“TO TEACH IS TO LEARN TWICE OVER.”—JOSEPH JOUBERT
A singer’s path along the yellow brick road…#youngsingergeneration
By E. Perryman
11.2.19
#thaierphotobomb
Legato, vowels, breath, and position, not something that nature gave me automatically as a young singer.
Love, drive, tenacity, and spirit were innate for me. It took a singing village over the years to bring the technique online for me. This work isn’t finite either. I continue to work on implementing the rudiments of singing as I age, should I be so granted longevity.
I feel fortunate to get to work with beginning singers as an elementary music teacher. The kids are fearless and adaptable. I demonstrate senza vibrato and the kids respond. We sing up through the 2nd passagio. They children don’t realize the difficulty and I definitely don’t tell them. They modify on octave leaps and gather their vowels on the upper pitches (things that can send a voice major to a psychiatrist,) and have no clue that it is hard to do.
My former student Deyana always had a lovely warm tone and large range. She has exuded joy for music and theater since I met her as a first grade student. I remember now beautifully Deyana sang the melody of the Hansel and Gretel evening prayer in 3rd grade.
As an elementary music teacher, I mainly work with the youngsters on round tone, head voice, and easy production. Legato, vowels, breath, and position are not a focus. If something we are working on requires attention to these areas, I find civilian ways to demonstrate and share.
So Rutgers prep 14 year old Deyana came for a lesson today. She now towers over 5’5 moi. I listened with admiration as she sang with a lovely timbre, smooth legato, and tall vowels. I was very impressed with her training the past few years. Her tone is healthy with a free legato and her joyful musical spirit is present. I hear an exciting young mezzo soprano in her sound. Like I did as a young singer, she sings alto in her high school choir with the size of her voice and wide range.
I’m excited to see where her voice takes her and inspired to get a chance to share what I’ve learned along the way.
#akintsucrooner
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