- The Default of the Muscles of the Tongue November 25, 2010
The tongue consists of 35 muscles, two matched sets and one in the middle. The larynx is suspended from the muscles in the front, under the chin, and attached to the side walls of the throat in the back (the upper constrictors). The “at rest” position of the tongue determines the acoustic possibilities ...
- The Wisdom of Insecurity November 23, 2010
The philosopher Alan Watts wrote a book with this title. In it, he says that we should all always be insecure because, of course, there is never any security in life at any time except in whatever immediate moment you are experiencing, one second at a time. That is obvious but it is also ...
- Strength in the middle November 21, 2010
Vocal mechanics are required in mid-range. No really good vocalist can do without some kind of knowledge of what happens in the mid-range pitches where the voice must change gears, with two exceptions: a counter tenor and a true low bass. Even a lyric coloratura soprano has to descend into lower pitches these ...
- Immersion or Osmosis November 3, 2010
One way to learn something is to be completely immersed in it. Many years ago I took some jazz lessons with a pianist. Having no idea at all about what I was doing, I just sang. I tried to feel “jazzy”. Every now and then he would say, “No, you can’t do that. ...
- Concentration November 3, 2010
In order to develop as an artist, you must be able to direct your concentration to a single point of focus. You must learn to get your mind to stay on that focus without wandering for quite a while. You must learn to probe deeply into your concentration so that it steadies and becomes alive ...
- Life Upon The Wicked Stage October 25, 2010
It’s frequently true that young people do not understand what the word “professional” means. One of my many jobs as a teacher is to tell them. If you are a singer, being a professional is something to take seriously. Each of the styles has its own criteria, but those who are successful in that ...
- Talent October 15, 2010
A lot has been written about talent. Everyone’s take on talent is unique. Talent is this or that or the other, but no one can say for sure, exactly, what talent is. To me, talent is something that a person does very well without much training or effort. The capacity exhibited garners recognition from the outside ...
- The Meaning of Meaning October 12, 2010
I have long been fascinated with the way our minds work. How we think, how we perceive through the balance of mental and physical interaction, how we remember and store our experiences, how we organize things in logical and personal ways — all of this and more is interesting to me and it is ...
- Functional versus Pedagogical versus "Making It Up" October 9, 2010
We need to clarify the difference between terms that are used in various parts of the professions that deal with voice. These are my “takes” on things. Check into these and draw your own conclusions. Vocal folds are the medical name of the ligaments that vibrate in the larynx to make sound. Vocal cords is ...
- Fixing Things Or Not October 7, 2010
It’s possible to fix a broken voice. It’s possible to fix one that is pretty skewed. It’s possible to fix one that’s just a little bit off base. It’s possible to wreck a perfectly fine voice. It’s possible to take one that is slightly skewed and skew it more. It’s possible to ...
- More About Being Deliberate October 1, 2010
Volitional movement is a hot topic for me. If teachers of singing really understood what can and cannot be felt, moved and adjusted, life for students of singing would certainly be easier. If they used language accurately, that would also help. If I said, “Please beat your heart faster” you would look at me ...
- Too much, Too soon September 30, 2010
Rarely have I heard a singing teacher say to a student, you are making too much sound, if the sound itself was pleasing and the student seemed comfortable. That is because the sound alone was the criteria, not the functionality of the sound. Not good. If a student sounds “nice” or “good” and seems relatively ...
- Too Relaxed September 28, 2010
We all know that being “relaxed” when we sing is good. But what, exactly, is relaxed? Relaxed to a jazz singer is certainly not the same as relaxed to a classical singer. Relaxed is very relative. Generally, “poised” is a better term, because poised means ready for action is a comfortable and alert manner. ...
- It’s Complicated September 28, 2010
Did you ever stop to think how complicated singing is? Is it any wonder that it takes so long to do it and do it well? Here is a partial list of what one has to know in order to be a singer of the highest calibre: How to sing on pitch.How to shape a good ...
- Positive Resistance September 22, 2010
A lot of voice training is involved with generating a sense of vocal freedom. It is good to know that such freedom exists and that it is involved with the ability to move the vocal mechanism in a variety of ways and configurations. Freedom, however, can sometimes be antithetical to strength. In ...