On Sat, 1 Jun 2002, omtara wrote:
> This causes me to think there must be some kind of middle ground
> where you are in character, but are still mainly focused on singing
> correctly. Is this how it feels to you? Any hints or insights? Much
> appreciated!
Having finally (!) reached that point in my vocal development where I
really *can* stop thinking about technique and concentrate entirely on
interpretation the vast majority of the time, I can pass along to you some
thoughts based on my own experience:
1) Until you reach the point where you don't have to concentrate on
technique in order to make good technique happen, I suggest you be very
selective about the roles you audition for and perform. Stay away from
roles that are likely to require you to concentrate on technique. Given
that when one performs, one must be able to sacrifice 20%-50% (or more) of
the concentration one would normally have focused purely on technique,
this means that you'll be better off taking roles that are, technically
(vocally) relatively easy for you. The results will be much more
satisfying for you - because you WILL be able to concentrate freely on
interpretation without obsessing over technique - and for your audience.
2) If you keep studying and working effectively on your technique, there
will come a time when, amazingly, you suddenly realise you no longer have
to THINK about technical issues all the time. Of course, there may be
certain notes, phrases, etc., that will still require conscious technical
effort. But these will be the exception, not the rule. By and large,
your technical concerns will be directly related to interpretation
and presentation: e.g., How fast or slow do you want your vibrato on a
certain passage, to convey the emotions you want to portray? - how loud do
you want your forte, and how soft your pianissimo? - how "smeary" should
that Verismo portamento be? Does a particular coloratura ornament work in
the Handel aria you're doing, and is it authentically Baroque? - etc.
The "journey" can be frustrating, I know. And it can be particularly
frustrating to go through periods in which you know you're singing better,
but you aren't getting roles, after you used to get roles when you didn't
sing nearly as well. A lot of that *acting* one does to compensate for
one's vocal technique deficiencies actually persuades people to hire you,
depending on the type of role. But then there's a block of time during
which you know that your old inadequate technique isn't good enough, but
the new "don't need to think about it" technique hasn't been firmly
established yet.
There's also a danger (again, I know this from first-hand experience) in
going out too soon to audition - i.e., before your technique is
"grounded". The danger is that the first impression you make is often the
ONLY impression you get to make. It is MUCH harder to get an artistic
director who heard you three years ago, when you could act up a storm, but
not sing as well as you wanted to, to listen to you again 3 years later -
and if your technique is still in transition, you may not even want him to
hear you 3 years later...you may want to wait until *six* years later,
when you've really got the technique down absolutely solidly. But be
warned: even if you CAN get him to listen to you 6 years later, when
you're ready to move to the next level (or two levels) up on the
professional ladder, he may still harbour preconceptions based on how you
sounded 6 years earlier. This is a particular problem with MDs with whom
you WORKED early in your development, and who you then try to work with
again a few years later. Many of these people believe they know what
you're capable of, and no matter how much better you may sound/sing now,
they still have you pegged in their mind as the girl who sang the way you
did 6 years before.
I also suggest that the common advice that a good way to "get a foot in
the door" with a music director is to coach with him (in hopes that he'll
be wowed by your abilities and possibly hire you) is ONLY a good idea when
you are absolutely confident in those abilities: i.e., when your technique
is polished and you no longer have any doubts about it.
Unfortunately, this business is so competitive that singers can no longer
afford to go out only half-prepared, hoping that they can make up in
dramatic abilities for what they lack vocally.
On the other hand, it's important to get some roles on your resume. So
what to do?
WORK like a DEMON on your vocal technique. As I suggested earlier, do NOT
audition for roles you know in your heart of hearts you aren't technically
ready to sing. And technical readiness means ABLE TO SING WITHOUT EVEN
THINKING ABOUT TECHNIQUE. If you're worried about technique, you'd
probably be better off at this point auditioning for the role of Mercedes
- whose voice isn't exposed constantly, and who doesn't have to sing that
dastardly Habanera (one of those deceptively arduous arias) - and singing
it well, than auditioning for Carmen, and obsessing endlessly about the
technical issues.
Oh, by the way, four years ago, I thought I sang Carmen's arias quite
well. Guess what. I cannot bear to even LISTEN now to the recordings I
made of those arias back then. And I am extremely embarrassed in
retrospect that I trotted them out in public back then.
It takes time to really FINISH one's technique (one never truly finishes
it - but at least you WILL get to a point where you can RELY on it all the
time, even when you've got a slight sore throat, sinus difficulties,
etc.). The roles you perform in the meantime should NEVER give you cause
to look back 5 years from now and blush at the memory!
Karen Mercedes
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
______________________________________
I will sing with the spirit, and I
will sing with the understanding also.
1 Corinthians 14:15
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