ALWAYS FIND THE “SOUND” AND “THE SENSE” OF THE WORDS YOU SING

The emotional meaning of a word is so often in the sound of the word. Developing this skill is an important part of your technic and your artistry.

“OVER-EMPHASIS ON DIRECT MUSCULAR CONTROL IS INVARIABLY THE CAUSE OF TENSION IN YOUNG SINGERS. ” (Sergius Kagen – ‘On Sudying Singing’)

The body obeys the mind. It is imperative to have simple, organized thoughts in order to sing freely, healthfully, musically, spontaneiously.

“HEAR IT – SEE IT – SING IT “

LISTENING TO YOURSELF AS YOU SING IS SELF DEFEATING. THE MUSCLES OF THE THROAT TIGHTEN IF YOU DO.

WelcomR to the first Thought of the Week for the New Year:

“LEARN FROM THOSE WHO WENT BEFORE YOU AND THEN MAKE IT YOUR OWN”

“A SINGER MUST FIRST KNOW WHERE EACH PHRASE IS GOING IN ORDER TO GET INTO IT FROM THE FIRST TONE” –— THINK AHEAD!

“A SINGER`S GOAL SHOULD BE TO COORDINATE ONE’S INNER EAR, INNER EYE AND VOICE” (Sergius Kagen “On Studying Singing”

THREE IMPORTANT WORDS FOR SINGERS : ANTICIPATE, ALLOW, AWARENESS :

ANTICIPATE: Always anticipate the next notes in the phrase to the one you are singing.

ALLOW: Allow your body to fulfill the clear images in your mind (aurally, visually)

AWARENESS : Memorize the physical sensations you experience when accoplishing a vocal , musical, interpretive goal

“NEVER SING A VOCALIZE OR REPERTOIRE WITHOUT AN EMOTIONAL INTENT” (Mathilde Marchesi)

“DO NOT SING THE “SOUND” OF THE WORD – SING THE “MEANING” OF THE WORD”
(Enrico Caruso, tenor )

Focusing on the mood, the color and the meaning of the major word in each phrase allows the voice to be produced without effort or artificial force.

“DON`T WORK HARD —- WORK SMART”

“DON’T TRY —- ALLOW”

DO NOT AIMLESSLY KEEP REPEATING A PROBLEM — ORGANIZE YOUR THOUGHTS AND ALLOW THEM TO BE PHYSICALIZED.

DO NOT DIRECTLY “TRY TO “FIX” THE VOCAL PROBLEM – BE AWARE OF THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. IT ALWAYS LIES SOMEWHERE ELSE.