If you had to teach a class of beginning singers the basics,what would you tell them?

I'd start with posture, and the awareness that we often call "aura" or "electromagnetic field" to determine how far outside the body we sense ourselves.

I'd also start with some light gymnastic-type movements, to make sure everyone is awake and alert. Stretching the arms out wide, and trying to reach the opposite wall while keeping the lower body still. windmill exercises, where the waist and intercostal muscles are moved around.

Then on to breathing exercises. Have people pant, as if they were a big dog out for a ride in the back seat with window rolled down. Get them aware of their breathing muscles. Laughing also helps.

An element used in speech therapy that also serves us well in singing is the s:z ratio. Have your people hiss like a snake on the voiceless s consonant. Teeth well apart, jaw loose and lightly hanging down, only the tongue and lower teeth for the ssss sound. How long can they go? 15-20 sec is wonderful.. have them try it on the voiced consonant z. the timing should be the same.

All this is best done standing. If you are going to be rehearsing for a longer time, good posture while seated is paramount. No crossed legs ( sorry, fine ladies), no leaning back in the chair ( unless there's a break), finding the "bones" in the gluteus maximus to balance the sitting posture. No sway backs, no lordosis, head even and relaxed.

Do you have music stands? Nobody should have to hunch over their music.

then on to awareness of how it feels in the throat and jaw. Let everyone sigh loudly a TGIF sigh. Not for the amount of air that rushes through, but for the sense of ease and relaxation that they can feel in their throats. that's how we always want to have it for singing.

If you don't mind making jokes at your own expense, demonstrate the professional singer's occupational hazard- looking slightly stupid because of a hanging jaw. Reassure them that's it's only when the voice is not turned on that this happens, when the voice starts, we look quite right.

The tip of the tongue deserves some consideration. it should rest easily just behind the lower front teeth for all vowels. For consonants, the movements should be quick, precise, and effortless. Test out a favorite tongue twister, slowly at first. ( the kids in my chorus love the one "Diction is done with the tip of the tongue, the tip of the tongue and the teeth" at every increasing speeds)

In brief:

posture, sitting or standing

Breathing muscles/ breath support

open easy throat

loose jaw ( not pushed down)

ease of articulation

Like Lynn, I would start with posture. You CANNOT achieve good breath support without it.

Then I would move on to breath support, then breath control, then "using the diaphragm," then diction. Actually, diction is one of the more important aspects of singing (in any genre).

Then correct vowel placement.

THEN lowering the larynx...

Then vibrato... like encouraging natural vibrato, NOT forcing it.

And that is all that I would teach a begining class, the BASICS, but there is so much more that a singer needs to learn.