Vocalist.org archive


From: Karen Mercedes
To: VOCALIST <vocalist>
Subject: Re: Rude Awakening
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

I would never base a self assessment entirely on a recording. I have yet
to make an audio recording of my voice that I felt truly captured it.
I've made video recordings with audio tracks that I felt were much better
than the audio recordings. Go figure. I just don't seem to record that
well, particularly if I just "stand there and sing". I've started
recording all my live performances because I think these give a much more
honest "picture" of how I sound than my self-conscious "stand there and
sing" attempts. The fact is, my technique is better if my body can be
moving, even a little, and better yet if I can lose myself somewhat in a
character. This is why I concentrate on operatic, operettic, and musical
theatre rep and pretty much ignore the art song repertoire. I know I
don't have the subtlety of personality to imbue into art songs the
personality that I can give an aria or musical theatre solo. Something
about being able to put on a character's persona like a second skin just
does something to release a lot of the self-consciousness (and the
physical tensions that are the byproduct of same) that I naturally have if
I just "stand there and sing".

KM
=====
There is delight in singing,
tho' none hear Beside the singer.
- Walter Savage Landor
-----
MY WEB PAGE: http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
MY NEIL SHICOFF PAGE: http://www.radix.net/~dalila/shicoff/shicoff.html