About Voice Yoga

 

 

What is Voice Yoga?

Voice Yoga consists of a series of exercises that gives pride of place to the voice as a central, creative force in our lifes. Our existence depends in important ways on our speaking, listening, sounding and singing abilities. The class promotes awareness of the many roles of the voice in our daily lives. It expands our creative vocabulary, without necessarily talking about music, the singing voice or any musical style. The point is not so much to learn any specific new technique: we play with the voice in a lot of different ways and listen with fresh ears to the hidden potential of our voices.

In Voice Yoga, sound, silence and resonance become a mirror for the self. The sounds produced by ourselves,  allows us to ‘see’ ourselves more clearly, to hear what’s living deep inside us. In ever-growing cycles of creating and perceiving we learn about music and sound, about ourselves and about the environment.

Structure of the classes

We usually start with silence, breath and body movements to turn away from our busy mind into the body and to the sensations we actually experience. We let the voice come out of a natural breath flow. We listen to and follow its natural resonances. We do not try to sing in an artful way, but to experience how body-mind-voice are intimately connected, and how voice and resonance can serve as a bridge to overcome the dualistic notion of body <> mind. From then on, all kinds of styles and genres of vocalising and musicking may happen, some structured, some wild, some giving insight in your voice, some therapeutic. Exercises are based on yoga, musical and theatrical techniques, vipassana meditation and our innate love to play like children.

The idea behind Voice Yoga is comparable to yoga and tai-chi: the effect of the exercises is gradual. We believe that only with repeated classes you can really learn to connect the energies of voice & sound with the whole of your body and mind. You slowly become more and more familiar with your voice and its powers; you will begin to hear and feel things you did not hear and feel before. That’s why we suggest you to sign up for four classes a time after your trial class.

The teacher

Voice Yoga is designed and taught by Mark van Tongeren, who brings with him 25 years of experience in working with sound, music and theatre and many different cultures.

In my Voice Yoga Review of 2014 you can read about some recent experiences:
https://fusica.wordpress.com/2014/12/30/voice-yoga-2014-re-view/

For whom
For those seeking to enrich their voices, let off steam and unlock their hidden creative potential. For singers and those who are afraid to sing. For actors, musicians and other artists and professionals who work with sound. Perhaps more than anyone else, people who want to experience and learn about the therapeutical effects of sound seem to benefit from Voice Yoga. The human voice is a tool that assists human beings to produce a mirror-like reflection of the world around them in their minds. By gaining a deeper understanding and experience of the mechanisms of making sounds, words and music, and of listening, we gradually deepen the connections within ourselves (our body-minds) and with others and the world around us.

Dates and time
please look here for current dates and times (voice yoga dates 2015).

Prices
Every class lasts two hours. The price is 400 NT$ for a single class, and 1500 NT$ for four classes (375 NT$ per class). You do not have to attend four classes in a row; we’ll just tick off your presence four times and then you can sign up again for four times. Students and others with limited financial resources can get a reduced price: just send a message.

How to register
Feel free to join the Voice Yoga class any time. It is best to send a message every time you want to come, then we prepare a place for you. Write to mark at fusica dot nl or send a text-message to 09 10 38 27 49.

Place
Canjune Training Centre, 4th Floor, number 3 , Lane 151, Fuxing South Road, Section 2, (this is about 20 meters from the corner of FuXing South Road, go up the stairs to the hairdresser and take the elevator to 4F; if you’re early the streetdoor may be closed). Nearest MRT: Technology Building (10 min. walk). Telephone training centre: 02 – 27 00 72 91.

Voice Yoga dates 2015

Here follow the dates of the Voice Yoga classes for the New Year. Changes may still occur: new dates or times will be replaced on this same page. If you plan to come, send an email to Mark van Tongeren (info at fusica dot nl) or a text message (09 10 38 27 49) half a day earlier (Thursday morning/Monday afternoon). You can always check this page if you are uncertain if there will be a class.

DATES FOR 2015

Afternoon class: Thursdays 2-4 PM

January 29

February 5, 12, 26

March  5, 12, 19, 26

April 2, 23   no classes on 9th and 16th due to Tuvans’ concerts and workshop.

