Vocalist.org archive


From:  "Caio Rossi" <caioross@z...>
Date:  Tue Jul 4, 2000  6:21 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist-temporary] Re: Seth Riggs, Speech Level Singing,Fu ll Resume and Artists.


Laurie wrote:

>I don't buy the argument that there is
> just one 'vocal technique', good for all weathers, seasons and types of
> music, and that the difference between singing, say, opera and cante
jondo
> is simply one of style. I think that within opera one finds singers whose
> employ very different, often opposing techniques. I think that even among
> singers of the same voice type performing the same repertoire one finds
> examples of opposing techniques.

As my speech pathologist would say: there's no such thing as perfect
technique. There's the technique ( or maybe a patchwork of techniques ) that
fit your 'vocal apparatus, but may not fit others'.

>Though by no means an expert, some of
> what the SLS people say they do when they sing rings a bell with me. I
> suspect I do it too, or something very like it, yet neither my voice nor
my
> singing has much in common with that of Rodney Gilfrey. So I'm curious.
>

That's what my teacher says. She's also a speech pathologist and she said
that much of what they say is right is very much similar to what she has
found out by herself through self-exploration and also as a speech
pathologist. I've been in contact with a Brazilian who studied with Seth.
He's developed his own method, the "Voice Method", where he mixes SLS
principles with bio-feedback, etc. He said Seth recommended that he read a
book by Herbert Caesare, written in arcaic English and which has 386 pages.
He said he owes a lot to it. I think someone's cited that book here once.
It's probably about Belcanto.

I think, anyway, that SLS is some kind of 'neutral technique', just like
Switzerland :-) I mean, it's a way to sing that doesn't put your voice under
any kind of stress, what reduces the risk of vocal problems but, on the
other hand, may keep you from doing things that YOUR vocal apparatus could
take without many or any side effects. Almost anyone can run, but not
everyone can be an athlete. Applying principles valid for 'normal people'
may be valid for athletes too, but it doesn't mean they couldn't go any
farther. I'm an English teacher and I heard one thing in the first training
course for ESL teachers I had: "Don't think your students can learn a
language as easily as you can. You can learn languages easily, that's why
you ended up being teachers. That's your gift. Don't suppose your students
will be just like you. And don't you ever think they'll never learn just
because they can't do it as easily as you could".

That's it.

bye,

Caio Rossi




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