musika

I attended once a concert of two siblings, a soprano and a tenor - two of the best singers in the country. It actually was a small intimate concert for a cause, one that the siblings are very keen to do. Big prominent people of the city were there.

Makes me thought of the intimate concerts I see in movies. A small room in an expensive hotel, wonderfully arranged tables with silver settings. The old rich men are smoking while the old ladies compared their fancy, if not weird, hats. The president is there, the richest man in the city, prominent figures like Bill Gates and George Lindemann ( I don't know if Bill Gates is the type who does this thing, hehe). Beautiful and rich celebrities whos gown are the envy of the wives of politicians. Quite an interesting scene.

But back to the concert I went to, there was nothing like that really. Yes, the rich ones in the cities are there maybe but only those who believe for the concert's cause. I think the singers went for a minimum talent fee as well. Good to have hearty singers around :)

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I have always been curious what it's like to make music as career. As a working professional and had a bit of experience of my course, I went to a stage when I was questioning myself whether that was it for me. " Is this the only thing I'll be doing for the rest of my life?" was the question I frequently ask myself even until now. Maybe I just can't stop asking until I can say the answer is yes.

Watching singers and musicians above stage, singing their hearts out, I wonder how they plan their lives to be. Well, not really a life plan but a some sort of it. Who knows what happens in the future, ey.

Those who have spent their lives singing in concerts and recording hits that millions would love, how has their life been? It must have been both fun and painful - the money, glamour, fame and North Virginia plastic surgery . Interesting. Curious even.

Is it worth it? Not everyone goes there. But still, it was choice and hard work that put them there. They choose to pursue something that has given them meaning. Beautiful.

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# Plan ahead
# Sore throat? Try an apple or pear (or their juices)

# Don't do anything that will hurt your voice in any way
# When looking for a teacher, ask about his/her backgroud in music, and whether they are willing to help you learn how to sing something other than their style of singing
# Just because a singer sounds nice doesn't mean s/he can sing

# When you are learning to sing, you are doing it to find out what your voice is capable of, not someone else's; be happy with what you have
# To those who want to sing pop music: There is nothing wrong with learning classical

# To those who wish to sing classical: There is nothing wrong with learning popular
# You are not the person on the radio-don't try to imitate them unless you are trying to learn something
# Don't inhale any kind of smoke at any time whatsoever
Reason: Smoke sticks to and burns your vocal cords.
# Don't drink
# Don't do drugs

# Don't allow people to come at your vocal cords with sharp instruments. In other words: Don't allow doctors to perform surgery on your vocal cords, as there is a possibility you may never sing again after this. The only way to not have vocal problems is to not do harm to your voice in the first place, a skill which isn't taught due to lack of information.
# No more yelling
# You can forget ice-cold drinks unless you have some sort of trauma to the throat area, i.e. tonsils removed, that sort fo thing.
Reason: It tightens up your vocal cords. They must be warm and loose in order for you to sing properly.
# Don't talk too much
Reason: It wears down your vocal cords.
# Try to stay away from a lot of dust

# Try to cough a little quieter
# Don't sing any song out of your range
# No more than 3 performances per week

# Don't sing your loudest for extended periods of time
# Ask as many questions of as many people as you can about singing
# Keep away from air conditioning for at least two hours before a performance

# Get to know and understand the organs involved in singing
# Singing will help to cure a sore throat that is not the result of oversinging or overtalking
# Practice as slowly and softly as possible
# Learn every style of singing you can
# Dairy products cause phlegm

# Singing helps to get rid of phlegm
# Keep a mint or hard candy handy
# When singing, make sure you know what the song is about by knowing what all the words mean and what is going on in the music.
# If you must sing in a group, make sure you know what the other voices are doing
# Know what the music is doing

# Contrary to classical tradition, taking pictures is not a distraction
# It is harder to make an audience sit in quiet awe than it is to start a party
# Play to the back of the crowd
# Being hoarse in the morning does not mean you will be hoarse in the evening
# After performing, place a warm, wet towel around your neck and do not speak for 10 minutes

