A palate of colors

One of my singers is an actor with a pretty active career in commercials, voiceovers, etc. We were working on a musical theater song yesterday that requires a semi-speech approach to the first section. The melodic line lay in her mid-range, a difficult transition for her because she usually speaks in her lowest range. As we explored the mid-range speech a little more (with a few giggles), a nasal quality appeared in her voice that I had noticed before, but that she was unaware of. What a learning moment! I identified it for her, demonstrated an alternative which she imitated, and asked her what the difference was in her experience. She immediately identified a difference in her throat; right before starting the more nasal sound, there was some tension/closure. I asked if she could inhibit the closure. After a couple of tries, she was successful and went on to easily "speak" the first section of the song in her mid-range with clarity.
This process was especially important for her because she's always been cast as a character actor and wants to develop more options. All sorts of vocal colors are possible and can be considered a palate of colors. Some colors are more difficult to produce and should be used sparingly, for effect. The goal is to give the performer complete freedom of choice.