The great teacher Lucie Manen who taught so many fine singers used an old bel canto ‘trick’ to help the initial voice ‘placement’ of doing a little sniff-hum before starting to sing a phrase. My own teacher the wonderful Mollie Petrie also used it with me occasionally along with putting my hands around my eyes like a pair of binoculars, making me sing through my eyes. Now I know and she knew the sound doesn’t come from the sinuses but it is a good way of feeling that ring and resonance in a place that lifts both consonants and vowels and is part of the kinaesthetic response when we sing.

Feelings are fundamental to singing, emotions yes, but also the physical responses we need to monitor our aural sensations. If you play around with colours like an artist with his palette you can explore all kinds of ways of producing differing timbres with the same pitch note.

I know if I get my voice in the right ‘place’ I lose and use, less air, I feel my lower abdominals working more, I feel the strength I need in my back and I am in the zone. And it is easy! Mind you it can take ten years to find that easy place and it demands huge resources from us mentally and physically but not in the larynx, that is still good to go IF I have everything flowing well.

In this day of quick fixes we can easily get frustrated if the voice doesn’t do what we want immediately but like any athlete you need to keep your muscles and nerves regularly exercised. If you seriously want to sing for the rest of your life, you never stop learning and you never stop singing.