Chris Thomas wrote:
vtec> Exactly! When my technique was less solid, I found it much harder to sing in vtec> the chorus. Perhaps, though, that's the question... should a young singer vtec> who is working on solidifying his/her solo technique have to sing in a choral vtec> setting?
Well, I don't believe anybody should "have to do" anything; everything is a choice. But a young singer can feel free to sing in a choral setting while still solidifying technique. The singer should bring the challenging choral sections in to his voice teacher, especially any sections which constantly create vocal tension, and the teacher can help analyze what might be causing the difficulty and help to alleviate it. This usually relates directly to technique, but sometimes has to do with learning to sing by feel (rather than by sound, which is deceptive in a chorus) or to adjusting vowels on certain words. I have asked for this kind of help from my own voice teacher, and I have provided this kind of help to my students, and in every instance, it not only helps for the particular passage but is useful for similar instances going forward. It also helps improve technique overall, as the solutions usually carry over to fixing problems in the solo material.
By the way, before people start jumping all over my "everything is a choice" statement and talking about what schools require, please remember that not all schools have the same requirements; you can choose what school to go to, and you can choose not to go to school! If you choose to go to a school which requires an ensemble and you absolutely don't wish to sing in an ensemble, you might want to rethink your choices. :)
Vicki Bryant, mezzo-soprano Naperville, IL
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