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 No doubt you've heard certain
people described as having "an ear for music" or "a musical ear."
Some 40 years ago, Dr. Alfred A.
Tomatis, a French Ear, Nose and Throat specialist, made some
astonishing discoveries which led to the theories used to develop The
Listening ProgramTM. |
| The Ear-Voice
Connection |
| Our
voice and ear are linked in ways not usually understood. On the
basis of the experimental data he accumulated, in 1953 Dr. Tomatis
presented a paper to the French Academy of Sciences, establishing the
following law: The voice contains only the sounds that the
ear hears. We know now that the ear
controls the timber, the intensity, the rhythm, and the flow of the
voice.
If the ear is out of tune, the voice is out of tune. When
listening
is improved, the voice changes automatically. In many cases,
voice
problems stem from a minor listening problem: the ear is not able
to check the accuracy of the sound about to be spoken (or sung).
Singers
"push" their voices to try to overcome that difficulty. By
expanding
the range of perception of sounds, the range of the voice is
expanded. For several decades now, singers like Maria Callas and
many others, have used Dr. Tomatis' Listening Program to restore or
fine-tune their vocal
skills. The French actor Gerard Depardieu credits Dr. Tomatis as
one
of the three people to whom he attributes his phenomenal acting success. |
We
cannot imagine a musician who does not have a "musical ear." Many
of us would like to have a musical ear, so we could learn to sing and
play music easily. Too often, children or adults struggle to
learn to play the piano, the violin, or some other musical
instrument. They end up giving up the lessons because they have a
hard time and feel mediocre. Here is what Richard Lawrence, a
remarkable violinist and Suzuki teacher from Sonoma CA says
about it:
"Generally teachers believe that if you develop
a certain technique you will play better. But a better technique
will only reproduce more accurately the sound that you want, the sound
that you hear inside and imagine. If you imagine a rather
average,
indifferent sound, you will just be better at playing it with your
improved
technique. Unfortunately, this does not necessarily mean that you
will sound better."
Richard Lawrence was interested to know what he could gain using the
technique developed by Dr. Tomatis.
"At the end of the first session, I began to
notice physical differences. I felt a desire to sit
straighter. My neck felt more free. My hearing was opening
up, and I was experiencing more clarity in the sound. When I
would listen to orchestral music, I noticed a broader range of
sounds. I especially noticed that I
could hear each instrument separately when I listened to music.
In
particular, I began to notice the high frequency instruments in a new
way.
The orchestra was sounding much richer. My improved hearing was
like
getting a new stereo system!"
Later on, Richard started to notice that muscular tensions in his body
interfered with his playing. He noticed how much he was able to
"hear" with his body.
"I was feeling more space between my violin and
my shoulder and could really feel my breathing. It became more
obvious to me where my rhythm was off. I have always had what is
known as a wrist vibrato. I found myself able to do an arm
vibrato which I had never been able to do before. Shifting started to
be easier too." |
How the Tomatis Method Affected My Violin Playing
A
professional violinist reports on his experiences.
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| Artistic
Creativity |
| The
Listening Program TM is not limited to people who need to "fix" a problem.
The energizing impact of the program often translates into an increase
in creativity. For these reasons, writers, composers, musicians
and actors have been attracted to this program. It expands and
deepens the awareness of their skills while boosting their
output. One woman composer who enrolled in Dr. Tomatis' program
said, "Since I have started the program, new music is constantly coming
to me." She did, in fact compose the music for two albums while
going through the program. A dancer who, while technically at his
peak, didn't feel anymore "the dance from the inside out." As his
listening training progressed, he was able to return meaning into his
dance
and to understand that he didn't have to give it up, as he had
thought.
It is not necessary to be an artist to improve one's creativity.
A
businessman may report that he finds new ways to resolve problems. |
ADDITIONAL
RELATED INFORMATION
|
Computer Software to improve
singing voice:
Click to read about Singing
Coach Unlimited
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MuSICA
Research. Many different
research projects on the effects of music on the brain.
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The Mozart Effect
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| This theory says that Mozart's music can stimulate and
inspire young minds, improve intelligence, and help develop IQs.
Don Campbell, the author of "The Mozart Effect" says:
"In a study of medical school applicants, 66% of music
majors who applied to medical school were admitted, the highest
percentage of
any group. Only 44% of biochemistry majors were admitted.
-Lewis Thomas, as reported in Phi Delta Kappan,
February 1994.
The very best engineers and technical designers in the
Silicon Valley industry are, nearly without exception, practicing
musicians.
-Grant Venerable, The Center for the Arts in the Basic
Curriculum, New York, 1989.
Students who study music scored higher on both the verbal
and math portions of the SAT than non music students.
-College Entrance Examination Board as reported in Symphony.
Sept - Oct 1996.
At risk children who participated in an arts program that
included music showed significant increases in overall self-concept.
-Nancy H. Barry, Auburn University, 1992."1
1Campbell,
Don, "The Mozart Effect"
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START THEM EARLY!!!
Music for Babies
~Click to listen online~
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