May 7, 14, 21, 28

Summer break till August. Later dates t.b.a.

Evening class: Monday 7:30-9:30 PM

March 9, 16, 23, 30

April 6, 20, 27 no class on 30th due to workshop in Hong Kong

May 11, 18, 25 no class on 4th due to workshop in Hong Kong

June 1, 8

Summer break till August. Later dates t.b.a.

PLACE

Canjune Training Centre, 4th Floor, number 3 , Lane 151, Fuxing South Road, Section 2, (this is about 20 meters from the corner of FuXing South Road, go up the stairs to the hairdresser and take the elevator to 4F; if you’re early the streetdoor may be closed).

Nearest MRT: Technology Building (10 min. walk).

Telephone training centre: 02 – 27 00 72 91.

RESERVATION

Please notify Mark of your intention to join the class, by sending a text-message (SMS) with your name to 09 – 10  38 27 49 or an email to info at fusica dot nl.

For those unfamiliar with Voice Yoga, you can read more about it in this Fusica blog post.

Breath-performance @ Red Room Aside

 

Tonight I am going to do a short ‘breath performance’ at a special edition of Red Room, the monthly event in the Aveda kitchen hosted by Chu Ping and Roma and Manav Mehta. The breath is a central focus of my performances, sometimes in the foreground, always in the background. And I thought the news of the passing away, on August 20 2014, of Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja (or simply ‘B.K.S.’) Iyengar would be a fitting occasion to start and end the performance using special breathing techniques.

 

Iyengar was instrumental in bringing yoga to the west in the 1950s and began to adapt it to the different lifestyles of American practitioners. Though he received criticism for changing the one-to-one transmission to a group practice and using physical tools such as woodblocks and straps, there can be no doubt that his methods have been a great success and have benefited hundreds of thousands of people in the West. And one can certainly not say that he himself was not fully part of the tradition, as an early video of him with is his own guru Tirumalai Krishnamacharya demonstrated. This is the full version of the 1938 film, but you can find several shorter sequences on Youtube.

It was Tirumalai Krishnamacharya who traveled India to promote hatha yoga and its associated practices and philosophies and thus began the revival which then crossed over to other parts of the world.

Tirumalai Krishnamacharya shortly before his death in 1988, aged 100

One may certainly include me in the league of teachers who misinterpret yoga or use its name for purposes other than its original intentions. But I do not agree with those criticasters who deplore what Iyengar has done. I think yoga is a fantastic practice and profound philosophy that can benefit people in many different ways. Indians should be proud to see so many people around the world doing some form of yoga or yoga-derived practices today.

I am very often in favor of traditional practices above modern forms myself, for example when it comes to indigenous music. But the modernisation and adaption process is irreversible and in the case of yoga, even those not-so-dedicated practitioners like myself learn things and solve problems that you can not learn otherwise (I struggled with lower-backache for many years; physiotherapies did not solve it but hatha yoga did).

So to thank and honour Mr. Iyengar I will begin tonight’s performance with a very extended, silent inhale and finish with a very extended, resounding exhale.

If you are curious, read more about Iyengar in the Washington Post and on The Atlantic.

Voice Yoga dates 2014

VOICE YOGA

In this class we use the voice in its immense richness, not only as a musical instrument, but as our primary tool to communicate and exist through/with/for/from sound. In Voice Yoga, sound, silence and resonance become a mirror for the self. The sounds produced by ourselves,  allows us to ‘see’ ourselves more clearly, to hear what’s living deep inside us. In ever-growing cycles of creating and perceiving we learn about music and sound, about ourselves and about the environment. A ‘quintessence of science, sound and self’ as I  called it in my book Overtone Singing.

DATES AND TIME FOR 2014.

