High, Unstable Larynx And Tongue Flexibility

Practicing so-called mask singing subverts the muscular process that lowers the larynx; in effect, it conditions a muscular response that causes the larynx to rise. This conditioned response could become so powerful that as soon as a singer opens his mouth to sing, the larynx instantly rises. An uncontrolled rising larynx militates against artistic singing and undermines the proper functioning of the vocal muscles. As we noted, the larynx is normally a very strong and durable organ, capable of extraordinary dexterity, but negative muscular conditioning, as with continuous attempts at mask singing, will, over time, result in vocal deterioration.

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Muscular, Agile, And Lowered Larynx

Singing well requires strong, well-coordinated laryngeal movements. The larynx should assume a variety of vertical positions during singing to correspond to the demands being placed on it. When singing in the lower register in full volume, for example, the larynx should remain relatively low and stable. In male falsetto singing, by contrast, the larynx should attain a comfortably higher and stable position. When the larynx moves vertically during the dynamic process of singing, the vocal folds, and its controlling muscles, should remain strong enough to support securely significant sub-glottal pressure, and by extension, be able to valve the release of breath through the vocal folds efficiently.

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The Dangers Of Mask Singing

If false beliefs are aggressively incorporated into actual voice teaching techniques, the strength and coordination of the vocal muscles could be quickly compromised.  The practice of trying to sing in the mask could literally undermine a singing voice. Let's develop this idea. Despite the claims that mask singing occurs “behind the cheeks,” or behind the “middle of the eyes mask,” mask singing is really singing with an emphasis on nasalized voice production.

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Experience Can Be Misleading

It’s clear that many voice instructors have misread resonant singing. By misinterpreting the sensations of mask singing (really nasal resonance) and identifying the mask as the primary source of all resonance, the major sources of resonance—the pharynx, soft palate, and oral cavity—have been reduced in importance or ignored altogether. The erroneous belief that facial sensations are the origin of resonance does not, however, necessarily affect one's singing one way or the other. In fact, most excellent singers hold false ideas about how they sing. “Chest voice” and “head voice”—although metaphors that were invented by the Italian masters centuries ago—have no basis in physical reality; yet many good singers believe fervently in these notions.

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Primary And Secondary Resonance

The hard facts are in: the facial area as a significant producer of vocal resonance is a difficult position to defend from a physiological perspective— experiential testimonials notwithstanding. If this is true, this means that mask sensations are poor guides to proper voice production. We could understand this view more clearly by differentiating between what I call “primary resonance” and “secondary resonance.”

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