The years are 1986-1990. I am a voice and music education major in central Illinois. The world is pre-mainstream computer and internet. It is now 2018. I have been singing and teaching in NJ for 16 years. The whole world is online and connected with its own set of problems. Below are a few of the enduring lessons I have carried with me through my travels.
1. RESOURCES
IN 1986-1990, I was encouraged to:
Build your repertoire library, feed your ear with records and cassettes, invest in foreign language dictionaries, and acquire word by word translation resources.
32 YEARS LATER :
I am still pulling out my water logged books from over 8 moves to check pitches, IPA, and translations.
2. FIND YOUR SHOE SIZE
IN 1986-1990, I was instructed that:
Just because a piece has certain pitches doesn’t mean it is the correct repertoire for your voice type.
26 YEARS LATER :
A wonderful voice student came to me a few years ago as a high and light voice who lost her top and was singing mezzo. We have rebuilt and found her ease and height throughout the range. She asked why can’t she sing a high C in a certain song since she can vocalise to a high G6 with me. And I am reminded that no matter what the pitches are, if a piece is out of your fach and doesn’t sit where your voice lives, notes that should be easy won’t be. Example: I can sing the pitches of Violetta’s Traviata act one aria but ain’t no one hankering to cast my thickly fortified and non consumptive sounding throat as this damsel in distress. (The picture enclosed are mutual admiring 2 fellow coloraturas)
3. GET THAT MOTOR RUNNING
IN 1986-1990, I was instructed that:
3. You may sing Wagner in the future but you always need to be able to sing art song, melismas, and mozart.
28 YEARS LATER :
Now, don’t get me wrong. I am no fast moving note expert. I like me juicy one beat plus notes where I can gently stroll. But scoring the medium buck gigs in the regional church music circuit means ya gotta be able to move that vocal tuchus. Hey Liz! Here’s some Handel, Rossini, Baroque snappy sacred music du jour, and boy soprano forehead bright renaissance motets! And my Germanic throat, pulls up her Seglinda pants, pops a singer Prozac, and gets her light soprano groove in gear.
#akintsucrooner
akintsucrooner 