The summer months have long been an important time for singers, both students and young professionals alike, to attend a program in Europe or in North America that will keep the momentum of developing their art and their craft.

     The Summer of 2020 will be the first summer that virtually all programs have been cancelled.   This has taken away the possibility of attending a program that suited your particular wishes, i.e. Performance Opportunities;  Role Preparation; Foreign Language Studies; Vocal Programs that include lessons/coachings/etc.

  What will fill that void?   As a result of the switch to online learning that took root in March, this trend will continue.   A survey of singers and teachers shows that, for the most part, online lessons were very successful – some more than others, of course.   But a lot of progress was made possible by having voice lessons, coachings  and classes on line.

With the unexpected cancellation of programs in Germany, Italy, France, England, as well as the US and Canada, it means that it is up to the individual singer to seek out online courses that will address their goals  during these 5 months.  There undoubtedly will be a variety of programs to look into – some created by your teacher, your school, etc.   The best way to choose which one or two to follow is to make a list of what you would like to focus on, i.e.

1) Continuing technical study   2) Role Preparation  3) Master Classes  4) Performance programs that will offer either live or virtual performance venues   5) teacher training, 6)   Foreign language program, etc.

Of course, many voice teachers will continue teaching privately on line – both for their current students and new students who will be joining their studio privately or at the beginning of the new semester.   

    An important thing  is to check out the length of the program you are interested in i.e     the faculty involved, the cost, and, of course, the specific focus of each  course or program being offered. 

As never before it is incumbent upon each young singer to move forward and take advantage of this time to hone their  skills in preparation for the new reality in the arts world.       It is not a time to relax your growth vocally , artistically, musically or your ambition.     Remember:  “When the going gets tough the tough get going”.

    I will be sending out several blogs during these  months and I look forward to hearing from you.   Best wishes for a safe, healthy and productive summer. 

New Years is a time to reflect on where we have been, where we are, and where we are going. It is an especially good time for young singers to look at their goals, both personal and professional. Here are a few thoughts.

“IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU IN THE ART – IT IS ABOUT THE ART IN YOU”.

This is a very important Maxim for singers to look at, and there is no better time than the beginning of a new year, a new decade and a new semester.

MAINTAINING THE JOY OF SINGING:

“I worship the human voice. There is nothing like singing; It is a romance when you share the music and the poem. The voice is God`s instrument. I want singers to enjoy music making. That’s what it should be about : “la Joie”. (Dalton Baldwin, Collaborative Pianist/Coach)

THE UNIQUENESS OF BEING A SINGER:

Mr. Baldwin, who recently passed away, was also quoted as saying: “Singers are vulnerable people. They face their listeners with ultra nakedness, individual exposure and judgement every time they open their mouths. This reality is because the singer’s entire body is the instrument. It is with us 24 hours a day. We cannot see many of the physical elements involved in beautiful singing. We cannot hear ourselves as others do and we cannot put the instrument away.

For all of the above reasons it makes sense that a singer may tend to focus inwardly on themselves. We “try” rather than “allow” the voice to work efficiently as it is the perfect instrument. There are no man-made parts. This takes both knowledge and awareness.

“IF YOUR GOAL AS A YOUNG SINGER IS TO “IMPRESS” OR BECOME FAMOUS, YOU WILL HAVE AN UNHAPPY LIFE. IF YOU PURSUE YOUR VOCAL AND MUSICAL DEVELOPMENT FOR IT`S OWN SAKE YOU WILL HAVE A VERY HAPPY LIFE.” (Javier Camarena, Tenor).

Singers tend to have “larger than life egos” and for good reason. What a singer does is somewhat heroic. But a healthy ego is developing confidence in your potential in going forward with your artistic and interpretive goals rather than seeking fame and fortune.

21ST CENTURY SINGERS AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITY:

Today’s young singers have inherited a 400 year old wealth of beautiful music. Each generation is able to be aware of all the great repertoire written for the human voice and all the great artists that have brought it to life. We are able to know the past and bring it into our own time.

Modern singers, teachers, coaches, etc. are the ones responsible for keeping alive this ever-evolving art in today’s fast changing culture. This is not done by being a perfect technician. We move audiences by bringing to life the deep and honest human emotions heard in the great Classical Vocal Repertoire.