# Gargle with warm water containing 1/2 tsp each of salt and baking soda
# Try to wear only one fabric on stage
Reason: Those lights get hot
# Learning how to sing well takes time. There are no shortcuts.
# Try to make as little air as possible come out of your mouth when you are singing a musical phrase
# Train your ears by playing only the first note of a musical exercise

# Always take one day a week off
# Unless it's called for, always stand with good posture (this does not mean standing stiffly) when you sing
# Any move you make will affect the sound you are trying to produce
# Keep the tip of you tongue below your teeth
# Don't exert yourself the day before a performance

Source: Dwayne's Singing Page

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Classics are admirable. They resemble years unfading in the heart of people. Classic artists like Beth Midler, Matt Monroe, Engelbert Humperdinck and Barbara Streisand (i wonder if Los Angeles rhinoplasty nose surgery keeps track of that nose, hehe! kidding).

I admire them not only for their voice quality but also for those years of training and creating songs that has become part of history - the ones remade by enumerable modern artists. The originals are still the originals, unbeatable and never fading.

For me, it seems that they have made their mark not only in the music industry but also in the human history as well. 

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I was just thinking about it. Don't animals respond to music as well?

I remeber this cat I saw in a tv show who "meows" each time a guitar is strum. Or those dogs in dog kennels outside the house who howl each time a music plays. Maybe they wonder how sounds are created too. Just like a child who imitates sounds that he hears, pets too try to imitate not really the sound but the beat.

I remember one time, we were in a research groupmate's house who has this huge dobberman. The big dog was about to sleep when I got bored and started to stump my feet on the floor. I didn't notice until sometime after that the dog's head went nodding (or twitching) each time i stump. I told my groupmate and did it for sometime until the dog woke up ang looked for another place to sleep.

Poor dog..

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I found this site that has interestingly posted the "Premature Death of Rock Stars".  It states that while the average age of death of Americans is 75.8 years, the average death of rockstars included in their list is 36.9 years. Hmm.. is it because of the lifestyle? Probably.

A Rock Star stereotype is a someone with lots of women, alcohol, drugs and a long untidy black hair. Who needs a hair transplant? Hehe. I wonder if this holds true to other countries. I think it is the US who started that rock craze with loud noise and and stone old guitars that "twang" around the onert hall. The modern predecessors were just following the fad.

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A bit off this time. Music from nature.

Still, i feel the connection between the music that we hear in MTV and the music we hear when we go out into an open field with birds chirping and wind rustling through the branches of the trees.

Ancient Chinese music exhibits this. With the use of instruments that replicate sounds like rushing water and blowing wind, their music sooths out stress and relaxes the mind. It's so pure, plain and simple, no plastic surgeon needed.

Many modern songs are inspired by nature. Sound effects from a modern keyboard recreate  sounds inspired by natural tones. Still, though efforts are credible enough, nothing compares to the dynamic and unpredictable sounds of nature.

Try it, it's free. 

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One of the privileges of having a singing career is the travelling. And if you have a good manager / conductor / organizer, you'll enjoy travelling and experiencing different places. You'll see different hotels, like the Rancho Santa Fe hotels and accomodations, enjoy being pampered as a guest.

Well, hard work pays off after all!

Travelling with friends or co-choir members is very much fun as it is work. It lightens up the reasons of going there. Aside from the travel, you'll feel that you'll also have a bit of a time for yourself, if you know how to demand for it and the schedule permits it.

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It is vital that anyone who aspires to be a singer must study with a sound teacher. And it has to be remembered that singing involves the whole of the person and the whole of the body . The exposure in singing is unparalleled in the arts.

The voice always presents problems and the fear of losing it is never far from the singer's mind. Going to a teacher who is unqualified and one who promises you success and the promise that they can make you sing high notes or complicated songs will be disastrous.

