Vocalist.org archive


From:  "L. Kisselstein" <lkissels@e...>
Date:  Thu Apr 13, 2000  2:45 am
Subject:  Re: support vs tension

Hi! My name is Lisa Kisselstein and I have seen an on again, off again
poster over the last few years, but mostly a lurker who has found her
way to the temp list through Nancy Mitchell who kindly forwarded me the
message on how to subscribe. I am just winding up my stint at Ithaca
College in upstate New York (home of the Moosewood Restaurant
responsible for the cookbooks.) Some of us have found our way here!

While teaching class voice for the non-music major(my assistantship), I
have run into many current and former wind players who have decided to
try voice. Most of the students I have been working with in this
situation have a lot of stiffness in the breath and facial tensions due
to embouchure memories. Facial massage while vocalizing has helped
greatly in many cases, just to teach the muscles that it is okay to be
relaxed while making music. The breath control, while immense, in
several cases comes from tremendous tension while playing long phrases
As a former flutist, I was particularly bad in this area at first
because of attempting to do things like force the first phrase of
Debussy's Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun into one breath - required
for orchestral auditions! My current teacher found it best to completely
reteach me how to breathe.
It's great to have the list again - I got so used to having it (and the
archives!) there for reference.
Back to lurking,
Lisa
> Reg wrote:
> >I feel that ex wind players have a certain advantage here.
> >In a choir where I sing next to ' one of these,' the man has fantastic
> >breathing control, stupendous sight reading ability but no tonal
> >ability at all. I sometimes wonder how I could diplomatically suggest
> >attention to lessening the 'control' and freeing the vowel.
> >Diplomacy not being my strongest point.
>
> Comment: I always have said (and this is how I was taught) that one has to
> play wind instruments with an open reonating chamber in the mouth and
> pharynx.
> The difference from singing (as far as I can tell from my limited
> knowledge)
> is that while playing wind instruments one is almost forced into having
> some
> lip and jaw tension, because of the nature of the secondary resonators
> (the lips
> for flutes or brass instruments, or the reed(s) for other woodwinds).
> <
VCard
Lisa Kisselstein <lkissels@e...>



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