FINDING AND DEVELOPING YOUR OWN INDIVIDUALITY AS AN ARTIST:

“It seems that at some point in their development, today’s young singers shut down their own personality. Many seem to be trying to fit into a mold.” (Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Music Director, Metropolitan Opera). He continues in a New York Times interview : ” This is contrary to what I look and listen for. I think the audience wants to see distinctive personalities and hear recognizable voices.”

Each singer brings unique characteristics to their art made up of many things: life experience, relationships, education, our culture, early exposure to music, etc. etc. We must tap into this individuality to be true interpretive artists.

LOOKING BACK: Staying in touch with when, why and how you started your journey to become a fine singer and artist.

LOOKING AT TODAY: A chance to objectively look at how far you have come in what you have attained at this point in time.

LOOKING AHEAD: Setting the bar ever higher in your goal to share with your audience, whoever they may be… the Art in you.

All of this takes time, patience, curiosity and passion. I wish you all a world of beautiful music-making in the years ahead.

One of the potential skills we  humans were given my Mother Nature is the ability to step outside of ourselves and look in.  We are capable of developing an objective “Awareness” of all that we do or plan to do.

When we develop this skill in daily life we are able to objectively decide what we want to say,  how we want to say it,  how we  want to look, where we want to go, etc.  If we did not use that ability to decide what to do before we cross a street we would be putting ourselves in harm`s way.  To “think” before we “speak” keeps us from making some pretty serious blunders.

WHY ARE AWARENESS SKILLS SO IMPORTANT FOR A SINGER?   Unlike an instrumentalist, singers are not able to see their instrument (their own body).  It is  therefore extremely important that we carefully develop our Imagination (Inner Ear/Eye

KNOWLEDGE, IMAGINATION & COORDINATION:  (Mental and Physical)  The three most important elements in developing “Awareness.  

KNOWLEDGE:  A singer must have a simple but clear knowledge of their body and how its various functions  coordinate to produce  beautiful singing (Breath Mechanism, Resonators, Speech Mechanism).

IMAGINATION:  Developing simple but  definite images, both aural and visual, based on knowledge’

COORDINATION:  This is the spontaneous response by the body to the clear, strong thoughts developed in the imagination prior to singing.  (“A BEAUTIFUL TONE IS NEVER AN ACCIDENT” Thomas Hampson).

The organized thoughts allow the singer to perform freely with a clear head.  If the thought is simple and clear, then the singing will be dynamic rather that static.  (“KEEP THE THOUGHT AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE, BUT NO SIMPLER” Albert Einstein)

ALLOWING rather than TRYING:  –  Muddled or disorganized thoughts cause a singer to “try” to achieve a technical skill while they are singing.  The clear image, both aurally and visually, “allows” the singer to perform freely (“KEEP THE BRAIN AHEAD OF THE VOICE” , Benita Valente)

DISCIPLINE GIVES US FREEDOM:   The disciplined honing of Knowledge, Imagination & Coordination is the trio that allows the singer to be vocally, musically , interpretively,  linguistically free.  

HERE ARE ONLY A FEW IMPORTANT POINTS TO BE AWARE OF AS WE SING:

1.  Seeing your  noble posture (open body) before  inhaling or singing a note.
2.  Allowing the inhalation to be the upbeat to every phrase. 
3.  Seeing the gesture or direction of each phrase clearly before singing it.
4.  Imagining that you  “breathe into the vowel”  rather than “placing the vowel”.
5. Mentally anticipating the next note while singing the present note throughout  the phrase.
6.  Being aware of “maintaining” the sturdiness felt in the upper torso (posture of inhalation  ) throughout the phrase   (upper torso) 
7. A keen awareness of the open throat  throughout your singing.  (“I OPENED MY THROAT WHEN I WALKED ON STAGE AND CLOSED IT WHEN I WALKED OFF” Luciano Pavarotti)
8.   Awareness of the tongue’s flexibility and how easily it harmonized the vowels  and  smoothly executes many of the consonants 
9.   Energizing one vowel to the next consonant and/or vowel

    10   Hear yourself before you sing – not while you sing.

One may think of it as using “keyword” on the computer.  i.e.  The word or phrase  is already in the computer and the “keyword”   puts it exactly into print.   In other words it is how we feed our “computer”  (Brain/Imagination)    

Even though there are many different approaches to developing a healthy vocal technique, being armed with this trio should be an important component.  It is the clear thought that will coordinate the mind/body connection.  This is what we do when we devlop our “Awareness” skills.

