Submitted by Carol Hallberg, Remsen, Iowa
Idea posted December 4, 2002
I have done this with my junior and senior high choirs. I will try it with my 5th and 6th grade students.
After discussing the diaphragm, lungs, and abdominal breath support, I gave the choir candles (little ones - about 5 inches long - used index cards with a slit cut in as a wax catcher). I modeled how to pass the light from candle to candle. NEVER TIP A LIT CANDLE. I asked the students to correct their posture, take a low abdominal breath, and see how long they can blow at the flame to make it flicker and not go out. I then asked them to take a shoulder breath and repeat the exercise, noticing how much more difficult it was to control the air stream. If they do it correctly, they can really feel how they need to use their abdominal muscles to control/support the breath.