique gives the singer access to all dynamics, with tonal clarity and flexibility. Also, training in this technique helps improve a singer’s range, endurance, stamina, breath control, resonance, vocal strength and vocal quality across all styles of music without fatigue or damage to the voice. These results are accomplished by training the singer to find a balance between airflow and intrinsic muscular resistance, all within a resting laryngeal posture.