“IT IS NOT DIFFICULT TO SING WELL, AS LONG AS WE KNOW WHAT WE WANT TO DO”  Joan Sutherland.    

Knowing “what we want to do” is the result of this trio of  Information, Imagination, Coordination.  

We have all read or heard sayings that easily & simply describe an important element of the classical singer’s craft & art. 

Over the years I have collected many wise sayings made by major singers and teachers, as well as forming my own. For the next few Blogs I will share some of them with you according to the various principles of healthy classical singing.

> “A BEAUTIFUL TONE IS NEVER AN ACCIDENT” (Thomas Hampson,
Amerian Baritone) –   

  “THE BODY RESPONDS TO THE STRONG THOUGHT.
IT IS THE THOUGHT THAT IS IMPORTANT”  (Mathilde Marchesi “Bel
Canto: A Theoretical & Practical Vocal Method” – Dover Press)

  “EVERY VOCAL TONE IS A MENTAL CONCEPT MADE AUDIBLE”
(Thomas Hemsley,”Singing and the Imagination” – Oxford Press)                

  “KEEP THOUGHTS SIMPLE AND STRONG” (Mathilde Marchesi)

“KEEP YOUR BRAIN AHEAD OF YOUR VOICE”  (Benita Valente,
American soprano – Master Class)

   “ALWAYS MENTALLY PREPARE THE PHRASE TO BE SUNG
BOTH IN VOCALIZES AND REPERTOIRE:  (Mathilde Marchesi)

    “MENTALLY SEE THE GESTURE OF EACH PHRASE BEFORE YOU SING
IT” (Bejun Mehta, American Counter Tenor)

   ” “KEEP YOUR THOUGHTS SIMPLE, BUT NO SIMPLER”  (Albert
Einstein) 

THE IMPORTANCE OF DICTION AND THE ITALIAN VOWELS/CONSONANTS:

    “IN THE FIRST ITALIAN VOWEL ARE ALL THE OTHER VOWELS” 
(Nico Castel, Diction Coach – Master Class))

“ITALIAN VOWELS AND CONSONANTS CONFORM ENTIRELY WITH
THE NATURAL LAWS OF VOICE PRODUCTION”(Mario Marafioti
– “Caruso & The Culture of The  Singing  Voice” – Dover Press )

  “THE SOUND & RYHTHM OF THE ITALIAN LANGUAGE IS ONE OF
THE PILLARS OF THE BEL CANTO SCHOOL”(Marco Canepa
Italian Coach – Guild Hall, Londnn – Royal Opera Covent Garden
La Scuola di Bel Canto, Urbania 2018) 

  “ALWAYS ENERGIZE YOUR FIRST VOWEL TO FORM A LEGATO
PHRASE” (Marco Canepa)

“THE VOICED CONSONANT IS THE PILOT FOR THE VOWEL”
(Richard Miller)

“VOCALIZATION IS VOWELIZATION” (Thomas Hampson)
…………………………………………………………..

THE IMPORTANCE OF “THE SINGER`S BREATH”: 

“APPOGGIARE BREATH MANAGEMENT IS QUITE SIMPLY
A BALANCED COORDINATION BETWEEN INHALATION
& EXHALATION MUSCLES. (Richard Miller -“The Structure of
Singing” Shirmer Books) 

“THE SLOWER YOU TAKE THE BREATH THE LONGER IT WILL
LAST” (Mathilde Marchesi)

        “THE ART OF BREATHING, ONCE ACQUIRED, THE STUDENT HAS
TAKEN  A CONSIDERABLE STEP ON THE ROAD TO PARNASSUS
(Enrico Caruso – “The ArT of Singing” – Dover Press)  

“CHI SA RESPIRARE SA CANTARE”  “HE WHO KNOWS HOW TO
BREATHE KNOWS HOW TO SING (Manuel Garcia Sr.)

