You don't say how old you are, but if you're less than 35-40 years old
or so, and if you're truly a dramatic soprano, then it's very likely
that your voice isn't "finished" yet, and it will likely change in tone
quality/color over the years. Concentrate on healthy production, free
and easy -- you'll know when you're doing it "right" because it'll feel
like you can sing forever without getting tired. (One other "sign" I
get when I'm doing it right is that my ears ring, from my highest notes
to my lowest, and at all dynamics.) You indicate that you like and
respect your teacher -- then trust her to keep tabs on your technique.
She may be having you "round" out your tone in preparation for the next
step in the natural maturation process. The main thing is to trust her.
One word of caution -- it's natural for a dramatic soprano to have a big
voice that sounds "loud" even when you're singing soft. I was
"diagnosed" as a lyric coloratura soprano with a "volume problem" by my
first voice teacher (when I was 42 years old - yes, I was a "late
starter"), who then spent 18 months trying to "lighten up" my voice. My
second (incredibly wonderful) teacher, who made the diagnosis that I was
"some kind of dramatic soprano," used to joke that I could peel paint
off houses 3 blocks away. But in time, I learned to control the
dynamics while still singing "big." So, be careful of using the fact
that you're a dramatic soprano as an excuse for not developing the
skills necessary to control the volume (I'm NOT saying you're doing this
- just a caution that it's easy to fall into that little trap because I
nearly fell into it myself). You CAN keep the "fatness" in your voice
and still sing softly. But REALLY be careful if someone tries to get
you to "slim down" your voice, or make it smaller than it naturally is.
It took me almost two years to undo the damage caused by my first voice
teacher.
All the best!
Lana Mountford
Gina wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I finally found my rep, my fach, and my teacher. I am a dramatic
> soprano and I have a great teacher. Luv the stuffings out of this
> person and respect her too. So what's up, you ask? My teacher has me
> keep my voice forward but "dark" which really means "round." When I
> listen to myself on recordings, it seems I have a brilliant quality on
> top. I dream of being able to have more warmth in top. I have checked
> all the technical things that I know of to make sure I am singing
> correctly. I make sure the tongue is not retracted, jaw isn't locked or
> stiff, I am supporting, not spreading my mouth position, the palate is
> up, body in good alignment. It just seems that I have a lot of
> penetrating power and not too much "float". Part of the technique I
> have been taught is not to "lift". No lifting cheeks or smiling or
> lifting the lips off the teeth. The breath style is "lean out" though I
> don't push out all the time. I find on top I stop pushing out/down and
> let the abdominals come in and up. I have been taught low larynx, open
> throat and one voice all the way up, no registers or adjusting anything
> for the top. All works well, very reliably and I am happy, but I want
> prettier high notes. There's good spin in the tone- no wobble and no
> glaring technical things going on. Am I just asking for too much here
> or can I get a prettier, rounder, clearer tone? Not to say that it is
> breathy, which it isn't. One thing that occurred to me is pressure on
> the base of the tongue. What would that sound like in the sound? What
> would that feel like? Could the vowel AWE in the top cause this and
> would AE as in CAT be better without spreading the mouth into a smile?
> We're talking minor, minor adjustments here cause not a lot is wrong.
> I also carry like mad- you can hear me in Timbuktu. Maybe when I am on
> the stage it will correct itself, but right now the venues I sing in are
> all small. I have been told not to sing so loud (NOT by my teacher),
> but I can't help it. If I sing "correctly", it's just loud. What do
> you knowledgeable people think? I am just being picky but I want to be
> perfect!
>
--
Explain it as we may, a martial strain will urge a man into the front
rank of battle sooner than an argument, and a fine anthem excite his
devotion more certainly than a logical discourse.
~ Henry Tuckerman ~
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Lana Mountford lana@a... Seattle, WA
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