Many thanks, Karen. Your advice is always wonderful!
Thanks again,
Tom
--- In vocalist-temporary@y..., Karen Mercedes <dalila@R...> wrote:
> On Tue, 26 Mar 2002, luccatom wrote:
>
> > Hello all,
> >
> > Im wondering if I could get your input on how to prepare to
sing a
> > concert in a poor accoustical theater. The theater I am going to
> > sing in has no microphone/amplification and it is very difficult
to
> > hear oneself singing. My question is, how do you go about
singing
> > well when there are poor accoustics and you have trouble hearing
> > yourself? I've had much difficulty with this over the past few
> > years and would appreciate anyones input.
>
>
> Having recently done a concert in a room with acoustics so dead
they made
> the ossuary at Verdun seem lively by comparison, some lessons-
learned I
> noted down for my next performance in such an environment were
these:
>
> 1) Expect to use twice as much breath to achieve the same effect
as you
> would in a "live" acoustic space. Plan your repertoire
accordingly. If
> possible, avoid performing works that involve extremes of breath
> management - very long phrases, very loud or widely varying
dynamics,
> sustained decrescendi, sustained high notes, and high tessituras.
>
> 2) Rely less on listening to yourself, and more to feeling
yourself. This
> is really true regardless of the acoustic environment: an
extremely "live"
> acoustic space can be just as deceiving to one's own ear as a
really
> "dead" one. Better to become extremely sensitive to and familiar
with the
> physical sensations of *correct* singing, so that you can recreate
those
> sensations regardless of the acoustic characteristics of your
performance
> space. For example, get to know exactly how it feels to sing a
high note
> correctly, so that you can feel when you might be starting to
overcompress
> or "push" the sound in a "dead" space - and stop pushing.
>
> 3) Don't overcompensate (or undercompensate) for acoustics. If a
space is
> very "dead", don't sing with twice as much effort to make up for
it. Sing
> as you would normally sing. What the audience hears, and what you
hear,
> are two different things. If you sing elegantly with no excessive
effort,
> you will sound good, regardless of the acoustics. By the same
token, if
> you're in a really "live" space, don't get lazy - don't rely on the
> acoustics to take up the slack of underenergised breath, etc.
Acoustics
> will not compensate for the poor intonation, inconsistent vibrato,
etc.
> that result from underenergised breath management.
>
> 4) Do a sound check with reliable people to help you. Try singing
from
> different parts of the stage, and have them determine at which
place on
> the stage your voice sounds most powerful and vibrant. Mark that
place
> with an "X" of masking tape, and do not stray more than 1 foot in
any
> direction from that X when you perform. (Obviously this won't work
if
> you're doing an opera or otherwise using staging or dancing - but
if it's
> just a "stand there and sing" type concert or recital,
don't "travel" -
> instead use gestures and expressions to physicalize your
interpretation,
> when necessary, while sticking to that "good spot".
>
>
>
> Karen Mercedes
> http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
> ***************************************
> In all thy ways acknowledge him,
> and he shall direct thy paths.
> - Proverbs 3:6
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