Richard Fink IV - THROGA: 7 Dimensions of Singing

Edited by Andrew Phan
Designed by Richard Fink IV
Illustrated by Rebecca King at Renegade Chihuahua
2016 Richard Fink IV
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means; electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the copyright owner.
e-Book
First Edition
Published by THROGA LLC
PO Box 562
Bergen, NY 14416 USA
www.THROGA.com
ISBN: 978-0-692-77175-4

To my students; past, present and future:

You are collectively my greatest teacher. I am both humbled and honored to have experienced your voices in their most vulnerable states. I hope each and every one of you continues to develop and share your incredible instrument for the world to hear.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to the following people;

Alysia, Ada and Aurora for believing in me and continuing to endure countless late nights and early mornings of my working to pursue my passion; Andrew Phan for your guidance, insight and unrelenting honesty, in which this book would not have been possible otherwise; Mark Baxter for continuously inspiring me to become the best teacher I can be and for always encouraging me to sing through both the good and the bad; Susan and Richard for setting the bar high enough to teach me the value in fighting for what I believe in; Johnny Cummings for helping me to forge a career in music and singing over the past 20+ years of collaborating on countless projects; Kathy White and Barb Galiford for making me feel like a singer long before anyone else took notice, and for planting the seeds of joy in teaching others; Tony Gross for helping to navigate me through the music industry throughout the years; George Collichio for giving an eager young man his first shot at teaching; Theodis Anderson for believing in my success at every turn; Gary White for always going above and beyond by putting your clients ahead of yourself; Certified Teachers for beating THROGAs proverbial drum in an effort to help others reveal their gift as singers; Jim Bostock for your expertise and support of THROGAs mission; Kemo Bunguric & JMC Academy for welcoming me with open arms into a new community of singers and opportunity; Sarah Thiele for your encouragement and inspiration during THROGAs early developmental stages; Gretchen Roth for proofreading my work; Chris Haitz for always fueling me to take the next leap forward; and finally, Ted Neeley , for illuminating a path to inspire and bring hope to others through singing, storytelling and above all, compassion.

Are you curious? Thats great! Because an inquisitive mind is a wonderful way to approach the brilliance of The Seven Dimensions of Singing. Its my honor to introduce its creator, Richard Fink IV. Its fitting to note that it was his curiosity that gave birth to this unique concept. But its also fitting to note that his curiosity did not rest until every dimension of the voice was integrated like never before. Curiosity leads to possibilities. Commitment leads to success.

I met Richard many years ago as a student in my Manhattan studio. He may be a two-time Guinness World Record holder for certain vocal abilities, but he also owns the record in my book for the most questions asked during a singing lesson! It was during those early sessions that Richard quickly established himself as a vocal scholar. Years later, not only did I give him my blessing to become a teacher but I was excited for his future students. Many singers teach at some point; few are as passionate about vocal physiology and the physics of sound as Richard.

Even now, with an ever-growing group of THROGA Certified Teachers who look to him as their mentor, Richard continues to challenge the status quo of vocal improvement. Acceptance leads to complacency. The culmination of this relentless pursuit to incorporate every aspect of singing into one system resulted in something never achieved by any vocal pedagogue in history: a U.S. patent. As impressive as this achievement is, what makes Richard a special teacher is not something that was acquired from years of study and hard work. Its his compassion.

You cant teach someone to care. It is Richards compassion for helping others that sparks his curiosity and fuels his drive. Its beautiful. Compassion leads to connection. Its why I am excited for you as you embark on this multi-dimensional journey of self-improvement. Yes, this program is about singing but there is nothing more reflective of the soul than your voice. Everything you need to transform the singer within is here. And should you run a little low on motivation, youve got Richard Fink IV as inspiration. Be curious. Be committed. Be compassionate. Singing leads to love.

- Mark Baxter

World-Renowned Vocal Authority

voicelesson.com

Contents

Introduction

How Your Instrument Works

What Is THROGA?

Vocal Gym

THROGA Guidelines

7 Dimensions of Singing

Flexibility: 1st Dimension

Flexibility Exercise

Breathing: 2nd Dimension

Breathing Exercise

Intonation: 3rd Dimension

Intonation Exercise

Range: 4th Dimension

Range Exercise

Tone: 5th Dimension

Tone Exercise

Articulation: 6th Dimension

Articulation Exercise

Strength: 7th Dimension

Strength Exercise

7DS on Stage

Mindful Singing

Diagnostics and Solutions

On and Off Stage Solutions

Flexibility Solutions

Breathing Solutions

Intonation Solutions

Range Solutions

Tone Solutions

Articulation Solutions

Strength Solutions

Vocal-Exercise Mapping

Formant

Feature

Pattern

Volume

Tempo

Variable

Its the Journal, Not the Destination

Vocal Gym Journal

How Often Should I Practice?

How Do I Know If Im Improving?

Glossary of Terms

About the Author

If you can talk, you can sing.

This statement stirs a fair amount of controversy among those who believe one must be born to sing in order to sing well. However, were all generally born equal in our abilities to do so. Imagine, for a moment, a doctor looking inside your throat via an x-ray machine. Without ever hearing your voice, would it be possible for her, or any other type of specialist, to know if you speak with a southern accent, can sing in tune, have a whiney tone of voice or are able to reach high notes when singing?

No.

These are all behavioral traits, not genetic predispositions. The sound of your voice is only partially due to its shape and size (genetics) and how it is cared for (general health). Most of the sound comes from how you play it.

If thats true, you may be wondering why theres so much variation as we age, or why some appear to have a more natural ability to sing than others. The reason for this is that singing has little to do with our DNA and a whole lot to do with how we coordinate and program ourselves to sound, particularly during the first seven years of childhood.

We spend those formative years mimicking the tone, volume, delivery and dialect of our parents voices when learning to speak, singing nursery rhymes and absorbing the music playing in and around the house. Our social and environmental surroundings all play a role in the development of our voice. This is why there can be thousands of different people singing the same song, with thousands of different results.

So what does this all mean? It means that with the right training, you can dramatically change the actions of your instrument and therefore, the sound of your voice. The first step to making this happen is to acknowledge that CHANGE IS POSSIBLE.

Our beliefs control our bodies, our minds and thus our lives...