“IT IS THE FINE COORDINATION OF THE BREATH MECHANISM  & THE
VOCAL TRACK THIS IS OUR GOAL” (Richard Miller “The Structure
of Singing” – Schirmer Books)

<"THE INHALATION IS THE UPBEAT TO EVERY PHRASE"   (JPY)

  “AS LONG AS THE TONE LASTS THE GENTLE BUT UNINTERRUPTED
FLOW OF THE BREATH MUST CONTINUE UNDER IT” 
  (Luisa Tetrazini, Italian soprano –  “The Art of Singing” –
Dover Press)

“THINK ‘INHALE/INHALE” RATHER THAN INHALE/EXHALE” AS YOU SING”
(Thomas Hampson – MSM –  Master Class)

  “ALWAYS SING ON THE “GESTURE OF INHALATION”  (Richard Miller)

“FEEL THE AIR SETTLE BEFORE BEGINNING YOUR PHRASE” (Luciano
Pavarotti)

…………………………………………………………………….

Each singer will, of course, create their own way of describing in words their thoughts & sensations on singing and technique.    The above maxims may open a window on mental imagery.   Do not hesitate to develop your own maxims that come from your keen imagination.     I look forward to reading  some of them.   So feel free to send one along.  (joanpatenaude@gmail.com) 

NEW YEARS IS ALWAYS A TIME TO REFLECT AND REVIEW.     THEREFORE MY FIRST BLOG OF 2019 IS ABOUT CHECKING INTO OUR OWN DEVELOPMENT AS CLASSICAL SINGERS.

ALL SINGERS  NEED TO CONSTANTLY BE HONING THEIR CRAFT AND SKILLS.  SO IT IS A GOOD IDEA  TO STEP BACK AND LOOK AT  THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOLS WE HAVE  THAT ALLOW US TO SING FREELY, MUSICALLY, EXPRESSIVELY AND DYNAMICALLY.

THERE ARE MANY APPROACHES TO DEVELOP THE SKILLS OF A HEALTHY VOCAL TECHNIQUE OF THE “BEL CANTO SCHOOL AND STYLE” THAT APPLY TO ALL CLASSICAL VOCAL REPERTOIRE. BUT THERE ARE ONLY A FEW BASIC TOOLS THAT WE NEED TO USE – AND TO BE ABLE TO CALL UPON THEM AT ALL TIMES.

UNLIKE INSTRUMENTALISTS, SINGERS ARE NOT ABLE TO OBJECTIVELY LOOK AT THEIR INSTRUMENT. THEREFORE THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR IMAGINATION IS CRUCIAL TO HOW WE “PLAY” IT.

“WHEN YOU FIND A TECHNICAL TOOL THAT WORKS FOR YOU REPEAT IT WITH THE SAME MENTAL APPROACH EVERYDAY UNTIL IT BECOMES HABITUAL – DONT DEVIATE”. (Luciano Pavarotti)

DEVELOPING AWARENESS: THIS SKILL IS VERY OFTEN LEFT UNDEVELOPED. IT INVOLVES CONSTANTLY “CHECKING IN” TO BE SURE THESE BASIC TOOLS ARE IN PLACE IT IS BEST TO BE AWARE BEFORE YOU SING A PHRASE. AS WELL,
“CHECKING IN” AFTER YOU FINISH A SONG OR ARIA WHEN YOU ARE REHEARSING OR VOCALIZING WILL DEVELOP THIS SKILL. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU LISTEN TO YOURSELF AS YOU ARE SINGING A PHRASE.

HERE ARE A HANDFUL OF THE “TOOLS” WE WANT TO DEVELOP AND THEN BE AWARE OF :

POSTURE: (“FIND YOUR NOBLE POSTURE” – Richard Miller “The Structurer of Singing”

INHALATION: TAKING TIME TO PREPARE THE INHALATION FOR THE PHRASE WE ARE TO SING. (Inner Ear/Inner Eye)

MAINTAINING THE SENSATION OF AN OPEN THROAT ACHIEVED ON INHALATION THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PHRASE AND BETWEEN PHRASES. (“I OPENED MY THROAT WHEN I WALKED ON STAGE AND CLOSED IT WHEN I WALKED OFF” – Luciano Pavarotti)

MAINTAINING THE POSTURE OF INHALATION TO THE END OF EACH PHRASE.

