I'd like to weigh in on this. First, I have told my students for
years, "There is a paradox in singing. We stress music reading, but
ultimately you have to get off the page and get the music in your
ear."
Ezio Pinza could not read music. Reportedly, Pavarotti can't either.
Does that make it OK to be musically illiterate? Not really. A singer
that cannot read is handicapped. Not necessarily hopelessly, but
nonetheless it will be much harder to learn music if you have to buy
recordings or hire coaches every time you need to learn something new.
Which leads me to another point. The days of learning four or five
roles and having a career are GONE! One of my teachers at Indiana
told us that he could have had a career just singing Manrico,
Cavaradossi, Rodolfo, and Canio. Look at the schedules of the opera
companies. Oh, yes, they still do Trovatore, Tosca, Boheme, and
Pagliacci, but they are also doing Streetcar named Desire, A View
form the Bridge, Cold Sassy Tree, Emmeline, you get the point.
Anyway, if you want my advice, there is only one way to become a
better reader and that is to READ! I became a much better reader when
I started directing a church choir. I had to! But if possible, sit
down every day and read something new. It's also a great way to learn
new music!
-JS
|
