Dear Listers,
I had an interesting experience yesterday as I judged a NATS
competition for the first time. It was a last minute decision by
Steve Austin(who was very ill)to ask me to judge in his place. I was
honored that he asked me and glad to allow him some needed rest time.
The students I heard were all males from ages 17-22. I heard
several excellent young baritiones with tons of potential. For the
most part they all sang with a pretty stable laryngeal postion and
good vowels. This was great to hear from young voices- and says that
there is some fine teaching going on around here.
One of the contestants did however surprise me. He was a young man
(I think 18)who announced that he was going to sing "Che faro." So,
I thought great, he'll sing it in the regular key an octave lower
like Tito Schipa used to. Well, when he started the aria on e
natural I knew he would be singing it as a countertenor-and I became
excited at this prospect.
Well lets just say that he sang MANY wrong notes(often way out of
the key) and had a pronounced wobble which got worse as he added
intensity and pitch. By the time he was done I still had not started
writing because I didn't know WHERE to start. I was concerned for
the vocal health of this boy. When he bid us goodbye he could barely
phonate the words and was extremely raspy.
I wrote on his comment sheet that he should train his 'natural'
range first- before moving into countertenor rep. And that in order
to be a countertenor musical skills must be exceptional. In the most
diplomatic way possible I wrote that his top voice was unsteady and
unhealty. Each of us who judged this guy gave him a rather low grade
and told him that the technique needed much improvement.
As I said, I heard many fine voices. But, since yesterday I have
not been able to get this countertenor-gone-wrong out of my head.
He's probably just following his teacher's instruction, trying to be
a good student. I'm sure we've all be in these situations before.
If so- please share.
Take Care All,
Taylor L. Ferranti
Doctoral Candidate in Vocal Pedagogy
Louisiana State University
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