When I couldn't produce whatever it was he was looking for, he told me "You're obviously not in touch with your emotions. I think you should sit down."
Geez… (I feel like swearing but that wouldn’t be polite)…
It is true that connection to emotions .. GUT emotions is a way to find the muscle coordination for good healthy belting.. but it can be taught technically too… it’s difficult.. but I do teach it…, but I only could teach it once I figured out how to do it myself…
The high mix that a poster a few back is describing isn’t what you were doing in the workshop, probably… and knocking the key down of a song to try to help the person “find” that mix ..is something I do too (I also use The Rose a LOT to help people find a good belt/chest sound).. it’s hard to describe in writing. To me the high belt …it feels like whining (with no neck tension) but it doesn’t sound like whining and it’s feels really easy.. but finding the coordination for that easy feeling is difficult.. and it’s not the same has a very forward head voice sound, either…
Clinicians and judges seem to be so lazy sometimes… and because they don’t know how to break things down they say mean/dismissive things to the participants… I just hate that. I loved that article about Hampton who worked so intensely and effectively with the young classical singers… now THAT is commitment to finding whatever way it takes to help the participant.. not just “you’re obviously not connecting with your emotions…”… … argh!
At the contest my daughter sang in last weekend.. one of the judges (not my daughter’s judge) told one of my soprano students who sang part of her song with her head slightly tilted… “you ought to wear a heavy earring on the other side to balance that head tension!” and the judge was SERIOUS…
Argh!
Deanna Reitan
Edgewood Voice Studio
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