| When you have sung professionally for nearly forty | | | | great singer, I think your head would explode |
| years, have been a vocal coach for 35 years, you | | | | because there is much more to this than what meets |
| have been exposed to a veritable myriad of | | | | the superficial ear and eye. Musicianship is huge. There |
| problems, all of which have begged or screamed for | | | | is no getting around the importance of it as a singer. |
| solutions. | | | | Acting may lead to being able to more easily perform |
| Being a student of the voice, music, arranging, | | | | as a singer but if the singer doesn't move past |
| composing, songwriting, etc. has been and will be | | | | acting, the performance will look like the singer is a |
| continuously studying the science and the art of the | | | | "fake", or even worse, a liar. The emotions have to |
| aforementioned. There have been debates through | | | | be freed up and express-able with appropriate levels |
| the years as to whether it is possible or even | | | | of intensity. Great singers perform to their audiences |
| prudent to "mix art with science". In actuality, one | | | | and are not a "parody of a singer". Still there is the |
| may well discover that the two are inseparable, in | | | | factor of "communication". A great singer will make |
| that one cannot exist without the other. | | | | each person in the audience feel as if he or she is in |
| Acoustics, being the science of sound, has played an | | | | the conversation, not just observing it. I personally |
| integral part in the development of better wind | | | | felt this from a distance of perhaps 200 feet. The |
| instruments. They are better in sound quality and in | | | | singer was, in fact, Frank Sinatra. People do not go |
| playability. Just ask a true professional musician about | | | | to concerts to simply listen to a singer. They can do |
| the difference between the trumpets of the 40s and | | | | that on an I-pod or with a radio. Something else |
| the ones of today, such as the trumpets of Chris | | | | happens at a live performance and although lip |
| Botti, Wynton Marsalis, or Arturo Sandoval. | | | | synching may sound about the same, an almost |
| Acoustics as regards voice is alive and well on many | | | | magical phenomenon happens at a concert and it has |
| levels. The interior of the singer's | | | | everything to do with the live performance. You |
| pharo-maxo-naso-laryngeal cavities varies from one | | | | cannot scientifically measure it but you can definitely |
| singer to another and all result in contributing to the | | | | feel it, unless there is something wrong with you at |
| unique sound of each singer. Inside are several | | | | some level. |
| variables including a unique shape and size in which will | | | | The state of mind of the singer can make or break |
| be the absorption, reflection, resonance, diffusion, | | | | the greatness of the singer. I saw two famous |
| and reverberation of sound. All of these affect the | | | | singers one New Year Eve in Las Vegas practically fall |
| tone quality, timbre, sound level, projection, and the | | | | flat. You would think that their integrity as |
| overtones of the sound that is emitted. | | | | professional artists and singers would have been |
| We could say that we can ignore all of this because | | | | sufficient to not affect the performance but they |
| we are "just singing" and that is true to an extent. | | | | obviously failed to do their best that evening. It was |
| Definitely we need to ignore specific things as we | | | | disappointing, annoying, sad and sometimes even |
| perform because the distraction will detract from our | | | | funny to watch them make fools of themselves (in |
| performance in various ways. When the problem | | | | comparison to their usual levels of performance). The |
| arises of a singer attempting to sound or sing a | | | | disappointment was that the audience paid and the |
| certain way which is contrary to the natural | | | | performers were paid to perform. They did perform |
| "equipment" of the singer, a solution or solutions may | | | | but they brought the effects of their argument to |
| be addressed and explored. Science may hold some | | | | the stage with them. I felt cheated. I felt that they |
| keys to the solutions. | | | | betrayed the audience. I had seen them many times |
| For years anatomy, medicine, and physics were | | | | before but not one time after that ridiculous and |
| largely ignored by singing teachers and vocal coaches. | | | | immature debacle of a show. |
| People's tongues, teeth, lips and the interior | | | | The overall physical health of a singer will affect the |
| resonating chambers are as individual as a fingerprint. | | | | greatness of a singer. You can think of examples of |
| How do you think you can identify the uniqueness of | | | | this yourself. Tiredness, illness, or injury will all affect |
| a speaking voice or a singing voice? These factors all | | | | singing. I am of the belief that there are levels of |
| play a part. Singers will tend to work for or against | | | | health which are above what is considered normal or |
| the natural equipment they are born with. As a vocal | | | | healthy. There are optimal levels of health which, |
| coach who has studied the variables listed above, I | | | | since we use our bodies to sing, will make subtle or |
| can assist in finding the natural road of least | | | | even great differences in our ability to "do our best". |
| resistance to a person's own unique sound. This is | | | | Talent and intelligence will affect the greatness of a |
| one area where it is not nice to try to fool mother | | | | singer because ability and intellect are the areas from |
| nature. And this is not to say that things cannot be | | | | which we draw for singing at a star quality |
| manipulated, such as doing character voices, but | | | | professional echelon. We cannot pretend that these |
| there is a right way and a wrong way to do this. The | | | | factors have nothing to do with greatness. We also |
| wrong way may lead to vocal injury. | | | | cannot necessarily create these things of intelligence |
| Singing is a hearing art. The audience hears the art | | | | and talent if they do not appear to be present. We |
| but the singer hears so much more. After years of | | | | can work harder at developing other strengths and |
| singing, many things transcend mere thought and | | | | improving weaknesses, though. If a person has a |
| occur on an intuitive level. To arrive at this level, we | | | | passion and an ability for singing, many things can be |
| may learn several things at a profound level along the | | | | overcome but there may need to be compromises |
| way. | | | | made as to how and where singing is done. |
| Singing is musical. The best singers I have heard | | | | Work which is done in a diligent and educated manner |
| know music. They may or may not know the | | | | will produce improvement as long as all other factors |
| nomenclature or the terminology of music, but they | | | | of greatness are present in the singer. Work done in |
| still know music. It is purported that the great | | | | a slipshod manner will produce no or little |
| drummer Buddy Rich did not read music. This hasn't | | | | improvement. Work done in the presence of |
| been verified but I recommend seeking out some | | | | misinformation or false information regarding and of |
| clips on You Tube and listen to his playing. | | | | the factors of greatness will produce no results or |
| Musicianship can be achieved at a very high level | | | | even bad results. Singers can, have, and will injure |
| without getting past musical illiteracy. I am not sure if | | | | their voices or if not that, never ever reach their full |
| Frank Sinatra could read or write music. If not, that | | | | potential. |
| didn't get in the way of his long career. | | | | Greatness doesn't take forever but at the same |
| Musicianship is a vast subject, when broken down | | | | time it doesn't happen overnight. It doesn't happen |
| into all the component parts, and therefore is a | | | | without preparation, correct knowledge, talent, ability, |
| subject unto itself. It will be noticeable in the results | | | | and the application of true, tried and tested |
| of hearing all the components of music which include: | | | | techniques. It takes courage to be great and courage |
| rhythm, time, pitch, dynamics, tone, timbre, style, | | | | to persevere and near perfect discipline to |
| form, structure and much more. If we could all at | | | | consistently work toward a goal with high integrity to |
| once "download" this and the rest of what makes a | | | | achieve greatness. |