Dear Vocalisters,
I have been a lurker and sometimes poster to this list for almost 2
years. (after it's formation.Almost 15,000 posts to a "Temporary"
list) My thanks go to Isabelle for keeping the old Vocalist alive.
It's too bad the archives to Vocalist are lost? but even a check of
Vocalist -Temporary archives will, I believe, show an interesting
change in the nature of the approach to vocal pedagogy.
Some background information:
I started to sing in High School, and my small school in Wisconsin
had about 200 students total. We had a mixed chorus of about 45 , an
a capella chourus of about the same size, 2 boy's quartets, a girl's
double trio, a madrigal group, a girls glee glub, a boys glee club,
and numerous solo and duet performers at the State music competions.
Each year we had some get to the State Finals. I was able to sing at
the State Festival 3 years, The only Class C baritone to ever sing at
the State Festival; until that time (1952), and my senior year,
singing Invictus, i was State champion. (Baritones) I sang in
Milwaukee with Florentine Opera and John Anello, Also studied with
John, for a short time, Moved to Philadelphia, auditioned with Elsie
Macdonald, (Jeanette's sister).
(I also sang with Rittenhouse Opera in Philadelphia, and the
Community Playhouse, as well as West Bay Opera in Palo Alto, Ca.
Royal Stanton in Stockton Ca. said I had an operatic baritone but he
could not see me "blending" in his chorale. Edwin Lester, SF Civic
Light Opera, wanted me to "yell" but I wouldn't so that was the end
of that audition. I never did develop a singing career, and am
presently taking a voice class at Ohlone College in Fremont, Ca.)
She (Elsie MacDonald)told me I was an operatic baritone and she could
not help me because she worked mainly with Broadway and show singers.
There is more detail I could mention, but this brings me to the
subject of my post.
In past years, some might call it the era of the Giants, there were
classical voice teachers who were that- Classical voice teachers-
Some specialized in Opera, some in Lieder and art song, some trained
their students in both directions. The old issues of Etude magazine
had advertisments that made clear the type of music instruction being
offered. It also featured a column called "Voice Questions" edited by
Dr. Nicholas Douty (for a time).I guess this was the forerunner to
Vocalist. Many singers were from other countries, and were trained in
the style and idiom of their native lands. American singers usually
went to Europe to study and perform as the number of first rank opera
companies in the US was far fewer than today, and the possibility of
a new singer being engaged, much less being able to develop a major
career, was much less likely than today.
The direction of vocal training cannot be 'be all things to all
singers". Attempting to do this has, in my opinion, resulted in
singers being awash in styles of singing before they have really
developed their voices. We live in a "results oriented society",
where being able to sing a variety of styles is encouraged,and, to re-
read some past posts, even desirable. There is a focus on minutae and
fringe voices and effects, that although of passing interest, (keep
in mind this is my OPINION- Flame privately please) I mean
Countertenors, (really, Admit it- what roles are available to them-
that haven't been sung with more beautiful tone quality and
expressive techniques by women. We can't go back to the era of
castrati, and if one wants that "narrow" niche, well, Chacun a son
gout.) the "whistle register"(if you want a whistle, buy one. Mariah
Carey has been there, done that),and other threads that fascinate
some for a time and then descend into the abyss until a newer member,
on hearing them for the first time, brings up these questions for yet
another regurgitation of the previous discussions. SLS is almost like
that (and I would still like to hear an Operatic voice with a money
career attribute their training to SLS)
The sad fact is that, since homogenized milk, the cream no longer
rises to the top. (many on the list don't remember "cream top" milk,
when it was still possible to tell on what the cows were grazing and
when they went from fresh pasture to hay and silage.) Vocally,
the "cream", voices that are large , resonant, even scaled, and
trained "acoustically, not "microphonally", are becoming fewer-
and "crossover artistes" are in vogue so even opera singers
are "crooning".
Teachers in many cases are tempted to pander to the wishes of their
flegling students to "sing" this song or "that" song, when the role
model for those songs is a close miked, sonically juked parody of
vocal technique, that "happens" to sell to the Britney Spears
groupies. Never mind that the student can't sing an even scale of an
octave much less two, on different vowels with good resonance. I
would rather hear a student sing the "Vaccai" exercises that try to
copy, in an acoustic environment, an electronic creation that owes
more to the sound engineer than the "talent" of the singer. There is
a difference between pop technique and classical, and those who say
they are the same are helping to produce a singer who can
sing "anything" but "Norma" "Canio, Rigoletto" for more than a few
performances, and cannot be distinguished from a dozen sonic clones.
I realize that some members of this list are non classical singers,
and that my generalizations do not apply to all teachers. But before
you "shoot from the lip", read some of the archived posts, and those
of you who were "Vocalist" members, check your memories.(and your
saved posts).
To me, the strength of this list is the tremendous background that
some bring. Our resident "Repertoire Expert" Karen Mercedes- (my term-
Are we not amazed when she brings out REAMS of suggestions regarding
a particular request?) Dr. Peggy Harrison, Dr. Lloyd Hanson,
Christine Thomas, (a fellow Badger), Elizabeth Finkler,('Support Your
Local Mezzo') and many others. Again, kudos to Isabelle for keeping
this forum available, even though it cannot be 'all things to all
singers'.
Vocal Best Wishes,
Ron Zinkel
San Jose, Ca.
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