Vocalist.org archive


From:  thomas mark montgomery <thomas8@t...>
Date:  Thu Jan 16, 2003  11:41 am
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] Re: Head voice from falsetto.(Some more questions).


As a singer who had studied with a teacher (who shall remain nameless and
so that I can keep a civil tongue) who didn't know a darn thing about
vocal technique, I had virtually no experience with head voice - I sang in
chest as high as I could go until moving into my thirties when pure muscle
would no longer suffice. I woke up and studied under Jerry Pope for my
doctoral work at Florida State University. The man is a miracle - a great
set of ears and the background knowledge to support them. For the most
part, he bases his method on using consonant and vowel combinations in
offered vocalises to achieve the sound for which he is looking. For an
integrated sound, he starts his students with descending vocalises (yeah,
yeah, yeah - I know - many of you think this leads to a weak upper register,
but this is simply untrue) based on alternating oo and ee vowels. His
initial work with this vocalise is to integrate the registers, equalize
resonance, add depth to the voice and initiate the voice with breath rather
than muscle (simple idea, unfortunately rarely heard).

As for books, his doctoral students are required to sleep with Vennard
under their pillows.

Mark

"Sing on the interest, not on the principal" - Florence Page Kimball, to
her student Leontyne Price
"The voice is not a fist." - Fritz Wunderlich
"I sing with a slim voice." - Birgit Nilsson

******************************************************************************

On Wed, 15 Jan 2003, Anthony Howden wrote:

>
> Hey I have a question. How long did it take for you to strengthen your head
> voice Mark. Also who did you study with or what books did you read to
> aid you? THANKS
> Anthony




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