- What’s Fixed and What Can Change October 15, 2014
Many years ago when I was in high school the choral conductor told me I was singing flat. Since I had sung in chorus throughout grade school, and in public at church, and no one had ever said that to me, and since I had a good ear, I was surprised. Turns out he only ...
- Re-Re-Re-Re-Respect October 14, 2014
Our society doesn’t really respect singers. If you want to confirm that, just watch one of the TV shows that discover new vocalists. You will see that the styles are limited, the kind of thing the judges react to are predictably the same and the comments of the “coaches” or “teachers” have little if anything ...
- The Phantom Code of Ethics October 12, 2014
If there is no one to see that a Code of Ethics is enforced, does it exist? No, this is not a Zen koan. It is a real question. Most professional organizations have a Code of Ethics that its members adhere to. In some cases, there are committees or administration that take up cases of breach ...
- Nothing New Under The Sun October 12, 2014
Human beings produce a range of sounds based on our size. None of us are going to have a throat as long as a giraffe’s or as small as a bird’s. The range of formants human beings create when they make vocal sound is limited. Also, since we sing with a “bent pipe” and that, too, is ...
- It’s Not In The Exercises October 10, 2014
One thing you can be sure of, singing teachers will always be interested in the exercises. Present moment attitudes regard them with greater understanding than did previous generations but the basic underlying and widely pervasive attitude is that the exercises will magically make you a better singer. So, we have books of exercises or pages of the special exercises ...
- Perspiration October 8, 2014
Someone said that success is 10% talent and 90% perspiration. I would say that about sums it up. There are some few great geniuses in this world who can “just do” but even the very successful will typically state that it takes a lot of work to look like you are hardly working. When you are young ...
- Grounding October 5, 2014
The ground upon which something sits is important. The context, the principles, the atmosphere, the point of view, matters. You can plant the same seeds in two different kinds of soil. One might grow while the other might not. Two experts could know exactly the same information. They could be familiar with the very same facts ...
- Older Singers October 2, 2014
The traditional point of view in classical vocal pedagogy was that you could not start training the voice until after puberty and that after about 30 your voice was set and could not be changed. We know now this is false. It is possible to train a child to sing well (as long as you train ...
- Truth and Paradox October 2, 2014
The truth can sometimes best be expressed through paradox. We are all unique, we are all the same. The hours of the day and night are always the same, but how we experience them is continuously different. I can love you and not like you. I can like you but not love you. Love, a word ...
- Stuck September 30, 2014
The idea that the larynx should never move and that, in fact, nothing should move while singing is simply silly. When we are singing everything that can move should move and move freely. The movements should be smooth, coordinated and not unpleasant to do or to watch. Keeping everything absolutely still will cut off expression, make it impossible ...
- Communication September 29, 2014
Communication is a two-way event. You say something, the other person receives your communication. Both people are equally responsible for that interchange. I can be unclear in what or how I say something. You can misunderstand or misinterpret what I am telling you. Sometimes this causes great problems. We think we are being clear. We think ...
- When Neither Way Works September 24, 2014
What happens when a person is trying to get out of a bad vocal habit and doesn’t yet have a really strong new habit to replace it with? If you are a process-oriented, rather than goal-oriented, teacher, this happens frequently. If the person is motivated to get better and is already out in the world singing, ...
- Fame September 23, 2014
“People who are famous have to be good at whatever they do because they are famous”. – J. Q. Public Really? There are famous people in every profession. Famous lawyers, doctors, Indian Chiefs. There are many famous performers, famous painters, famous composers. There are people who have been famous for a few hundred years and people who ...
- Not A Surface Thing September 21, 2014
Many people understand the basics of vocal function. They “get” that the vocal folds vibrate, they change pitch, the resist the airflow, they affect registration. People understand that we breathe in the lungs, that the abdominal muscles pressure the air from below, through the viscera, as we release air while singing. They understand that the ...
- Electronic Mysteries September 20, 2014
While shopping today I was in a store that played “top 40s” songs as background music. I was struck by how similar all the songs were to each other and how much the voices were the same. I admit, I don’t follow these songs much so I don’t profess to be an expert at discerning ...