<ibracamonte@y...> wrote:
<ibracamonte@y...> wrote:
>
---snip
> Oh, I also meant to say that one of the advantages of
> the "placement" system is that you learn to sing by
> feel, rather than by sound or feedback or by having to
> imagine a certain different word/vowel in the middle
> of the line.
Dear Isabelle and listers,
I have enjoyed reading this recent thread on the AH vowel.
Just a few thoughts....... Certainly every voice that has true
"ring," has properly "focused" vowels which are neither too bright
nor too dark. If the vowel is too "woofed-up" the voice won't ring,
and if the vowel is overly "bright" the voice won't ring either.
As singers, we welcome the sensations that come along as the
result of a properly produced tone. Some would argue that a
directive aimed at bringing the sound "forward," by "placing" the
voice- CAUSES a good tone to emerge from the larynx. I however, am
in the camp which believes that the sensations of "placement" and
"forward" are the RESULT- not the cause of good tone quality.
I much prefer the use of the term "vowel-tracking" in place of
the word "placement." When I say to a student, "track your vowel
Bobby," it often leads to a natural response from the student. If I
had told Bobby to "place it" or "bring it forward", I'd be teaching
him to control his voice. Often times when the student stops trying
to "control" their voice- the most natural/free vocalism appears
almost immediately.
In a masterclass I once saw Richard Miller spend fifteen
minutes trying to explain to a soprano that it is impossible to
"place" the voice somewhere. He kept on trying to get her to open
her throat and to sing with a more open mouth position, but, she
insisted on trying to get her voice "placed" somewhere. After much
frustration, Miller gave up and simply accompanied her while she sang
however SHE wanted. Every once in a while I pop in my video tape
form that mastercalss and watch it. I marvel at how some people pay
a couple hundred bucks to attend a workshop with a fine pedagogue,
only to resist their ideas and not even ATTEMPT to try something new-
which, often times would clearly lead to healthier vocal function!
(Sorry- I got off the topic a minute :)
To follow up why I agree with RM, we must touch briefly on
acoustics. Sound vibrations travel at about 1,100 ft. per second.
Trying to "direct" the voice to some particular "place" in the face
or the forehead is virtually impossible. It is like trying to read a
street sign while driving past the sign at 200 mph!
Sensations- YES, they are an important part of the vocal
process. Can we literally "place" a sound somewhere- highly unlikely!
Take Care All,
Taylor L. Ferranti
DMA Candidate in Vocal Pedagogy
Louisiana State University
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