Dear Fellow Singers,
It's very sad to hear of a happening such as that poor man's
death, but I think there's a clear warning for all of us.
If the effort required to sing is excessive then we're probably
doing something incorrectly.
I've just been through a period of six weeks of a regular and
slightly productive coughing as the after effects of a most modest
cold. (Untreated) During this time my singing was more than
satisfactory but obviously getting slowly better as the cough reduced.
Last Thursday it was suddenly gone altogether, but all the
exercises and songs I've been studying so diligently, were suddenly
and totally beyond me. Horrors. Then I realised that the singing
dynamic I'd been using had been to compensate for some vocal
fold heaviness and that it was suddenly at least twice what was
needed. I have four days to recalibrate for an exam, because what
used to deliver a 'pp' now delivers a forte, but the onset is so 'EASY'
and the tone so transparent.
The initial impact of the change had been to knock every note
a*se over head, so it has been a very sobering experience and one that
would probably have caused me to toss it all had I not the welcoming
embrace of my dear teacher.
So having been to the defective methods of support, onset,
sub-glottic pressure and what-ever else, I've come more and more to
understand the drive and the pain, and I know it can be quite unhealthy;
and so for our own health as well as the music, we need to ensure that
the technique we use and our attitudes to our performance are the best
and not frenetically driven..
Good Singing Reg
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