Dear Friends,
There seems to be an assumption among many that emperical learning is not
scientific. I'm not so sure. How "scientific" anything is, I suppose, depends
on how objectively and factually it is dealt with. Science attempts to
measure, document, examine and organize information about the world and how
it really works as objectively and factually as it possible can.
As applied to singing, science attempts to measure, document, examine and
organize information about the voice and how it really works as objectively
and factually as possible. When any of those elements are avoided, ignored,
circumvented or overlooked, science goes out the window. Even in so called
"scientific" fields of study, true, properly applied scientific method is not
always practiced. It depends on the scientist's perspicacity and work ethic.
Not everything that claims to be scientific really is. To my mind, there is
very little good science in evidence today.
I see plenty of very bad science usually tainted by political correctness or
a profit motive in evidence today. Too often we do things merely because we
can and not because we should.
Singing is an experience the we judge according to values and feelings.
Values and feelings are subjective. Anything subjective cannot be scientific
because science must be objective or it is not science. There, precisely, is
the conflict between science and art. But, just because some aspect of an
art, like singing, is not completely scientific doesn't mean everything about
it isn't scientific. There are many things about singing to which we can
apply good, solid science. It simply makes good sense to use science.
Organized fact is much easier to deal with than chaos isn't it?
Some scientific matters can only be discussed in theoretical terms. You can't
touch, see, hear, smell or taste an electron. Is it real if you can't sense
it or just some abstract idea? It is amusing and ironic that mathematics is
considered to be so scientific but in fact, it only deals with concepts and
nothing real! One and one are two, but can you hold a "one" in your hand? How
about a zero?:-)
The problem with theory is that it is never absolute fact. It's always a mere
educated guess because there's always the possibility that our information is
incomplete or wrong.
How scientific something is depends on how methodically scientific method is
applied to it.
Warmest regards,
Les
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