Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction: Sport-Specific Training for the Vocal Athlete
Chapter 1: Alignment
Chapter 2: Breathing
Chapter 3: Laryngeal Function
Chapter 4: Articulation & Resonance
Chapter 5: The Mind/Body Connection
Chapter 6: A Singer-Centered Workout Regimen
Chapter 7: Warming Up
Chapter 8: Fueling Your Art
Chapter 9: Maintaining Your Health
Chapter 10: Form Follows Function
About the Author
About the Artists
Additional Resources
Glossary

About the Author

Claudia Friedlander is a voice teacher and fitness expert based in New York City. She has presented workshops on vocal fitness for The Voice Foundation and the Performing Arts Medicine Association, and was an invited panel discussant on health and wellness for OPERA America. Her students have performed on Broadway, and at leading opera houses including The Santa Fe Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. She is the author of the monthly column “Musings on Mechanics” for Classical Singer Magazine as well as a widely read and cited blog on vocal technique and fitness, The Liberated Voice. In 2008, she joined the faculty of the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall, where her most recent project was the development, in collaboration with Joyce DiDonato, of The Singer’s Audition Handbook, an interactive online career development guide for young singers.

Reviews

Claudia Friedlander has a deep understanding of the biomechanics of singing, and she does a beautiful job of explaining it to the rest of us. For singers and teachers looking for ways to improve vocal technique, her book is the perfect place to start.
*Deborah Voigt, internationally renowned soprano*

Performers of opera and musical theatre are, in fact, singing athletes. We need to maintain our bodies and instruments with the training and focus of a marathon runner, and Dr. Friedlander has written a guide on how to embrace a lifestyle which will not only enhance physical health but also the health of one's instrument. Every singer should own a copy of this book!
*Jennifer Rowley, Metropolitan Opera soprano*

Finally, here is a book that treats singing as the athletic endeavor that it is. It offers step-by-step instructions for identifying then correcting physical imbalances through targeted stretches and strength training exercises.  The illustrations are much more useful than the anatomy books we’ve used for years, because they address issues of the singer and include only the pertinent information.  If you are serious about singing, this book should live on your piano!
*Rod Gilfry, Associate Professor of Vocal Arts, USC Thornton School of Music, baritone*