EVERY THURSDAY, 10-12 AM

JANUARY 9, 16, 23, 28

FEBRUARY     13, 20, 27

MARCH         6, 13, 27

APRIL         3, 10, 17, 24

MAY         1, 8, 15, 22, 29

JUNE     5, 12, 19

AUGUST     21, 28

SEPTEMBER      4, 11, 18, 25

OCTOBER     2, 9, 16, 23, 30

NOVEMBER     6, 13, 27  [no class on November 20]

DECEMBER     4, 11, 18, 25

PLACE

Canjune Training Centre, 4th Floor, number 3 , Lane 151, Fuxing South Road, Section 2, (this is about 20 meters from the corner of FuXing South Road, go up the stairs to the hairdresser and take the elevator to 4F; if you’re early the streetdoor may be closed). Nearest MRT: Technology Building (10 min. walk). Telephone training centre: 02 – 27 00 72 91.

RESERVATION

Please notify us of your intention to join the class, by sending a text-message (SMS) with your name to 09-10  38 27 49.

For those unfamiliar with Voice Yoga, the information about Voice of Dao posted earlier still stands.

Weekly Voice Yoga classes 2014

VOICE YOGA

will be the name for what was called Voice of Dao for a little more than one year. Somehow ‘Voice of Dao’ never fully resonated. And yoga is part of our practice, more than any kind of daoist practice.

For those unfamiliar with Voice Yoga, the information about Voice of Dao posted earlier still stands. We continue to use the voice in its immense richness, not only as a musical instrument, but as our primary tool to communicate and exist through/with/for/from sound . In Voice Yoga, sound, silence and resonance become a mirror for the self. The sounds produced by ourselves,  allows us to ‘see’ ourselves more clearly, to hear what’s living deep inside us. In ever-growing cycles of creating and perceiving we learn about music and sound, about ourselves and about the environment. A ‘quintessence of science, sound and self’ as I  called it in my book Overtone Singing.

Here are the new dates for 2014.

EVERY THURSDAY, 10-12 AM

JANUARY 9, 16, 23, 28 (note: 28 is a tuesday)

FEBRUARY     (6 = holiday), 13, 20, 27

MARCH         6, 13, 27
On the 20th the class will be in the afternoon, from 14-16 ‘o clock.

APRIL         3, 10, 17, 24.

The last class of April (on the 24th) and the first class of May (1st) will be changed to another date.

MAY         1, 8, 15, 22, 29

JUNE     5, 12, 19

AUGUST     21, 28

SEPTEMBER      4, 11, 18, 25

OCTOBER     2, 9, 16, 23, 30

NOVEMBER     6, 13, 20, 27

DECEMBER     4, 11, 18, 25

Place: Canjune Training Centre, 4th Floor, number 3 , Lane 151, Fuxing South Road, Section 2, (this is about 20 meters from the corner of FuXing South Road, go up the stairs to the hairdresser and take the elevator to 4F; if you’re early the streetdoor may be closed). Nearest MRT: Technology Building (10 min. walk). Telephone training centre: 02 – 27 00 72 91.

For FEBRUARY please take note! the training centre is not available this month. Weather permitting, we do our class in Da’an park. Meeting point is the park, opposite the Taipei Public Library, halfway Heping and XinYi.

Voice of Dao (up)dates

For those seeking to enrich their voices, let off steam and unlock their hidden creative potential, I organise a bi-weekly (as of 2014: weekly) voice session called Voice of Dao at the training centre of Canjune in Daan district, Taipei. We usually start with silence, breath and body movements to turn away from our busy mind into the body and to the sensations we actually experience. We let the voice come out of a natural breath flow. We listen to and follow its natural resonances. We do not try to sing in an artful way, but to experience how body-mind-voice are intimately connected, and how voice and resonance can serve as a bridge to overcome the dualistic notion of body <> mind. From then on, all kinds of styles and genres of vocalising and musicking may happen, some structured, some wild, some giving insight in your voice, some therapeutic. Exercises are based on yoga, musical and theatrical techniques, and vipassana meditation.

The human voice is a tool that assists human beings to produce a mirror-like reflection of the world around them in their minds. By gaining a deeper understanding and experience of the mechanisms of making sounds, words and music, and of listening, we gradually deepen the connections within ourselves (our body-minds) and with others and the world around us.

When and where:

The normal schedule for Voice of Dao is every two weeks on Thursday, but 10/10  will be changed to 10/9 and 12/26 to 12/24 (2013).

