Vocalist.org archive


From:  Greypins@a...
Date:  Sun Jun 23, 2002  4:06 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] Classical/non-classical singing

In a message dated 6/23/2002 11:43:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
ezweig@e... writes:


> but the
> bottom line is the health of the voice

erica,

i have to disagree. the bottom line is technique serving the
intentions of the artist. one would hope to find the most efficient way to
sing, given the intentions of that singer, whether it be to achieve a
particular sound or to allow for a wide variety of 'accidental' utterances.
obviously, if one can keep a voice healthy, the longer a singer will be able
to use a voice.

if concerns for health are in direct conflict with the artistic goals
of the singer, that singer will not be satisfied. jose carreras might have
retained the beauty of his voice had he stuck to the lyric roles rather than
venturing into the heavier ones that took such an obvious toll on him. had
he sung in a less boisterous manner, he probably would also have kept the
health of his sound longer. but, ultimately he would have been unsatisfied.
by his own admission, this was a conscious choice.

it is my feeling that the voice teacher's duty is to instruct students
in the use of the voice for the purpose of finding the most efficient
technique to realize their artistic goals. "Pedagogically, we can adapt
what we teach to accommodate changing technologies and styles..." if, by
this statement, you are refering to all the possible uses of the voice, then
we are in agreement. if, however, you are refering to that which is taught
specifically to classical singers for the purpose of classical singing, we
are not in agreement, particularly for female singers.

mike







emusic.com