Do not go to a teacher who makes such promises.

There are many textbooks on the art of singing some of which contradict each other. As Dr Alfred Alexander points out, "There are teachers who are charlatans. They can ruin voices and cause psychological damage to the singer."

There is one vital and critical piece of information that must be realised and accepted by everybody. No singing teacher can add to the voice; all the qualities needed in singing already exist, or do not exist, within it. To give a comparison: an expert gardener can do all that is necessary in preparing the soil, caring for the seeds, planting them at the right time and caring for them but he can draw nothing out of the seed or plant that is not already there.

It follows that smoking is undesirable for singers, although, at one time, Caruso smoked 60 a day! A good diet and when to eat before singing is also an important consideration.

Forcing the voice damages the vocal chords and by forcing we mean singing too loudly and trying to reach top notes. You should only sing notes that are comfortable and natural.

As Sir Adrian Boult told us, "If you are straining you are not singing."

The singer must have a sound teacher and be willing to trust that singer and take on board all instruction. The singer must also study sonognosy, the consciousness of one's own voice.

The proper attitude of any singer is not to be a showman or showwoman but to give intense delight and pleasure to others. The singer should be concerned with making a beautiful sound and experiencing a sense of fulfilment by the happiness it gives to others. It is the applause that makes the singer feel good not a cracked top note. The successful singer is a slave to good technique, detail and accuracy rather to self enchantment. Any fool can sing a song incorrectly and in their own way.

Don't be deceived. An audience of ordinary people is not stupid. They can recognize wrong notes and when the singer is not up to the song. Most can hear a dreadful out of tune top note or a low note that is unclear. No singer wants to just to sing, but also to give pleasure and feel good about the performance and the response to it.

There are , basically, two types of singing voice namely the lyric and the dramatic. The lyric singer has a light voice with less power and some amateurs are only suitable for a drawing room or small hall. Usually the range of a lyric voice is small and this is the way nature has made it. To attempt to sing more powerfully or to attempt to achieve high notes will always end in tears. The dramatic singer has a more powerful voice and, usually, a greater range. Some dramatic singers can only sing in a lyric style but it does not work the other way round. Some lyric singers, knowing, but not admitting the smallness of their voice use amplification, use microphones which should tell them their limitations. An amplified voice is not a natural voice.

There are three requirements for any singer :

1. First, a sonorous voice

2. Second, enunciation to make each word and note clear and to enable the sense of it to be understood

3. Third, the ability to adapt the voice to the expression of different sentiments and passions.

There are two basic things for the singer to consider namely the physical and the aesthetic. Singing is physical. Aesthetics refers to the appreciation of and the communication of beauty. This does not change. Fashions change and some singers feel they have have to adjust to meet current trends. But beauty and the principles of singing are constant. They do not change.

Don't trust a teacher who contradicts this!

The principles of singing do not change. Singing must have volume. You can't be a singer with a whisper of a voice. The voice must have quality, intensity and expression and passion throughout its range. The breath must be in complete control but the act of breathing should be comparatively unnoticed. Then we talk about the attack in a song. That does not mean that we are aggressive or bellicose. It means the approach, the vigorous application to enunciation must be eloquent where each word and note counts and, incidentally, every rest and pause counts as well. Detail is essential and the louds and softs , the tone colour, must be observed. Songs at a uniform volume can be tedious. Intonation must be impeccable. Notes that are "off" are self-afflicted wounds and a personal disgrace. Rhythm is also important. Rhythm is an all-embracing word. It refers to the right tempo of a song (the correct speed at which it is sung), the right value of all notes and rests, the pulse of the song with a slight emphasis on the first beat of the bar and the measured flow of the music. It has to do with stress not only on the first beat or any other accented notes but essential words but it must sound natural.

There is a curious trait among some female singers. They think that they are not good singers unless they can sing very high notes, namely those above the stave. They have this other false notion that a soprano gets, and must get these top notes!

