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If you've taken voice lessons before, or perhaps read a few books, you probably have heard of the terms 'chest voice' or 'head voice', and for men, 'falsetto'. However, you may not know exactly what these 'registers' are, why they exist, and what it means for you...
First, some vocal anatomy. In your larynx (where your vocal folds are located), there are actually TWO muscles responsible for making a pitch: the thyroartenoid and cricothyroid. These two muscles' job is to lengthen or shorten our vocal folds in order to produce a desired pitch. Just like a rubber band, the longer we stretch out our vocal folds, the higher the pitch, and visa versa. What does all of this means with regards to vocal registers? Well, as a voice teacher, one of the primary topics I address for all singers is to help them discover when to use which register for singing. For instance, if you attempt to sing a REALLY high note primarily by the thyroartenoid (the low pitch muscle), there is a good chance you will sound very tight or flat. Likewise, if you try to produce a very LOW pitch primarily by the cricothyroid (high pitch muscle), the low pitch may have very little strength or volume. How the body physically produces a pitch creates our vocal registers...hence the terms chest voice, low register, upper register, head voice etc.... Unfortunately, people have used LOTS of terms to describe the registers the body uses while singing. For the next few weeks, I am going to go into detail, for both men and women, what vocal registers they have, when they should be used, and how you can use your vocal registers to create interesting vocal colors. DWS OK, I admit this has nothing to do with singing technique, BUT, I think it is important that people know why I love to teach singing.
As most teachers will tell you, the most rewarding moment in teaching is when your students have that "lightbulb moment." Well, voice teaching is very similar, but I think voice teaching is even more rewarding because it is an activity that brings emotional joy to both students and teachers. As any singer will tell you, there is an actual emotional joy that accompanies singing done in a more free and efficient manner. I get to help both kids and adults accomplish that everyday. The other wonderful thing about voice lessons is that I get exposed to so many different types of great music on a daily basis. While my personal training as a singer is in opera and musicals, many of my students bring in contemporary Christian, pop, big band, etc...music that I may not be familiar with on a regular basis. The part of the year I most look forward to at my high schools is the pop show, because I know I will get to be exposed tonew music and help my kids sing their song with ease and strong technique. Back to technique this weekend, DWS To sing all vowels with resonance and ring, several steps are necessary:
1) Is my tongue in the correct position for each vowel? If a certain vowel sounds wrong (or feels difficult), the most likely culprit is tension preventing the tongue from establishing the correct position for that vowel. 2) Is my tongue touching the back of my front bottom teeth? If not, then those vowels with a retracted tongue will sound less powerful or feel uncomfortable to sing. There are several ways to fix a difficult vowel, but I HIGHLY suggest you do so with a voice teacher. A good voice teacher provides a pair of critical ears that can give you the correct feedback and guidance. 1) Tongue Trill to Vowel: Sing a pitch on a rolling r, and then open your mouth to the vowel in question. 2) Alternate between a great vowel and the difficult vowel on one pitch. 3) Alternate between the difficult vowel and the closest vowel to it in terms of the arch of the tongue. For instance, many people struggle with 'ee' but do just fine on 'a'. 'A' is very close to 'ee' in terms of the arch of the tongue, so alternating between the two on a pitch will often resolve the issue. 4) Know your anatomy...knowing how a vowel is formed by the tongue and lips will allow you to recognize when a vowel is formed incorrectly. Other exercises may be used, but the above four, with the help of a voice teacher, will take care of most vowels with time. DWS This is my first technical post on voice lessons, and I think a necessary one. A few days ago, I had my first voice lesson with a new student. He was very aware of what topics he wanted to cover in lessons. The first topic he wanted to tackle was the 'ee' vowel. In his own opinion, he thought his 'ee' vowel needed some work.
You may find that 'ee' or 'ah' or some other vowel is particularly weak for you. It tends to be extremely frustrating; after all, what is so hard about singing an 'ee' or 'ah' vowel? Yet I find every student has a vowel that just doesn't resonate as well as the other vowels! To fix a vowel, numerous factors have to be taken into account. However, the biggest culprit is a 'tight' tongue that is not moving the correct way to form the problematic vowel. The tongue is the primary creator of all vowels; only some vowels involve changes in the lips, and NONE involve movement in the jaw. Therefore, to work on a weak vowel, the most common solution involves some sort of exercise to get the tongue moving correctly for each vowel. In my next post, I will detail exactly how the tongue moves for each vowel, and a few exercises that help my students in lessons. Until then, DWS We all have it: stage fright. I have yet to meet a student or performer who does not start to sweat excessively, get restless, chat without end or become absolutely silent. Getting nervous before a performance is unavoidable.
