Body position - Thomas Hampson masterclass

Singing starts with and in the body, and for singing to function optimally the body must be in balance to avoid tensions, to provide good breath support and to optimise the spaces for resonance.

When it comes to body alignment, one of the mistakes I often see is the tendency in young singers/students to bend forwards, stretch the head forwards and tilt the neck, especially in softer, "cute" sections of songs, instead of keeping a tall, erect and balanced position. It is almost an intuitive reaction - to "follow" the music with your body, but the result is inevitable a less resonant and more unstable sound.

A great singer does not necessarily make a great teacher, especially not in open masterclasses, but one of those that excels both as a singer and as a teacher, is the American baritone Thomas Hampson.

There are lots of masterclasses with him available on Youtube, all of them really interesting and informative to watch. Maybe his "pet project" - the topic that he comes back to again and again, no matter if the singer is a male or a female, is exactly this: how to hold and use your body in a natural way.

• how to stand
• how to elongate your back and your neck
• how to use the chest and the diaphragm and the muscles that you normally use for breathing in also when you breathe out - aka "sing."

The video below is a very good examples of how he works and what he focuses on, but this is a recurring topic in all his work with students. It is a lot to pay attention to and to learn here!