Vocalist.org archive


To: "Vocalist-L" <vocalist>
Subject: Renee Fleming, women's voices
Date sent: Fri, 4 Feb 2000 12:39:32 -0600
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

I've been following the discussion of Renee Fleming's voice and round vs.
pingy, ringy, pointed, formant-filled voices with interest, as I've been
struggling lately with that issue in my own voice. My teacher is very
helpful --demonstrates, describes, dreams up metaphors and images, explains,
draws pictures -- but I'm still struggling with it. I know what "pingy,
ringy, pointed" sounds like in others' voices but haven't figured out how to
make it happen in my own. (Neither have I quite figured out what it feels
like and sounds like from the inside when I get it.) So, listers, any
thoughts?

Isabella said something very interesting: "Fleming has a rather wide face
with rounder bones. In my experience, singers with certain physical
structure will naturally sound "rounder" than others." I too have a wide
face & high round cheekbones, and a dark round tone, even for a mezzo. Well,
anatomy isn't destiny -- if she can get that ping, so can I!

A. Riley
choir alto whose speaking voice is all head & has been described as "high
and sweet." Ya gotta have presence when you sound like that. Julia Child is
six feet tall and is often seen with big knives in her hands. Now *that's*
presence.
back on the list after a hiatus