“SING ON THE GESTURE OF INHALATION” – When taking a full breath  (open throat, open body)  the  direction  of inhalation is in , down and  “away from the body”  .   Maintaining that sense of inhaling  when one begins the phrase (onset of tone) to the final note of the phrase (offset of tone) the singer is fulfilling the demands of each phrase , its length, range and dynamics . This approach to breath management (often called support) is the foundation of all classical singing.

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MOST VOCAL BAD HABITS ARE CAUSED BY THE SINGER NOT BEING AWARE OF THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE BEL CANTO ART AND CRAFT OF SINGING

A basic knowledge of these principles is essential to allow one`s vocal, musical, interpretive skills to develop according to the laws of mother nature. Without this knowledge and its development bad habits quickly form .

BREATH DISTRIBUTION (Balance between inhalation/exhalation muscles)

DICTION (Based on the characteristics of the Italian language)

LEGATO ENERGY. (Find the gesture of each phrase )

RHTHMICAL ACCURACY {based on the composer`s choice)

REGISTER BLENDING. (smooth movement between head, mid, chest resonation factors)

EMOTIONAL INTENT (knowledge of the literal meaning of the text)

DEVELOPED IMAGINATION. (developing the inner eye and inner eye)

“INHALE FOR THE PHRASE YOU ARE TO SING”

This well known terminology is often misunderstood. . If we visualize the length , the range and the dynamics of each phrase to be sung on rhythmical inhalation the body will obey the mind and distribute this settled breath to fulfill the demands of each phrase. The singer will never be out of breath . This is the essence of legato energy.

“DEVELOPING AWARENESS“

When a singer has a clear knowledge of the physical essentials of beautiful signing    (Open throat, open body, noble posture, breath management etc.) the body always obeys these clear intentions . This is the foundation upon which the singer`s musical, vocal, linguistic intentions will come to life for the listener.   

 LEARNING TO BE AWARE OF THESE PRINCIPLES BEFORE , DURING AND AFTER EACH PHRASE ASSURES THE SINGER COMFORTABLY AND ENERGETICALLY FULFILLS THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BEL CANTO ART AND CRAFT OF CLASSICAL SIGNING.

“THE INHALATION IS THE UPBEAT TO EACH PHRASE“

Taking the deep inhalation as a rhythmical part of the phrase to be sung ensures that the loose inhaled air has time to “settlle” and become compressed. (1.08th of a second). We now have a “cushion” of compressed hair on which to onset the first tone, beginning the legato energy to complete the phrase according to its demands. That first tone will be spontaneous, in tune and energized.

As we begin a new Fall Season of Performing , Auditioning, Competing and Teaching I will be sending out my Vocal Thought for the Week. This season we will take a look at tried and true vocal terminology (maxims, images, quotation) and their meanings.

They will not be categorized under specific principles of the Bel Canto Style. Nor are they technical advice. Rather, they will address the power the of Mind/Body connection so important to the development Art and Craft of Classical Singing.

Let`s get started:

“SINGING ON THE BREATH”. This time honored phrase describes the singer`s sensation that the voice is “riding on” the column of air throughout the phrase when the isometic energy between the inhalaltion and exhalaltion mechanisms are set in motion from the first note of each phrase. This is the essence of legato phrasing. The oppositesensation is that one is singing “with the breath” which means there is no balance of distribution to fulfill the demands of the phrase.

Your comments and suggestions of various terminology used in our studios and practice rooms will, of course, be welcome.

ALL WELL TRAINED MUSICIANS, BE THEY INSTRUMENTALISTS OR SINGERS, STRIVE TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE, ORGANIZE IT AND USE IT TO SERVE THEIR ART AND CRAFT. IT IS A BALANCE BEWEEN INFORMATION AND IMAGINATION . IT DEMANDS DEVELOPING THE MIND/BODY CONNECTION TO A VERY HIGH DEGREE

This balance of information and imagination are especially important for classical singers. A violinist can see with their naked eye the strIngs upon which they will apply the bow. The pianist is able to touch specific keys for specific pitches. There instruments are objects . The singer`s own body is their instrument and most of its functioning parts are hidden from the naked eye.

Instrumentalists hear the sound they are producing as the audience hears it. The singer does not.

