Jodie & Listers:
I think of tone quality development as a discovery process, that is, not that we work toward a 'Bright' or 'Deep' one per se, but rather that we work to discover and use the _free_ and unrestricted tone quality, whatever that might be for us.
What are some audible and visible indicators of a 'free' voice? I think that four things uniquely distinguish it:
Ringing, clear vowels over all pitch ranges Ready access to all pitches without strain Ability to crescendo and decrescendo smoothly at will Flexibility
While these are easy for me to type, they are challenging to accomplish. Many aspects of mental concept, physical development and coordinated muscle action must be made right to achieve them. They must also become so automatic that you can freely focus your attention on the core of the singer's art: the communication of the words, thoughts and emotions in music.
Best Regards,
Steven Fraser
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