My voice lesson with Virginia Davids at University of Cape Town
8.14.17
I’ll be honest. When I walk into a college music school, I get really excited. The energy is infectious and renewing. On the last day of our South Africa trip, I was fortunate to take a voice lesson from a vocal teacher at the University of Cape Town. My friend Tarnia is close friends with Virginia Davids. Virginia is a top South African voice teacher on staff at UCT. She has nurtured and built the careers of many current international opera singers. It was a gift to get to take my arias to such a technician and receive her insights. I do mostly vocal coaching anymore so getting a chance to work with a voice teacher who works with advanced singers is special. And she is kind. She is no nonsense but is warm and insightful. I felt safe within 10 minutes to bear my singing soul; not an easy thing to make vulnerable. Virginia sings similar repertoire to me which is very valuable. She has wonderful ears. She caught my less than clear Ahs, lack of breathing, and too precious oos in the first 10 minutes, lol. My singing bucket was filled with constructive feedback to take home and implement. I am so grateful to have met her and plan on keeping in touch and hopefully auditioning for Cape Town Opera in the future
Great reminders from today, a variety of singing vocabulary, and keen insights I took away from our work:
1. Take time to breathe. It’s amazing how little time I take to breathe. Don’t continue phrases on stale breath.
2. Use all of our chakras when you sing. I love this so.
3. Make space to accommodate the size of your instrument. In my case, I am not giving my instrument enough room. She said colorfully, my hole is too small;-)”
4. Don’t sing too preciously. Sometimes a byproduct of singing in a lovely but homogenous choir setting.
5. Use your whole body to sing. Sing below the navel, between your legs, with your bosom; lol.
6. When you sing an aria excerpted from an opera, you have to engage the drama right away. Let me hear you think dramatically.
7. Feel release of top and bottom molars by ears.
8. Don’t close the throat when you start singing. Ride the wave; canoe on the stream.
9. Find open throat space behind the tongue.
10. Always find speaking place: lowers larynx.
11. Make sure these three are active concurrently: mask, anchor, and support.
12. In my case, have a higher Eh vowel.
13. Find more vertical ah vowel on upper extension and horizontal support with ribs and back.
akintsucrooner 