We need to encourage more timbre words Metaphors are really useful and they can and should act as intensifiers rather than comparators Teachers who used images and metaphorical language were deemed to be ‘old-fashioned’ and un-scientific  when the voice scientists came along and told us what was happening in the throat! That was all good in its way and we have to thank Sundberg and Titze and Sataloff and many others who have opened our eyes and ears to the complexities of singing