It's been a quite extraordinary couple of weeks. I've got 10 wonderful students now, with voices in every range. These singers never fail to impress me with their dedication and determination to have a go. I particularly enjoy working through mental blocks, as this is something every singer has to negotiate at times. One of the most rewarding things once you've conquered your own personal roadblock is to revisit it way down the line and realise just how easy it was all along, you just needed the right tool to manage it. These blocks can come in all shapes and sizes: a fear of high notes, a difficulty negotiating the break point in your voice, a tricky rhythm, or my own personal favourite, learning to undo a bad habit you've spent years perfecting. What I've found really eye opening recently is watching light bulbs go on when my singers finally understand something. The sheer relief and joy in their faces when something makes sense or is no longer difficult gives me an unbelievably warm glow. I'm also finding that by working with singers with such different voices from mine that my own range is increasing. So this term I'm beginning work on a new set of songs which challenge me a little, including picking up some of my diploma pieces (which I sort of abandoned, sorry diploma). I'm going to be working on Solveig's Song (Grieg), Mozart's Alleluja and I really, really want to get going with a Bernstein number I've been itching to sing, 100 Easy Ways to Lose a Man. Here's a video of the utterly brilliant (and completely bonkers) Cecilia Bartoli singing the Alleluja. Stick with it, or for a taste of just how athletic the human voice can be, skip to 1:20 and enjoy the show (n.b. I don't think my vocal chords can do that...)
2 Comments
Steven
7/4/2017 03:28:46 pm
Always think the orchestra are lucky she's looking away from them or there's a real likelihood first violin will corpse
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Chloe
7/4/2017 03:39:45 pm
Totally agree - how does she do that with her face??
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November 2019
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