LEGATO ENERGY. – ANTICIPATING THE NEXT NOTE AND NEXT VOWEL THROUGHOUT EACH PHRASE.

DICTION: CLEAR,HARMONIZED VOWELS AND WELL ARTICULATED CONSONANTS (“IN THE FIRST VOWEL ARE ALL THE OTHER VOWELS”. Nico Castel)

DEVELOPING A STRONG POINT OF VIEW ABOUT THE WORK YOU ARE ABOUT TO PERFORM.

—————————————————————————————————————————–

TWO IMPORTANT MAXIMS THAT SUM UP DEVELOPING OUR AWARENESS:

“I COULD TEACH YOU THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF BEAUTIFUL SINGING ON THE FINGERS OF MY HANDS – IT WILL TAKE A SINGER PATIENCE AND AWARENESS TO HONE THEM. “. Maureen Forrester, Canadian contralto

“KEEP YOUR THOUGHTS AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE BUT NO SIMPLER”. Albert Einstein. TAKING A GOOD LONG LOOK AT THESE PRINCIPLES AND FORMING SIMPLE BUT STRONG THOUGHTS WILL DEVELOP THE “AWARENESS” WE CAN “TUNE INTO” AT WILL.

A WORD OF CAUTION: YOU CANNOT DEVELOP AWARENESS WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE. A SIMPLE, CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR INSTRUMENT. (RESONATORS, BREATH MECHANISM, SPEECH MECHANISM) IS ESSENTIAL.THIS IS USUALLY DEVELOPED WITH THE TEACHER UNTIL THE STUDENT IS ABLETO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THESE PRINCIPLES. BUT WE CANNOT TAKE THE PRINCIPLES FOR GRANTED. THEREFORE WE CONTINUE TO BE “AWARE” THROUGHOUT OUR WHOLE PERFORMING CAREER.

“HE WHO KNOWS HOW TO BREATHE KNOWS HOW TO SING” (Manuel Garcia)

For centuries volumes have been & continue to be written about the classical singer’s use of the breath – usually referred to as support, breath control, breath management, balanced breath, etc. Yet there remains a great deal of confusion on the subject.  

Several followers of SINGING WITH MANY VOICES have asked me to address this important topic.  I am happy to do so, based on some of your questions.  However, this is not meant to be a “How To” blog but rather a look at our breath mechanism and how it functions, with an emphasis on the classical singer’s skill.

QUESTION:  Is there a  difference between “The Singer’s Breath” &  normal speech?ANSWER:  Singers & non-singers alike have the same breath mechanism.  But the  classical singer must develop it to its fullest capacity for the demands of the repertoire:     1) Long sustained vocal line   2) A  wide vocal range (2 and 1/2 octaves)   3) Balanced registration (chest,middle,head)   4) Dynamic control   5) Agility   6) Diction &  7) Expressivity.

These principles of the Bel Canto School require us to look more specifically at the breath mechanism itself:   INHALATION MUSCLES:  Diaphragm & Rib Cage (Outer Intercostals).  EXHALATION:  Lower Abdominal muscles and Rib Cage (Inner Intercostal muscles).

INHALATION (Support):   For everyday speech we do not need to be too concerned about how we inhale  – nor does the throat need to be “open”.   The singer, on the other hand, must always inhale completely, comfortably and deeply.   We often take this kind of satisfying, complete breath in real life when we:  Begin a Yawn; Deeply inhale the perfume of one rose;  Express joyful surprise; and, yes, when we sneeze.  Therefore this way of inhaling is not foreign to any of us.   For singing,  this “complete” breath prepares the whole instrument:   THE VOCAL TRACK (larynx, speech mechanism & resonators) &  THE TORSO  (Diaphragm distends & rib cage opens (outer intercostals).  The lower abdominal muscles release to make room  for the descending diaphragm.  The air goes easily, completely and noiselessly into the lowest part of the lungs (open back).                                                                    SUSPENSION:  This is a sensation we feel when the deeply  inhaled air “settles” in the lungs.  It is one of firmness and stability in the torso, often described as a “Column of Air”.  It is this phase of the breathing cycle that we often do not pay enough attention to as singers. But it is a very important part of the dynamic control of the breath flow for each phrase to be sung .   

