My God, IMO Ethal Merman had the F'UGLIEST voice ever in history! She makes Eddie Vedder sound like Pav. ooph!
-----Original Message----- From: Dean FH Macy [mailto:deanmacy@a...] Sent: Saturday, March 30, 2002 9:37 PM To: vocalist-temporary@yahoogroups.com Subject: [vocalist] Discussion: How do you define 'head voice'?
Now that I said I am opposed to discussions I'll put in my two sense (pun intended).
In August of 2000 Diane Clark (?) said or quoted, in part to a young singer:
"Chest" voice is almost always produced by compression. You should not feel like there's an "edge" to your voice. The tiring you're experiencing is a sign that you are squeezing the cords together, using the muscles outside your larynx. This is bad. You will hear a whole lot of chest singing around you, in rock, pop, and musical theatre and there will be a great temptation to go along with that sound. All I can tell you is that I have sung everything from rock, folk, jazz, and musical theatre old and new, to opera, and the rules for healthy voice production don't change.
Some rock is just plain unhealthy to emulate. Hoarse screaming, breathy singing, chesty belting, especially in a higher range, at high volume, is extremely destructive and will almost inevitably produce nodules (calluses on the cords). Just find your own way to sing, your own way to phrase and to express yourself musically. In almost every genre, some singers have found a way to do it without killing their voices. If you've ever heard a recording of Ethel Merman, she was supposed to be the queen of belt. Her earliest recordings, which have just come out again, show that she sang with no pressure, essentially all in "head," and it had ring and bite because of her bright vowel choices. That's what made her famous, not her later, more "chesty" singing. . .
Take care of your voice. You'll want to be using it for a long time.
I think lots of teenaged girls are uncomfortable in their head voices. I know I was. Most adolescent girls have very weak head voices - -- the chest notes are stronger so they're perceived as easier or more fun. The telltale sign, though, is that you get tired using your chest voice. If you decide to take voice lessons and your teacher is a good one, s/he will help you to strengthen your head voice and blend the two registers to be even throughout the range. That way, you will have the power you enjoy AND healthier stamina."
How's that for taking the easy way out. Hey, I teach it to my young students but putting it into words I leave for those who can. It's the doing & teaching how that counts.
Dean FH Macy
-- -------------------------------------------------------- http://www.mp3.com/stations/epilogue_records_artistshtml http://www.mp3.com/Katelyn http://www.mp3.com/Jacqui -------------------------------------------------------- "Success does not come with the gifts from God. Success comes from the talents you develop from the gifts He gives you." (Riker-New Generation)
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