Dear Randy and Vocalisters:
On 21-Jan-01, you wrote:
> Dear Lloyd:
>
> I think we are essentially in agreement.
>
> If hypernasality is not present the velum is raised. Focusing on raising
> it at this point will only create hypertonicity and focus the singer's
> mind on something that is a non-issue in the first place.
>
> This is at the root of why I consider the whole issue of raising the soft
> palate to be curious in the first place. 99.9% of the time it's not the
> issue, it is already raised.
As you will note from my reply to Reg just before this, I have found that it
is possible for students to close the nasal port yet have a lowered soft
palate, and I have had a few students who can raise the soft palate yet
have the nasal port open such that their tone has a strong nasal quality.
Personally I had to learn to raise the soft palate to produce an acceptable
tone but I have never had a difficulty with a nasal tone as an habitual
quality.
I do agree that in most cases this is a non-issue and best left alone in
teaching most students. But I have found that when a student's tone is
particularly unpleasant and also not nasal in quality I can help them
improve that tone by suggesting palate raising ideas to them such as
anticipating a sneeze, etc. The raising of the soft palate give the tone
more warmth yet does not remove its ring and sense of presence.
Regards
--
Lloyd W. Hanson, DMA
Professor of Voice, Vocal Pedagogy
School of Performing Arts
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
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