1. why opening the throat ISN'T connected with breath

2. the difference between relaxed and open, and why you need both

3. how to identify a tight throat in speaking, singing or breathing

4. how you can monitor your practice from the outside - and the most common mistake people make

5. how to find the 'silent laugh' position using several different approaches

6. how to separate the silent laugh from unwanted physical tensions

7. what to do when you lose the silent laugh

8. what to do when you don't feel like laughing at all

9. how to check if you're doing it right

10. how you can open up without sounding like a classical singer

11. why noisy whispering is bad for you

12. how to separate your true vocal folds from your false vocal folds, and why it's essential for healthy speaking and singing

13. what to listen for when you are opening the throat - and why you DON'T want to hear the "sounds of the sea"

14. when doing it "wrong" can be right

15. how to isolate false vocal fold constriction from tongue movement

16. how to find three positions of the false vocal folds - and the most common mistake that people make

17. what the true vocal folds are doing when you are performing unvoiced constriction

The techniques listed below have been taught for decades:

• Constriction and release of the false vocal folds

• Moving the false vocal folds

• Deconstriction (Voice Clinic Handbook) also known as

• Releasing hyperadduction of the folds

• Retraction (Estill Voice Craft model)

• The silent laugh

They all have one thing in common: moving your false vocal folds away from the midline to release tightness in your throat.

This is something we do naturally - parents laughing at their children without showing it, being back at school and wanting to laugh without being caught, or even actors 'corpsing' onstage. Now you can discover exactly how the silent laugh technique works as Gillyanne guides you through 'smiling inside'.

Join the group as they go through the entire technique of the silent laugh and its partner, 'silent breathing'. This DVD footage was devised by Gillyanne and Jeremy for actors, singers, teachers and voice therapists wanting to learn precise, effective techniques for vocal improvement in singing or speaking.

Watch Gillyanne and Jeremy teaching in a group situation and discover how to pass the knowledge on to one person or a large group. The DVD is packed with tips for teaching the techniques to your own students and clients, including using hand signs for clarity and isolation exercises to release excess tension.

The plenary session includes visual, auditory and kinaesthetic cues for a complete learning experience - watch as the participants visualise the false vocal folds moving, hear the sound change and feel the difference in their own voice. Witness the group singing and speaking with constriction and with retraction, and hear the difference.

• discover why 'brain pain' can get in the way, and what to do when you get it

• understand the cycle of learning - and find out which of the four stages of competence you are in

• feel, hear and visualise the techniques for a deeper understanding of how your voice works

The relevant page references are included from both editions of Gillyanne's book Singing and the Actor (the silent laugh/constriction and release) and from the Voice Clinic Handbook by Harris, Harris, Rubin and Howard (deconstriction/the release of hyperadduction).

The DVD is divided into Chapter headings and is incredibly easy to navigate, either by mouse on your computer mouse or on television using your DVD remote handset.

1. Brain Pain

2. Competence

3. Introduction

4. The silent laugh

5. Feeling constriction

6. What do you feel?

7. Auditory monitoring

8. Constricting harder

We've tested the DVD on a number of different machines including PC, laptop, Mac tower and DVD player... the footage will play on your computer or standalone DVD player and can be played full-screen. Each chapter can be stopped and rewound, so if you want to go over something several times, you can!

Our mission is to bring you clear, precise and effective information and techniques to improve your vocalising, performing and teaching.

• Testimonial:
"If you really want to know about the inner workings of the human voice, you need to turn to the work of Gillyanne Kayes and Jeremy Fisher" OPERA NOW magazine

• Testimonial:
"Revolutionising the way singing is taught" LINK Magazine

• Testimonial:
"I gained enormously from the course – not least the safe nurturing and encouraging environment."  Louise Whittaker

• Testimonial:
"Wonderful teaching and clear and accessible explanations of some complex concepts." Jan Jinkerson

• Testimonial:
"I feel like I’ve learned an awful lot and want to take it much further. You are both very inspiring teachers." Sasha Mitchell

• Testimonial:
"I enjoyed every single moment of the course. Both Gillyanne and Jeremy are very approachable and their teaching methods are first class. Highly recommended to anyone who wishes to improve their voice quality." Grace Plummer

And here's a longer email we received from one of the first people to buy the DVD in Australia:

• Testimonial:
"I wanted to let you know personally how thoroughly impressed and excited I was upon watching the training DVD. As a Voice Specialist (Speech/Voice Pathologist and Singing Voice Specialist) I found the information utterly (and engagingly) correct in regards to healthy voice application. After watching your Constriction and Release DVD I felt a great urgency to pass this information onto any/and all singers who crossed my path! (starting today!)
Although this is information I was already aware of, and taught in my studio - your application and direction of just "how" to explain and demonstrate this information was so very exciting and inspiring. I am really looking forward to adapting quite a few of my teaching methodologies with a 'Vocal Process twist'.
I cannot tell you more, just how impressed I was when I popped your DVD into the DVD player, and after it finished I felt an overwhelming sense of conviction in regards to my teaching methods (not to mention a bit of sadness as I wanted to watch so much more).
Many thanks to both of you." Amber Davey, Director The Sydney Voice Centre, Australia