This glamorous quest for high notes is a vanity seldom found among male singers.

However, it is vital that a singer looks good at a public concert. Men have a limited wardrobe and a smart suit and tie suffices but, as with female singers, they should not wear anything that is tight particulalry if it affects the breathing and poise.

The matter of poise should be briefly mentioned here. How do we stand? We need to stand with our feet about nine inches apart so that the balance is equally distributed on both legs. This means that if someone pushed you you would remain standing. The upper body should be very slightly forward . The idea of standing straight as if you are in the army is nonsense. Hands should be across the body above the waist, straight and at 90 degrees to the elbows. One hand should be lightly resting on the other but there should be no contact with the body. The head should be at 90 degrees with the body and never tilted upwards. You should fix your gaze slightly above the audience's head for posture purposes only. You should look confident and as well as being confident.

A female singer should dress elegantly but avoid too much make-up. In a warm hall it can run. Jewellery should also be at a minimum and if one item should be discarded it is earrings since certain metals can by vibration and resonance add to the voice. Skirts and dresses are always preferable although they should be modest and not revealing. The attention should always be on the song and its performance.

We have rightly emphasised the high notes. Low notes are also important. If it is a strain to get them one should not attempt the song publicly. Many believe to transpose the song , that is to write it in a different key to make the pitch suit the voice is acceptable. But a song, albeit the same, in a different key can sound very wrong.

Source: http://www.musicweb.uk.net/classrev/2002/Nov02/singing2.htm

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Breathing plays a central key in singing. It dictates rythm and style. Try breathing quickly ang your sound (or style) changes. What differs Josh Groban from Bryan Adams? It's the vocal quality projected as well as the the breathing dynamics that sets the two apart.

Josh generates vocal power from the diapghram and breathes continuously. Bryan Adams on the other hand breathes profusely while compressing the throat to give out that husky, rocky voice that hase become his trademark.

Generating the voice through the mouth can be modified with the use of the nose. This is especially good for Altos and Tenors who are usually challenged to hit high notes above their  regular ranges. It makes hitting high notes cleaner and simpler. It also elevates your facial muscles to make the sound brighter. (Boy, how difficult it is for a singer to break one's nose. Better find a good rhinoplasty in Oakland quickly. Hehe)

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We have already stated that interpretation is the realization of what the composer has written and as exactly as is possible.. We made the obvious comparison between translating one language into another.

It is lamentable that singers, and other performers 'mess about with' the material and 'do it their way'. If the composer wanted it done their way he would have written it their way.

Imagine you are a painter and have produced a painting which you consider to be very good. But someone comes in and says that you should have done this and that and takes up a paint brush and makes some alterations. How would you feel? The unwelcome interfering person interpreted the work differently from you but what he has done is ruined your painting , insulted you deeply and caused criminal damage..

The word style, sadly, covers a gamut of notions.

Simply, it means type or sort. We talk about an elegant style of a house. This also means that some houses do not have an elegant style. It means that there are various sorts of houses.

In music there are many styles. Some people stupidly lump together all music that is not pop or easy listening as classical or serious. But that simply is not true. There is medieval music, renaissance music, classical music, romantic music, impressionistic music, contemporary music and so on all of which be called serious music.

If your choir is singing a Tudor anthem by Byrd or Tomkins you cannot sing it as jazz or as a blues although we have to lament the modern trend to jazz up works of previous generations. This is the same as that person adding to your painting which you and others admired before he ruined it!

This point highlights the second definition of style which is the manner in which it is written and their are distinctive styles within certain artistic schools or periods of history. As we have said Tudor anthems cannot be sung as jazz or the blues. Historically and artistically it would be very wrong.

Style also refers to superior quality. We talk about some fashion as having style.

But the real meaning of style in music means the correct way of production, to perform in the specified and designated way. In other words, to perform what is written as it is written and to take no liberties with what is written.

