The Human Nature of the Singing Voice Exploring a Holistic Basis for Sound Teaching and Learning

by Harrison, Peter T

• ISBN13: 9781903765548
• ISBN10: 1903765544
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-10-19
• Publisher: Dunedin Academic Press

Summary

Human beings have a deeply ingrained desire to sing, and the human voice has inspired composers to write some of their most beautiful music. But what is 'the true singing voice'? Why do some voices 'work' while others do not? How do we 'discover' our singing voice, and how can singing teachers most effectively train their pupils' voices when it seems such a demanding individual and personal matter?

Author Biography

Peter Harrison has enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a singing teacher having taught at the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School in London and led voice seminars and workshops throughout the world. Peter's long list of pupils includes some of the most notable names in opera and the wider musical world. For the past five years he has been Resident Professor of Singing and Director of Vocal Studies for the Estudio de Opera do Porto, Casa da Musica, Portugal

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Acknowledgements	xii
Illustration Credits	xiv
PART I Civilisation of the Human Voice
CHAPTER 1: Sounds of Lift	3	(8)
Introduction
The primacy of the ear
Aural perception and the voice
Musical, tonal and aural imagination
Hearing versus physical or visual information
The natural vocal monitor
CHAPTER 2: Sounds Intelligible	11	(12)
Intelligent strangers
The need to voice our feelings
Hijacked voice
Voicing text
Faulty speech transmission
The mind
body split
Laryngeal collapse and support
The emotional connection
Passaggi
Only for singing
Messa di voce
CHAPTER 3: The Stifled Cry	23	(6)
The repression of emotions
Self-revelation and the power of singing
Emotional and vocal physiology
Demons, diamonds and guilt
CHAPTER 4: Bowing to Life	29	(6)
Posture and how the structure of the body suffers from neglect and misuse
Self-determination and the human spirit
Reasons for not giving the body due credit
Adverse effects of a sedentary life-style
CHAPTER 5: The Inspiration of Life	35	(11)
The relationship between the larynx and breathing
The experience of breathing out and breathing in
The relationship of breathing and singing
Breath control and management
The importance to freedom of having a sense of scale
CHAPTER 6: Unavoidable Conclusions	46	(9)
Individual capacity
Vocal liberation and personal exposure
The natural voice debate
Compensating for incapacity
PART II Sounding the Self
CHAPTER 7: Making Connections	55	(6)
Connecting uncoordinated spheres of vocal action
The importance of antagonistic forces
Defining the singing voice in terms of its structure
Redefining 'support' and legato
CHAPTER 8: Mixed Objectives	61	(6)
A unique instrument requiring unique treatment
The crucial difference between vocal training and making music
How the two activities can complement or confuse one another
The process of un-mixing objectives
CHAPTER 9: Vocal Liberation	67	(7)
Towards a definition of vocal liberation
Healthy design and training
An individual journey
Dedication and radical treatment
Tension audible and invisible
Vocal athletics
CHAPTER 10: Training Ground	74	(14)
Larynx
Suspensory mechanism
Breathing apparatus
Diaphragm
Posture
CHAPTER 11: Hearing Our Way	88	(15)
Outlines of an 'aural picture'
Mixed voice
The missing link
Beginning the aural quest
Neutral throat as prerequisite
Portamento
Breath and breathing
Energy, vibration and movement
Sounding emotion
Vowels and 'placing'
Mimicry
CHAPTER 12: Trial and Error	103	(26)
The need for process
Creative tension
The spiral of work
Imagination and perception
Tone sense
Imagery and hearing
Hearing and physical sensation
The value of play
Voice first
Laughter
Gestures, movements and inner rhythm
Embodiment of feelings
Progressing towards music
Improvisation of means
Hearing versus thinking
Attention, distraction and confusion
Sequences and starting points
Types of vocal sessions
Various Italian terms
CHAPTER 13: Muscle Training and Fitness	129	(7)
Working with muscles
How to approach training exercises
CHAPTER 14: Singers' Health	136	(6)
General health
Ingestion
Digestion
Weight
Water
Dryness and the mucous membrane
Immunity
Breathing
Sleep
Stress and worry
Talking
CHAPTER 15: Gurus or Guides? (Teaching)	142	(14)
Introduction
Responsibility
The teacher's voice
Talent and trainability
Relationship and trust
Communication
Healthy criticism and evaluation
The voice rings true
Specialist knowledge
Fresh beginnings
The 'feel good' factor
Barriers to progress
CHAPTER 16: A Clean Slate (Learning)	156	(21)
A personal journey
Equipment
Technique
Scale and skills
Tackling contemporary music
In between lessons
Living rhythm
Hearing and other sensations
Seeking models of healthy vocalisation
Six obstacles to liberating the singing voice
Posture revisited
Assessing the teacher
PART III The Communicating Imperative
CHAPTER 17: Attributes of the Liberated Voice	177	(10)
Introduction
The voice's innate skill
Singing joyfully?
Some of the qualities and characteristics of a liberated voice
CHAPTER 18: Attraction and Repulsion	187	(7)
The voice and communication
Projection
Sexuality and communication
The listener
Emotional involvement
CHAPTER 19: Being Fully Prepared	194	(13)
Stage fright
Learning to perform without singing
Criticism
Coping alone
Spontaneity
Learning, memorisation and preparation
CHAPTER 20: Going Deeper	207	(6)
The source of the singing voice
Before words
Musical authenticity and the singing voice
The diminishing power of singing
The ethics of performance
CHAPTER 21: The Ego and the Egoist	213	(8)
Self-esteem, sharing and creativity
The need for prima donnas
Training for survival
Pigeon-holes and tessitura
Repertoire
Specialisation and the authentic self
PART IV Back and Beyond - Redefining Bel Canto
CHAPTER 22: Healthy Communication	221	(4)
Being naturally expressive
Heart and mind in sound
Being fully alive
The simplicity of being
The vital present
CHAPTER 23: Redefining Bel Canto	225	(6)
What happened to bel canto?
Bel canto as a basis for progress
Benefits of psychology
Self and other
Collective unconscious
Gender balancing
The idea of perfection
CHAPTER 24: 'Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty'	231	(3)
Equating beauty with truth
Looking for the beautiful
Being the truth
Taking care of beauty and truth
Postlude	234	(2)
Endnotes	236	(5)
Bibliography	241