Yet we all have to deal with it. I've found that responding to stage fright effectively is highly dependent on the individual, but there are a few guidelines on how to lessen the impact of nerves on your performance or audition. 1) Expect to be nervous. Do not try to tell yourself to stop being nervous. It is normal, and over time, even beneficial, as nerves will help you have the energy necessary to give a great performance. 2) If you are around people, especially fellow singers at an audition, leave the socializing until after the audition. That doesn't mean you can't be friendly, but let people know you would love to chat AFTER the audition. Nerves are contagious, and some singers will try to play mind games with you. Auditioning is a job...treat it like one and not a social activity. 3) Make plans for after the audition, preferably a reward of some sort. Go for coffee, get a snack. Make sure the audition is just part of your daily routine, as opposed to the "MOST IMPORTANT" event of the day. If your whole day is centered on how you sing, it will add a tremendous amount of stress. 4) Perform and audition A LOT. Over time, the nerves become background noise. Practice makes perfect. 5) Have an activity to do while you wait for the performance to start. Some people prefer a relaxing activity- reading, listening to calming music etc...Others prefer activities that get them excited - light exercise, intense music etc...Whatever helps you keep your mind from racing, do it. DWS I am very fortunate to have many students who love and want to perform musical theater. After asking what college they should attend, the #1 question I get asked is - Do I need to be in NYC for a performing career?
The answer, like most things in life: It depends. For a high school student looking into colleges, what matters most is the training you get at your university: most 18-22 years are simply not ready to audition for the big shows in New York. In each region of the country, there are superb universities just as good as those in NYC that turn out wonderful graduates who go on to have performing careers. Many of these universities are located in large cities that also have ample opportunities to perform and teach while you attend school - Houston, Chicago, and the California region are particular standouts. And perhaps the most tangible benefit in living outside NYC - the cost of living. If you go to school in NYC, expect to have substantial student loans and living expenses. So, if you were my student - go ahead and audition for the NY schools as well as the standout universities in your region. See what they offer in financial aid, have a few lessons with the voice teachers, meet the professors, and then sit down and ask yourself - where will I get the best training for the right price? We spend so much in voice lessons on how to sing that we forget to cover the topic of how to keep your voice healthy.
Truth be told, EVERY singer has their own remedy on how to get over the common cold and sing your best while ill. The situation is made even worse for voice lessons in Houston, because Houston may have the worst allergies I have encountered! So here are my secret weapons against illness and overuse of the voice: Lots of sleep, water, and good food! I know, this is very anti-climatic. Perhaps you thought I would have some nasal spray, throat coating tea, vitamin formula etc... While there are many 'miracle' products, many marketed specifically to singers, they are only effective at taking your money! The only way to keep your voice healthy, through illness and use, is to be sure to sleep an adequate amount, stay hydrated, and eat foods that promote good health (if your grandma wouldn't recognize it as food, it probably is a bad choice!). DWS For most people, the college audition is a nerve-racking experience. You are singing for people you have never met, singing with a pianist you have never rehearsed with, AND you are singing in a place you have never sung before.
Auditioning, however, does not need to be a stressful experience. The best piece I ever received and pass on to my voice students is that in an audition, the judges WANT you to be successful. From their perspective, the judges have heard numerous singers, and they desperately want you to be the great singer who blows them away. If you do a great job, you make the judges' day easy; they just pick you and finish the auditions. When the judges whisper to each other or write down a comment, it is often positive, not critical. Second, the scary aspect of auditioning is the fear of rejection. Instead of worrying about whether a judge will like you or not, focus on what you do have control over. You control the songs you sing and how you perform. Use the audition as an opportunity to do what you love - singing. Finally, learn to quiet the self-critical voice in your head during the audition. The time for self-criticism and analysis is after the audition. During the audition, focus on the performance. With some practice, auditioning can become an exciting and stress-free experience! DWS I often am asked by my junior and senior voice students about which music schools they should apply to. I tell them, first and foremost, that the school is FAR less important than the teacher they will be studying with. The last thing you want to happen is to apply to a highly prestigious conservatory and spend four years with a voice teacher who does not help them improve.
Therefore, I tell all my voice students to visit the colleges they want to apply to and call/email the voice professors if they would be available for a lesson. Record the whole lesson, feel free to ask lots of questions, but most importantly, ask yourself - "Is this someone I can envision working with one-on-one for four years?" If not, try another teacher. Once you find the teacher you click with, THAT is the music college you should attend. Above all, please do not worry about whether you are attending a highly prestigious program. Not everyone who goes to Julliard succeeds in music. And MANY students from small four-year liberal arts schools end up having highly successful teaching and performing careers. Here are some examples of music schools that have turned out GREAT singers - and yet are not widely known to the general public: University of Houston University of Michigan Florida State University Oberlin College Manhattan School of Music Univ. of Missouri-Kansas City Eastman School of Music Oklahoma City University |
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