EFT Creates Vocal Breakthroughs

By Athena Murphy

Using the voice, for either speaking or singing, is one of the most over-looked, yet physical activites we can undertake in a day. Because of all the conscious and unconscious emotional issues we deal with in a day, the physicality of talking may be one of our most energy-draining and stress-creating actions, yet to most of us, this area is completely unnoticed in our lives.

Recently, I taught an EFT class designed specifically to clear out some of the issues that singers and speakers carry around in their bodies, particularly their throats, that impede their voices.

During the first class, a participant complained that she didn't like the sound of her speaking voice because it was "too high and squeaky" and that this had been a life-long issue for her. She said, "I sound like a little girl." People around her had made fun of her voice her whole life, and this continued long into her adulthood. Our first round of tapping focused on the negative comments her uncle, a neighbor, made to her during her childhood:

We tapped rounds of:

• Even though people around me complain about my voice, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
• Even though adults around me who loved me made fun of my voice.....
• Even though I sound like a little girl.....

Then we borrowed from the Choices method and instilled new phrases for her to relate to her voice in a new way while tapping:

• My voice is relaxed, calm and serene....
• My voice expresses me perfectly
• My throat is completely relaxed.

By the end of these few rounds of tapping the actual pitch of her voice had lowered noticeably and the resonance of the voice was significantly lower and more relaxed. She could hear the sound was different, but she couldn't feel a resonance difference. This point is particularly important because we do not hear the sound of our voice as accurately as we feel it, particularly how it feels to us to speak.

In order for her to be able to really feel how different she "sounded" I had her place her palm on her breastbone as she spoke so that she could feel her voice producing lower resonance and begin to get used to it. She was able to feel some slight vibration of the voice on the breastbone and her upper body, including her neck and throat, were significantly more relaxed.

A few days later she sent me these comments as a follow-up:

"I'm telling people you gave me a life-altering experience on your call. I felt so lightheaded all day. Even my husband noticed a difference in my voice. I think when I went to the foot doctor yesterday I screamed in a lower voice when he gave me shots (ha ha)."

During the second class, I worked with a singer who had "stuck" high notes and mentioned that her "throat always locks up" just before she has to hit a high note. This is a common emotionally-based issue for singers. Often what's behind the throat constriction is a fear of being heard, being judged negatively for the sound of their voice, being loud and sounding "bad." High note blockages are usually a combination of one or all of these factors.

For our tapping, beginning on the eyebrow point, we said:

• Even though I might sound bad, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
• Even though I might be loud....
• Even though someone might hear me...
• Even though I don't sing every note perfect....
• Even though once in a while I might sound bad...

Then we introduced the Choices:

• My throat is open and relaxed....
• My voice is the perfect expression of me...
• My voice expresses everything in my soul...
• My high notes are effortless and ringing...
• The sound of my voice is not my worth as a person (and my personal favorite)
• It's all just pretty air....

(That last one always gets a laugh, and it great for depersonalizing the sound of the voice, which is the central issue that keeps most singers "stuck" in their high notes. When the sound of our voice is not WHO we are, or our worth as a person, then we are FREE to really sing.)

She felt significantly more relaxed, was "buzzing" and laughing joyously. I asked her to sing me a high note, and she was puzzled as to what to sing. So we had a conversation about that, which revealed there was still a bit of shyness about the high notes.

I said to her that during student's lessons, I just pop out a note randomly to take the risk out of it. If it's not a big deal to me, it often stops being a big deal for them. I said to her, "you have the same freedom to do that." She replied, "you're right" and proceeded to sing a big, ringing, resonant and beautiful high note, for a LONG time! The worry about "what to sing" was gone. She now had complete freedom to sing anything.

The following day, I recieved this comment from her:

"Hi Athena ~ ... just a follow-up FYI ... I had vocal class with my private instructor this past Monday after our EFT call. I chose to sing "Almost Like Being in Love" from Brigadoon ... a song with a high F that, as a mezzo-, I've had difficulty with forever. Came to it and hit it strong and solid with ease!! wooHOOOO ... my instructor was even a bit impressed ... :) again ... THANKS!"

Part of my life-long facination with the voice has always been its ability to express our deepest truths. After years of studying and teaching voices, I recognize the issues and blockages that keep us from being able to express those truths. To see those blockages evaporate forever in ten minutes leaves me profoundly moved, and deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with people and share EFT. I am still awed that EFT shifted their ability to communicate so easily and elegantly.

Athena