Vocalist.org archive


From:  R.L.Frye@w...
R.L.Frye@w...
Date:  Fri Dec 1, 2000  8:58 pm
Subject:  Re: Today's posts - miscellaneous


I have about sixty seconds to respond to everything
that's been posted today, so here goes (with an
accompanying warning about cans of worms):

- I do teach, and practice myself, a comfortably raised
soft palate. I find that gently stretching the
pharyngeal space (stretching the pillars of fauces wide
in addition to stretching the soft palate tall) creates
much more ring in the voice. With practice, this multi-
directional stretch can be controlled, and it can be
achieved without creating undesirable muscular
tensions. The most frequent problem encountered in
teaching this concept is that many students try to
create a sensation of spaciousness by depressing the
root of the tongue, which is obviously counterproductive.

- Having said that, I also teach, and practice myself,
the use of a judicious amount of nasal resonance, which
also increases ring. Nasal resonance and a gently
raised soft palate are not mutually exclusive, but a
hyperextended soft palate will close off the nasal
port. Please note that nasal resonance as I speak of it
here is NOT equal to nasality. And I was extremely
dismayed to see the recent article on this topic in the
NATS Journal. Dismayed, but not surprised, because
teachers and singers tend to be firmly in one camp or
the other on this one, and it is one of the most
controversial aspects of vocal technique.

- Finally, and certainly most importantly, having tried
to fit the "goo goo, ga ga" syllables as printed into
the melodic pattern of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"
and having failed, I was quite impressed with someone's
ability (Laura's? sorry - no time to check) to discern
that what was meant was "Baa Baa Black Sheep". :-)

Robin Lynne Frye
Mezzo-Soprano
Voice and Piano Teacher
New York, New York



  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date Size
7192 Re: Today's posts - miscellaneous Isabelle Bracamonte   Fri  12/1/2000   2 KB
7197 Re: Today's posts - miscellaneous Lloyd W. Hanson   Fri  12/1/2000   4 KB
7199 Re: Today's posts - miscellaneous R.L.Frye@w...   Fri  12/1/2000   3 KB
7200 Re: Today's posts - miscellaneous R.L.Frye@w...   Fri  12/1/2000   4 KB
7201 Re: Today's posts - miscellaneous Mezzoid@a...   Fri  12/1/2000   3 KB
7265 Re: Today's posts - miscellaneous Robin L. Frye   Sun  12/3/2000   2 KB
8570 Re: Dec.1 post on V.Port/NATS Article/Resonance taylor23f@h...   Sun  1/21/2001   4 KB
8572 Re: Dec.1 post on V.Port/NATS Article/Resonance Reg Boyle   Sun  1/21/2001   3 KB
8575 Re: Velum/Spec analysis/Nasal Res........ taylor23f@h...   Sun  1/21/2001   3 KB

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