VOCAL HEALTH

EDUCATION 19TH OCTOBER 2021

POSTURE
This weeks Podcast topic is “posture”. In
this episode, we talk a bit about the
sociological history of posture, the
‘straight spine’ and even the military
beginnings of the word. Robert talks about
the Feldenkrais challenge to the word
posture as being ‘acture’… and Robert and
Jenevora even challenge one another on
vocalising with the head raised.
Is “poor posture” the problem, or the
problem about “poor posture”?
THE THINKING
VOICE Written by Stephen King
We know from various studies that different alignments of the cervical spine allow
optimisation for functions such as swallowing, and lots of those studies inform my
practise on a day to day basis. But, in the spirit of Thinking Voice, I want to share with
you all some other perspectives that I’ve been thinking about in regards to “posture”…
(and I’m “sorry” about all of the quote marks in advance!):

The “green tick” vs “red cross” style posture articles and posts claiming that slumped
types of posture or ‘text neck’ types of posture are bad and /or wrong are missing
huge amounts of psychosocial factors that may contribute to any image of oneself.
Think about those almost emotional reactions in our body when we feel sad,
empowered, angry, unsure… they all can be exhibited differently on our body.

Poor” posture and pain have limited correlation… in fact… “Females in late adolescence
who sat in slumped thorax/forward head or intermediate posture rather than upright
sitting posture had a lower risk of persistent neck pain (PNP) as a young adult. The
practice of generic public health messages to sit up straight to prevent neck pain
needs rethinking.” Check out Paul Ingraham’s post on this study here

The history of posture is unfortunately steeped in colonial racism. In 1922 The

Lancet noted that “some primitive races who have the squatting habit […] keep
the knees and back bent and have a carriage and gait not much better than that
of the higher apes. As a general rule, the more highly civilised the people the
better is the carriage”. A shocking thing to read nearly one hundred years later.

I wonder about whether making posture binary ie good posture vs bad

posture really helps us work towards anything other than our own bias?
 VOCAL HEALTH
EDUCATION 19TH OCTOBER 2021

THE PRACTICAL
VOICE
Because of the demands on the industry, in terms of having to move,
dance and sometimes perform upside down..
How can there be one optimal position for vocalisation?

Instead of working to a fixed parameter, why not try these 3 movements

while singing?
ROLL THE SHOULDERS
MOVE THE HIPS (In a circular motion or a figure of 8)
TURN THE HEAD

What do you find?...

THE DEVELOPING THE MEMBER'S

VOICE VOICE
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Charlotte Mobbs

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