This makes it imperative for the young singer to develop clear Images of the Breath Mechanism, the Speech Mechanism, the Resonators. and their coordination.. As well they need to be able to hear the pitch and tone, see the gesture of the phrase and hear the clear, harmonized diction , all before they make the music audible to the audience. Therefore they must develop their Inner Ear and Inner Eye in order to produce the sound of the Classic Vocal Repertoire with freedom.

“IT IS NOT DIFFICULT TO SING WELL AS LONG AS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO DO AND HOW YOU WANT TO SOUND”(Joan Sutherland).

Another advantage that an instrumentalist has is early exposure to various elements that make up the well trained musician. Their formative years start in childhood. One has to be taught “How”to play a man-made instrument before they can make music on it.

All of us sing in some fashion from birth. The cries of a new born, as every parent knows, have specific meanings – to be held, to be fed, etc. From early childhood to adulthood we sing without being “taught’ how to sing. It is a spontaneous urge to express human emotion through music and words. It is only when the body matures in the late teens and early 20`s that those who have a voice of quality and a musical sensitivity are able to take up the study of classical singing seriously and safely, often without previous musical and linguistic training.

Up until the late 19th Century , the classical voice teacher and student depended on Imagery , both aurally and verbally, based on how they wanted to sound, what sensations they wanted to feel. A great deal of teaching was done by imitation. It was not until Manuel Garcia`s invention of the laryngoscope (1896) that the naked eye was able to see the physical functions at source. He was, of course, the founder of what we refer to as Voice Science . He invented the medical specialty called Laringoligist.

Today we have the benefit of both approaches and it is in this balancing of knowledge and imagination that we are able to use as teachers, coaches and young singers.

“SEE IT – HEAR IT — SING IT ” (Marlena Malas)

“IMAGINATION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN KNOWLEDGE. KNOWLEDGE IS FINITE, IMAGINATION IS INFINITE” (Albert Einstein).

THE WEDDING CAKE: Maria Callas used this phrase to describe the elements that should go into preparing new repertoire . Each layer has its specific goal, i.e. rhythm; the gesture of the phrase; exact pitches; the composer`s rhthmical setting of the text (strong beats, weak beats, downbeats, upbeats); the dynamic markings; a literal translation of each word; and the characteristics of the language to be sung. The Bride and Groom (music and text) will perched on top of these layers to insure musical and expressive singing of the phrase .

“THE BODY ALWAYS OBEYS THE MIND. UNORGANIZED KNOWLEDGE MAKES FOR AWKWARD SINGING” (Thomas Hemsley “The Voice of the Mind”)

A good analogy is when a driver only follows the “mechancial” directions of the GPS device in their car. They are doing so without pre-knowledge of the layout of the city, the highway. They cannot plan ahead. However, when a driver has gone to the trouble to study a map of the city streets, the appropriate highways, prior to driving they have an organized concept and is therefore more likely to arrive at their destination without problems.

Often voice lessons are a mixture of various elements introduced in a less than organized fashion. The singer is anxious to sing major repertoire but lacks the basic knowledge of the essentials that will allow them to do so. Without that knowledge he cannot hear and see with his inner ear and eye what he wants the audience to hear. Balancing the informaiton and imagination produces the complete artist. it is the human classical voice that reaches us more viscerally than any man-made instrument. It is capable of the entire spectrum of human feelings. Mother nature made the human body and mind the perfect instrument that creates the miracle of the Bel Canto School of Singing.

“NEVER SING A VOCALIZE, SONG, ARIA, ETC, WITHOUT AN EMOTIONAL INTENT” (Mathilde Marchesi)

“NEVER STOP LEARNING”

With the end of the scholaStic year Singing With Many Voices will be publishing several Blogs to replace the “Vocal Thought of the Week” . It will cover varied topics related to the Art and Craft of the Italian School of Bel Canto.

TOPIC SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOME.

Sending good wishes for a happy, safe, productive Summer ahead.

ALWAYS “ALLOW” IT TO HAPPEN —– DO NOT “TRY” TO MAKE IT HAPPEN

THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT ADVICE AS WE COME TO THE END OF THE SEASON WITH JURIES, AUDITIONS, RECITALS, PERFORMANCES.

ALLOW WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW AND HAVE PREPARED TO “HAPPEN” RATHER THAN TRYING TO “MAKE IT HAPPEN”>

THIS ADVICE IS PARTICULARLY APPROPRIATE AS YOUNG SINGERS PREPARE FOR JURIES, GRADUATION RECITALS, SUMMER PROGRAMS, AUDITIONS, PERFORMANCES, ETC.