The most beautiful massage I’ve ever given in my life was for an opera singer who was opening a show the next night. I could feel the star power tingling under my hands. Just thinking about it makes me happy. It was beautiful.
An Invitation to Singers: Bodywork for Your Voice and Breath
Before the pandemic, I developed a bit of a specialty working with singers – specifically opera singers. A friend of mine was a singer, and through word of mouth, more singers started finding their way to me. I became especially interested in the ribcage and took a specialized training course focused on the spine, ribcage, and scoliosis.
I recently completed a training series called Anatomie de la Voix – the anatomy of the voice. It’s in France, and yes, it’s in French! It was a fascinating exploration of what is happening physically when we generate voice.
This post is an invitation to singers to come see me for bodywork.
Why Singers?
I have some special skills in this area, and I’m excited to continue developing them. So, why do I enjoy working with singers so much?
One big reason is breath control.
Singers have incredible breath awareness and control, and that makes such a difference in bodywork. The more breath control someone has, the more we can use the breath in a session to go deeper and get faster responses – with less effort, less strain. More change with less effort.
Singers also have an unusually wide range of motion in the ribcage, which is such a joy to work with. There’s also a delicacy of sensation – a refined awareness of the body – that I really appreciate.
Bodywork as Aesthetic Collaboration
Bodywork and singing aren’t just physical – they’re emotional, aesthetic. With singers, whose bodies are their instruments, the experience takes on another dimension. There’s a dynamic of collaboration in bodywork for singers that’s hard to describe but incredibly fulfilling.
And if a singer is preparing for a performance, it adds another layer. It’s almost like sports massage, but for an aesthetic event. It’s not about hyping up for performance in the usual athletic way – it’s more subtle than that. But it’s still focused, intentional, and energizing in its own way.
I really love that kind of work. And I think you’ll feel it in your performance.
Let’s Work Together
So this is an open invitation to singers:
Please book a session with me. I’d love to work with you, support your practice and performance, and hear your feedback afterwards as I continue to refine this area of my work.