Of course, there are styles that are not serious music as, for example, jazz and the blues. These have a style quite different from serious music. but the singer should still follow the composer's written instruction, namely the music.

Pop music lacks style. The singers and groups who perform this material are not concerned with accuracy, beautiful sounds and singing. Take Lulu's song Shout in which she does not sing but bawl, shout, scream and screech. Listen to the group Oasis who never make a pleasant sound but sound dreadfully nasal. Listen to other singers and groups and note the shocking breath control. So many pop singers, singers of ballads and folk music have no idea of diction and many cannot sing in tune. Some singers strain and made other hideous noises. That is not singing!

But, it will be said, how do we make a song our own?

First we must remember that the music of a song belongs to the composers. Not to us.

How we make it our own is largely due to our faithfulness to it.

I was an adjudicator at a singing festival on one occasion. We had to listen to eight sopranos sing Roger Quilter's Go lovely rose.

One girl had a voice 'to die for'. Another contestant did not have such a good voice but she sang perfectly in accordance with every note and instruction on the printed page. There was every crescendo and diminuendo, every staccato and rallentando. Every phrase was shaped exactly right. Her breath control, her diction, her commitment was absolutely spot on. She knew the song inside out. She sang from memory. The girl with the voice 'to die for' did not follow all the composers instructions but her voice had a clearer sound.

Who did we select as the winner?

The best voice or the best performer?

Style and interpretation overlap in definition. But what we have said is sufficient for each honest singer to put these vital points in practice.

You look at a new song and discover its style. Is it medieval, renaissance, classical, jazz or a blues? Once that is established, you learn it as written and your interpretation of it is to be as close as possible to the text.


Source: http://www.musicweb.uk.net/classrev/2002/Nov02/singing5.htm

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Well, technically, looks are not required to have a beautiful voice.

However, physical and mental presence is.

Just like with any performance, singing requires a lot of presence of mind and self-confidence. I remember one time when I was in highschool, I was with this choral group competing nationally (check out the NAMCYA competitions website). We were always reminded by our conductor to look good, feel good and smile. Frowning makes you facial muscles sag which then pull down a note or a half.

Some singers, especially celebrity singers do more than just smile though. Some opt to go under the knife like what these New York cosmetic plastic surgeons do. Well, that's their prerogative.

But, with any performance, self-confidence brings out the best in a singer. it makes the mind active, responding to the crowd immediately as need arises. Wear your best suit - and smile!

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There are three registers of the voice namely chest, medium and head.

The chest register covers notes from the lowest notes that a male bass can achieve to E above middle C.

The medium range is from about A below middle C to two E's above middle C.

The head register is from C above middle C upwards.

You will see that there can be overlaps.

For a bass whose top note may be the E above Middle C he will have one voice register namely the chest voice.

A tenor's usual range is from C below middle C to A above it. Therefore he has two registers . His low notes C to A will be in the chest register and the rest in the medium register.

A contralto is largely in the medium register although she will probably experience the changes as does a soprano which changes I will detail later.

The soprano may have a few low notes in the chest register but will have both a medium and head register.

For a soprano she should be able to hear the changes in her register when singing an ascending scale. It is rather like listening to the engine of your car and knowing when you have to change gear. If a soprano can manage a low G usually the changes are the low G to A below middle C, the next change is E to F above middle C and the final change C to D to the head notes. However, a soprano usual lowest recommended note is B below middle C.

But a good singer has to hide these changes so that it sounds as if he or she has one register.

The usual range of singers is as follows:

Soprano------------ B below middle C to two Gs above middle C. Some very special singers can reach five tones above. Exceptional singers can reach a few notes even higher than these. Some sopranos can reach a low G

Mezzo Soprano--- F below middle C to two Fs above.

Contralto----------- -E below middle C to two Ds above This may seen a limited range but the quality of the voice is usually velvety or earthy..

Tenor-----------------C below middle C to a or B above.

Baritone------------ Two Gs below middle C to F above.