EXHALATION (Breath Management):   When we Yawn & Sigh in every day life the body automatically takes a fuller, deeper breath.  But we  do not need to consciously control the exhalation  as the breath is “sighed” away very quickly.  The position of inhalation (suspension ) is not retained & the exhalation muscles push  the breath up to the larynx  without any resistance being offered.  The Yawn/Sigh is a wonderful way  to release tension or to relax after a long day’s work, etc.   But singers need to have a dynamic control over that column of  air.   The major difference, then, at this point in the breath cycle,  is that the singer will learn to set up a buoyant interplay between the inhale and exhalation muscles  by maintaining the position of inhalation (suspension) from the first tone,  continuing  to dynamically feel the isometric interplay throughout the phrase.    The buoyant control  of the breath changes the pitches, leaving  the larynx stable throughout the whole range (open throat).  There will always be a small amount of air in the lungs & the  singer never feels out of breath.  One  never sees a well trained singer inhale or exhale.  They are aware of this breath cycle from the moment they prepare to sing.  It, of course, all begins with the “noble posture” of our body (Richard Miller, The Structures of Singing).                                                             

QUE:  How does one know how much breath to take in & how to control it?              ANS:  The phrase to be sung will dictate all of this to the singer.  Therefore, “Breathing for the Phrase” is an important concept.  The inhalation becomes the upbeat for each mentally prepared phrase (Inner Ear/Eye).    Knowing in advance the gesture of the phrase, its range and its dynamics are all a part of mental preparation.  The body will follow the clear thought.

QUE:  Is there a name for this type of breath management?                                       ANS:   Yes, in the Italian School of singing it is called “Appoggiare” (To Lean/To Support).   Support is the air you have in your lungs upon inhalation and breath management is the buoyant, dynamic isometric interplay between the 2 sets of breathing muscles, assuring that the lungs will not run out of  this “support” before the end of each phrase.    Thus the use of the word “To Lean”.

QUE:  Why is there confusion about breathing for singers ?                                        ANS:   Two possible reasons:  A  lack of simple but clear knowledge about our own instrument  &/or  an over complication of the “process” – causing the breath flow to be static as opposed to dynamic.  We sometimes over emphasize one muscular function instead of balancing the whole instrument as one unit.  We need to keep the phrasing  as our guide at all times.  

QUE:   How may a student develop this skill?                                                                     ANS:  Each knowledgeable teacher has their way(s) of helping each student   to develop this part of the technique.  Each singer must take ownership of the information received from all sources  developing one’s own mental and musical concepts based on  correct information. 

HERE ARE SOME VERY DESCRIPTIVE MAXIMS FROM RECOGNIZED SINGERS & TEACHERS ON THIS SUBJECT:      

THOMAS HAMPSON:  “Keep the feeling of inhalation at all times”                       ENRICO CARUSO: “The art of breathing, once acquired will go a long way on the road to parnassus.”                                                                                                             LUCIANO PAVAROTTI:  “The throat does not change the pitch – the proper air pressure does.”                                                                                                                     PLACIDO DOMINGO:  “Be aware of your firm torso, onset your first note there and go away from your body”                                                                                               MATHILDE MARCHESI    (Bel Canto: A Theoretical and Practical Approach):  “The inhaled breath feels like a firm and supple column upon which we sing.”              “Sing in the position of inhaling”                                                                                   EMANUEL GARCIA :  “In a balanced onset (appoggiare) all shock is avoided.  Therein lies the germ of all good vocalism”                                                              RICHARD MILLER (The Structures of Singing) – “The breath quickly & easily renews itself if the posture of inhalation remains throughout the phrases”                 LAMPERTI:  “Feel the breath under the tone – not in the tone”.                                      MY FAVORITE QUOTE  “Keep it as simple as possible   –  but no simpler”(Albert Einstein)   

In my next Blog on “The Singer’s Breath”  we will look at accepted pedagogical phrases  and  what they mean, 

Please feel free to send in any questions or topics you would like to have discussed in SINGING FOR MANY VOICES.