So these are all the dates for the Voice of Dao classes in Taipei up to Januari 2014:
October: Wednesday 9, Tuesday 22. (NOTE: CHANGED FROM THURSDAY 24: that day there will be no class).

November: Thursdays 7, 14.

(November 28 there will be NO class, despite earlier announcement).

December: Thursday 12 and Tuesday 24.

The Training Centre of Canjune is at 4F, number 3 , Lane 151, Fuxing South Road, Section 2, just 20 meters from the corner of FuXing South Road. The nearest MRT station is Technology Building. We start at 10. If you cannot find it, call the training centre: 02 – 27 00 72 91.

Get more details here.

Starting December 10: weekly Voice of Dao classes

I am happy to announce that from December onwards you can join a weekly session based on my 25 years of working with the voice. I call it Voice of Dao.

Here is the idea, in English and Chinese.

(You can also find this information and more in

Chinese-only on http://hansuna.blogspot.tw/)

DESCRIPTION OF VOICE OF DAO /  聲音之道

What is ‘Voice of Dao’?  何謂”聲音之道” ?

In the Voice of Dao exercises, sound is used as a powerful tool to experience the present, to live (in) it, and to transcend commonly perceived dichotomies (like mind and body; I and other). There are no technical requirements for these simple exercises: anyone can join anytime. The four starting points are familiar to everyone, but few people use these resources to the full. They are

在”聲音之道”的修練中，聲音被當作一個體驗當下、感受存在、與超越身心、人我對立的有力工具。進行這種單純的修練並不需要具備特別的技能，任何人都可以在任何階段加入學習。這種修練由眾所周知但罕見深入的四條門徑展開，它們分別是：

1) breath

2) resonance/harmonics

3) focused attention

4) silence

 1.呼吸  2.共鳴/和聲  3.集中凝神  4.靜默

What will I learn?

You will learn how to let these four elements help you achieve a deeper sense of self. Like tai-chi or yoga, the benefit of the exercises is gradual. By repeating exercises time and again, their ‘resonance’ builds up and slowly penetrates deeper through the surface layers of the self.

 我能學到什麼 ?

你將學會運用這四個元素達到對自我的深層覺知。如同太極或瑜珈，這種修練的好處是累積而成的。藉著反覆練習，它們的共振效果逐漸放大，慢慢穿透表象而觸及自我的深處。

What are the benefits of this practice?

Voice of Dao may have a number of effects. You will experience and learn to use new aspects of your voice, which is your primary tool for communication. By extension, you will experience yourself more as sound – even as music. By tapping into creative undercurrents of being human (be they of a ‘rhythmic’, a ‘resonant’ or even a silent nature), fixed perceptions about the self, the world and about music and sound loosen up. This process enables new feelings, thoughts, ideas and connections to appear and to grow.

這種修練的益處為何？

”聲音之道” 有多種效益。聲音本是溝通的原始工具，你將體驗並發展出自己聲音的新風貌。藉著這樣的延伸，你的自我將如實由聲音傳達出來，甚至宛若音樂。找到生而為人的創造性潛能（無論他是一種旋律，一種共振，還是滿腔靜默），將會鬆動我們原本對自己、對世界、對音樂和聲音的成見。這個過程能引進新的感受、思想、意念，與連結，使自我彰顯與茁壯。

What does it cost?

After an introductory class, you can write-up for four sessions each time. An  introductory  is 400 NT$ and can be paid in cash. Then you can decide to register for four classes a time, and pay NT$ 1500 when you come for the first of four classes. You may skip classes and spread your attendance over a longer period. Classes will sometimes be interrupted when Mark travels abroad, which will be announced to the mailinlist of the participants.

To register send an email to Una Kao: unakao@yahoo.com.tw.

課程的費用如何？

在第一堂的導引課之後，你可以登記每次共四堂的演練課。導引課為台幣 400元，當日現金支付。如欲參加後續的演練課，每次請預付1500元。四堂課可依個人方便隨時參與，無須連續進行。

Where and when?

Sessions are held first at the training Centre of Can June or in the concert stage/theatre of Daan park. Starting time is 10 o’ clock and the class is finished at 12 o’ clock.