Bass -baritone----- Two Es below middle C to E above

Bass-------------------Two Ds below middle C to d above middle C

The chest register is called the chest register becomes the sound comes from the chest. The middle register refers to the sound from the throat and the head register speaks for itself.

The quality of sound depends largely on what we call the open throat. Some have simplified this by calling it the yawning sensation where there is a sense of space at the back of the tongue.

Sound can also be enhanced by speaking practice. It is important to speak both vowels and consonants clearly.

The problem is that vowels have several separate sounds.

Take the vowel a

It can have a long sound as in accident. The a here is hard

It can have a short sound as in appreciate. The second a here is soft

It can have an intermediate sound as in absolutely. The a here is halfway between the two

It can have a broad sound as in Joshua or Paul. The a sound here seems extended.

There is a lot of nonsense talked today about people 'speaking posh' and 'lardy-dar' or as if 'they have a plum in their throat.' But it is vital that people hear and understand what you say partcularly as both speech and singing are about communicating.

It is harder, but more sensible and profitable, to say , "I want to hold your hand", rather than, "I wanna 'old yer 'and."

Singing is a discipline and if speech is to be rendered accurately it will go a long way to helping your diction in singing.

It is said that vocal expression is built on vowels and verbal expression is built on consonants.

Vocal expression is linked to the words of a song. It is so easy to sing the words of a phrase without expression. What you do with the content can lift the song. How we sing words determines character and colour to the song.

Verbal expression has to do with diction and diction is not only pronunciation but articulation, intonation, declamation and punctuation.

Articulation has to do with what is clear and understood. In singing it is more exaggerated than in speech. Here consonants are the real problem. The shorter they are and the longer the vowels the more effective the articulation will become.

Pronunciation is obviously vital but we must ensure that we do not sing with neutral sounds or unspecified accents.

Intonation is sometimes described in a complex way, but in simple terms it is making every note true and exact. Singing out of tune, or bad intonation, may be due to poor technique, ill health, tiredness or defective hearing. Sometimes singers do not listen to what they sing and when they do detect something is wrong are often hesitant to admit it.

Declamation means to articulate the words in the manner most suitable to convey their meaning.

Punctuation is the use of accents, breaths and commas.

There is a lot of nonsense talked about interpretation. So many take this to mean licence to sing the song as they feel and mess about with it. Consequently, the time in the song may change without authorization and people put in extra notes particularly a high one at the end, or leave bits out. But interpretation means to realise the notes and words as in the given text just as someone translating German into English, for example.

For example

Ich auf der erd',am Himmel du,

Wir wandern beide rustig zu

Translates as:

I upon Earth, you in heaven,

We both go our vigorous ways.

But if I were to say that it meant I am in Heaven and you are on Earth. You are I are going timidly in the same direction that interpretation would be hopelessly wrong.

The function of the singer, the accompanist, the members of the orchestra and the conductor is to perform what is written and how it is written. If you don't, you cannot be a good singer, good accompanist, good orchestral player or a good conductor.

If a singer sticks to all the rules then the saying among professionals comes true. Tears were not shed in the concert. They were shed at rehearsals.

Source: http://www.musicweb.uk.net/classrev/2002/Nov02/singing4.htm

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Try asking a professional singer and he or she will tell you how physical fitness and wellness is important in singing.

We could not deny the fact that though singing is a form of art and expression, we still use our body to create those beautiful notes with our voice. A swelling throat or an inflamed tonsils keep any professional singer in rest (unless he wants to kill himself, hehe).

Kidding aside, physical preparation for any singing engagement is a high requirement. Stretching plays a big role as it prepares the body, like the abdominal area and shoulders, keeping it relaxed as tense muscles degrade the quality of voice. yoga poses for men and women can be of great help.

Vocal stretching or "warm-up" also prevents strain for the vocal cords and the surrounding area.

Lack of preparation and poor physical condition not only diminishes the voice quality but may even cause physical damage and pain if not acted upon.

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