THE LARYNX

The larynx is the structure at the top of the trachea and is made up of muscle and tissue. The larynx is also referred to as the voice box. The voice box contains the vocal cords (two folds of muscle tissue which are connected to the larynx from front to back).

The larynx has three important functions:

• Control of the airflow during breathing
• Protection of the airway
• Production of sound for speech and singing

A bone called the hyoid bone supports the larynx from above and is attached to the mandible bone (the jaw). "Speech-Level Singing™" got its name partially because our goal is to bring the larynx back to its natural state with the hyoid bone, while keeping the jaw and tongue from pulling on the larynx.

Through years of either bad or no technique, and lack of using the muscles properly, a singer's larynx can fall below this area. This causes unnecessary tension in the vocal cords. Instead, the larynx should be firmly attached to the hyoid bone. With the training of Speech-Level Singing™, the posture of speech production is restored.