BY E. PERRYMAN
11.14.17
“The quality of our breath expresses our inner feelings.”
“Blessed are they who are intimate with their breath, for they shall receive the ‘I Can’ of the Universe.” The Beatitudes
THE YEAR: 1973.
MY AGE: 4.5
SETTING: Singing with my Dad while sitting on top of his spinet piano. (To my fellow smarty pants, yes, I was once that small)
SONG BEING SUNG: My country ‘tis of thee.
And it sounded something like this:
“My country” (breath) “tis of me” (breath) “sweet land of” (breath) “liverty” (breath) “of thee I” (big breath) “sing”
THE YEAR: 2017
MY AGE: 48 (for 14 more days/13 when I publish this blog)
SETTING: Vocal coaching in NJ with Giovanni Longo
SONG BEING SUNG (or attempted:) Bellini’s Casta Diva
And the first run through sounded something like this:
(Capitals indicating a forte jack in the box dynamic albeit an attractive timbre)
“Caahhh-ah-ah- AH-ah-ah-AH–TAH–DEE-ee-ee-ee-VAH.
The more things change, the more they stay the same, indeed.
And, important to note, singing Bellini is an epic breath BS detector. If you are singing too heavy and aren’t free, Vincenzo shall see all. Oxygen levels should not be excessive.
The common thread connecting these 44 year apart stories is the use (or mis-use) of breath and phrasing. I know, I was only 4.5 but my 6 year brother didn’t seem to have the same problem when he easily sang “for it was flipper” sans breath.
No matter how far I am able to grow my vocal technique, should I be so granted, I suspect that it will always be a challenge to sing with easeful breath and even phrasing especially in Bel Canto repertoire. And the culprit of the sound disruption usually lies within tension, anxiety, and insecurity.
When I am able to support my sound freely, phrasing, legato and balance is much more accessible.
So, adding to my already teeming singing toolbox, Casta Diva shows me that I need to do the following:
1. Don’t sing so darn heavy.
2. Not all notes are created equal.
3. High doesn’t mean louder.
4. Sing through the vowels.
5. Vocalise piece on a homogenous vowel to steady breath.
Sure, I know I have heard some of this before but maybe the pasta will stick this time.
And there you have it.
#akintsucrooner
akintsucrooner 