Observations From Judging Singers in The Beaumont Area

Every year I serve as a judge for high school singers in the Beaumont Area for their UIL Singing Competition.  UIL is very different from the Region music competition.  Every singer gets to pick a solo song of their choosing and perform it for one judge, who in returns gives a grade and writes down constructive criticism for the student.  In some ways, I find it a more realistic setting than Region; in UIL, the students get to see the judge and we take notes while the student is singing.  As you can imagine, that is a bit nerve-wracking!  But that's how real auditions go; you see all the adjudicators in real auditions, and yes, they take notes (both good and bad) during your audition.

I like to post my observations for my students because it gives my singers an idea of the competition outside of their immediate area (SE Houston).  While our area is extremely competitive, talent is everywhere and I'm a better voice teacher for hearing how other students perform and compare to my singers.  So here are my obervations!

1) Talent is everywhere: I heard LOTS of singers who had very pretty voices.  Unfortunately....

2) Undeveloped Talent is also ubiquitous: Most of the singers were "diamonds in the rough."  As a voice teacher, this is exciting.  I LOVE taking new singers with loads of potential and developing their instrument to its fullest potential; that may be the best part of my job.  But as a judge, I have to evaluate that singer as they perform that day.  A lot of my comments to the singers were addressing issues such as breathing, language errors, and stylistic suggestions that I introduce very early on in a student's lessons.

After many singers who had loads of talent but clearly had no specific vocal instruction on their songs, I asked one of the accompanists about voice teachers in the area.  She replied that they DIDN'T have voice teachers.  Now, I find that hard to believe, as Beaumont is a sizeable city, and even if there aren't full-time voice teachers, there are retired choir teachers or instrumentalists who have a decent understanding of the vocal instrument.  Regardless, I think we should consider ourselves lucky.  In League City, we have plenty of part-time and full-time voice teachers.   While they are not of all the same quality, if you want to develop your voice, you can find a reputable teacher with driving distance.  That isn't true for everyone, as rural populations often do not have enough students to support a full-time voice teacher. 

3) Singers need to listen to MORE recordings:  As I was training to be a voice teacher, my music professors taught me to discourage students from imitating great singers.  They said our students should learn the music first and then consult recordings.  While I think there is a kernel of truth there, the reality is that the dangers of imitation (vocal stress) are outweighed by the knowledge gained from professional singers: how those singers shape musical phrases, their precise language skills, tall vowels etc...You can learn a LOT my listening to your elders! 

4) Singers need to practice introducing themselves:  This is a skill that transcends singing; you never know when you meet some VIP and need to present yourself in a confident manner and clearly pronounce your name and abilities.  I cannot count the number of singers who mumbled their names, the title of the song, or appeared EXTREMELY nervous.  While stage fright is a natural part of auditioning, you have to learn to "fake it until you make it."  Faking self-confidence does two things - it makes a judge feel better about your singing AND faking self-confidence actually makes you feel more confident!

5) All the singers were extremely polite and well-mannered: As a teacher, I cannot tell you how optimistic I am about country's future.  I meet so MANY wonderful kids who are earnestly trying their best and I think bodes well for our communities across our nation.  We've got some amazing kids and I think we need to recognize that more often.

DWS