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Date sent: Tue, 8 Feb 2000 01:40:41 EST
Subject: Re: Speaking/Singing Voice (ranting about countertenors :)
To: vocalist
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tako,
the 'little trick' i learned, and it certainly isn't new, is to use the
sound of the yawn as a transition from my low range to my head/falsetto/'girl
voice'/whatever the -at-#$% that is voice. it always amuses me to read articles
written by singers and voice teachers on the yawn. they all speak of the
shape of the throat and which part of the yawn to use and never about the
sound of yawning. i don't know if that is the trick, or if that's just the
one that i needed. although, using 'that sound', i have been able to get most
of my male students up to tenor high C and half of them higher in what most
called real voice. i also use it for female students around the A,Bb and B
above middle C to get through their break so they don't have to sing
everything in head voice.

speaking of other kinds of music, have you heard much of caetano veloso?
or perhaps you may remember the norwegian new wave band A-HA. their singer
would go from low to high, smoothly going from register to register without
blurring the distinction.

mike