The first session was held on Monday December 10, 2012. Check the latest post for the latest dates.

Please let us know if you would like to come, but are not available on monday mornings, and tell us your preferred dates. Send an email to Mark van Tongeren (mark@fusica.nl) or Una Kao (unakao@yahoo.com.tw).

 Here at the blog of Hans and Una, you can find details and more in Chinese.

上課的時間與地點

原則上都是周一早上在師大附近進行，未來有機會依需求調整時間與日期。出席請簽到，每次的演練是一小時，十點開始，結束後還會有15分鐘的靜躺放鬆時間。

Do I learn overtone singing?

This practice is beneficial if you want to learn overtone singing, but it is not the place to receive direct instructions in this vocal technique. Please refer to the Overtone Singing workshops for more information on learning to sing overtones.

我會學到泛音的技巧嗎 ?

“聲音之道 “的演練將有助於學習泛音，但這個演練本身並不進行泛音技巧的指導。如果對學習泛音感興趣，可以參考泛音學習營的相關資訊。

And who is the teacher?

For twenty-five years Mark van Tongeren has studied music, sound and voice, constantly seeking to enrich his activities as a performer with fresh insights from academic research, and vice versa. He travelled extensively in Siberia and Europe studying vocal sound and music with a variety of teachers, most notably Tuvan throat singers and the German musician and zen-teacher Michael Vetter. He worked many years with Silo Theater, is part of the seven-piece collective for musical improvisation Oorbeek, and most recently founded the vocal laboratory Paraphonia, with Rollin Rachele and others. He holds an MA in ethnomusicology (University of Amsterdam) and expects to receive a PhD in practice-based artistic research in 2013 (at University of Leiden). His methods for Voice of Dao are derived from music and theatre training techniques, chanting, singing and improvisation from many traditions, Buddhist meditation, music therapies, yoga and so on. They are informed by in-depth studies of disciplines like acoustics, science of sound and the singing voice, music anthropology, musicology and so on.

老師簡介

馬克范湯可鄰在音樂、聲音、與人聲方面有25年的研究經歷，他持續以學術研究和多元性的表演活動來滋養彼此的深度和廣度。他還深入西伯利亞與歐洲各地，師從人聲與民族音樂的各類能人專家，例如吐瓦的喉唱歌手，以及德國的前衛音樂家暨禪學大師米歇爾‧費特。他曾與物件劇場「筒倉劇團」共事多年，也是七人即興音樂團體「歐貝」的成員之一，近年還與羅林拉契里成立了人聲實驗團體「泛聲」。他在阿姆斯特丹大學取得民族音樂學的碩士學位，並將在2013年於萊登大學獲致表演藝術博士學位。他自創的“聲音之道 “訓練方法 ，融合了他在音樂與劇場方面的專業訓練，以及佛教冥想、音樂治療、瑜珈等等身體經驗。這個方法背後的理論基礎，包括音響學、聲音與演唱的科學、音樂人類學、音樂學等等。

Disclaimer

It is understood that this practice allows you, the student, to work on yourself with the help of a teacher. No guarantees for any effect whatsoever can be expected. It is the student’s responsibility to judge whether any exercise or all of them are beneficial or not and to skip exercises that seem unfitting.

 聲明

“聲音之道 “的練習可以讓學生在老師的協助下對自身進行工作。但這種練習並不擔保任何「功效」。其中的練習使否適用於個別的學生，或應予略過，必須由學生自身評估。

Practicalities

We appreciate if you can send an email that you wish to come, or reply to our regular mails/posts. Write to unakao@yahoo.com.tw (in Chinese or English) or to mark@fusica.nl (English only).

The open-air theatre of Daan Park is in the Northwest of the park and well indicated. The Training Centre of Canjune is at number 3, fourth floor, Lane 151, Fuxing South Road, Section 2, just 20 meters from the corner of FuXing South Road. The nearest MRT station is Technology Building.

We start at 10, so come a bit earlier! Call Una at 0953 157 815 if you have trouble finding it. You can find all this information and more on http://hansuna.blogspot.tw/