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Voice Lessons for the Choral Director
by Leora Schwitters, President, WA ACDA

 I was not born with the ability to sing well with ease as most of my choral colleagues were.          

Several years ago, as I was approaching retirement and teaching middle school choir full time, I decided to take voice lessons again.  If only I had met up with this teacher decades ago!  Twenty four years before, a college voice instructor had given up on me, a piano major who also did some vocals and played trumpet in the college jazz ensemble and sang in a local rock band.  I’ll never forget his words:  “I’m sorry, I just can’t help you,” in regards to classical singing technique.  I was devastated.  This was the career I had chosen. 

I had sung in choirs since 5th grade, been in All-State Choir for three years in high school, and served as soprano section leader throughout my college years.  At the same time, I was accompanying other voice and instrumental majors’ lessons and recitals, and observing the different approaches of several instructors.

I persevered in seeking vocal instruction, and tried a different voice teacher the next year.  This one guided me through a successful senior voice recital.  In retrospect, however, the mechanistic approach that he used, which appealed to my analytical learning style much more than the metaphoric, touchy-feely approach of the previous teacher, did not deal with my real problems of vocal production.  In fact, as I now know, this approach actually added even more tension as I learned to manipulate things that were never meant to be manipulated in order to produce an “acceptable” sound. 

For many years, I used those same techniques with my own singers, because they had “worked” for me.   (And those students, alas, are probably using them on their own students...)

Taking voice lessons after so many years was a wonderfully eye-opening and self-affirming experience.  The first few months found me practicing every day in front of a full-length mirror, primarily monitoring myself for unnecessary tension.  I had thirty plus years’ worth built up, and it was a monumental task to finally be able to sing an exercise freely.  I discovered how wonderfully thrilling it can be to just SING.  Hours would fly by while I would tell myself, just this one more song, and then I’ll quit.  Just understanding, for instance, the scientific principle that singing higher pitches has only to do with the vocal cords vibrating faster on a horizontal plane instead of picturing the pitch as rising (with the accompanying physiological and psychological changes that brings to mind--what a concept!) singing became less a physical chore and more an indulgent pleasure.

My biggest self-discovery in this journey of learning to sing without tension was that I wasn’t using my breath properly, which prompted other muscles to take over to compensate.  Dr. Sandra Glover of Highline Community College, in her presentation on vocal production at the last WA-ACDA Summer’s Institute, said that whatever pitch you think and energize, your vocal cords can do:  “think the pitch, make the space for it, and energize it—if the breath doesn’t keep the pitch going, other muscles take over and push the tone.” Now as I sing, as soon as I sense tension creeping back into my neck and throat, I remind myself to first supply the air, [for me, lip trilling (“horse lips” while humming in circular patterns throughout the range) is all I need for that reminder], and second, to open the spaces up (throat and soft palate especially).          

As choral directors, we must realize the huge impact we have on our singers.  For most of our singers, we are the ONLY voice instructor that they’ll ever have.  EVER.  It is imperative, then, that we seek and receive the best instruction in learning and teaching vocal technique that we possibly can, whether our emphasis is instrumental, choral or general music. 

College music education curriculums require courses in rudimentary instruction in string, wind, brass, piano and percussion, but very few that I’m aware of require any course in vocal pedagogy.  I’m not the only one who believes that policy needs to be revisited and revised across the country as more and more instrumentalists find themselves assigned to taking over choral programs.  (My principal’s first instinct when I announced my retirement was to have the part time orchestra teacher take over the choir program after I left.  She was the first to tell him that would be a disaster.  I then had a long talk with him to convince him that there is a whole different skill set needed to teach choir as opposed to band or orchestra.  He truly didn’t know, but then, I haven’t run into many administrators that do—have you?)

I highly recommend seeking out a vocal instructor for yourself and would suggest a NATS member (National Association of Teachers of Singing) as your first choice.  They have a handy “Find a Teacher” search on their website at http://www.nats.org/.  If you connect with the right teacher, it will renew your spirit in a way that is akin to meditation, and it can bring a new synergy to your own choir rehearsals as you share your new insights with your singers.

I wonder if those of us who weren’t just given the gift of singing beautifully and who have had to work hard to learn how may perhaps be bringing a much-needed dimension to our profession.  “Those who can’t do, teach” perhaps isn’t such a pejorative after all.  Those who can’t do (easily) may work harder to learn how to do, thereby gleaning insight into HOW to teach others so that they, too, can discover the joy of singing.

 

    
ONE SIZE DOES NOT  FIT ALL!
by John Weiss, R&S Chair, University Choirs		    

October 1, 2007

I  am honored to be your new University R&S Chair and in my first article for UNISON, I’d like to discuss how, with regard to vocal and choral pedagogy, one size does not fit all.  At the outset, I must emphasize that this is just one person’s opinion, albeit an opinion based on considerable experience.  As with most artistic matters, please feel free to disagree!

At last July’s WA ACDA Summer Institute, clinician Z. Randall Stroope recommended a teaching technique whereby the singer touches the tip of the finger to the cheek in order to feel the “buzz” in the cheek and also on the finger.  However, not everyone’s vocal and facial anatomy is constructed in such a way so as to create such palpable cheek resonance. 

While it is generally accepted that a classically trained voice benefits from forward or “mask” resonance, one person’s optimal and maximum amount of forward resonance may be quite different from another’s.  The best classical voice teachers I know consider good vocal technique to be a matter of balance.  In other words, learning to sing is not so much about trying to put the sound somewhere such as in the cheeks. Rather, it is about guiding the voice and allowing or enabling the voice to do certain things. 

Another consideration is that different voices have different natural resonances – some are more forward and some are further back.  Knowing all this, I am surprised that many choral directors and voice teachers continue to think that all voices derive the same benefit from a particular warm-up or vocalize.  They won’t and they can’t.  The only way they could is if all voices were built the same and sounded the same.  Because of the differences in the various voice types and ranges, a particular exercise, in fact, may be beneficial to one voice while being detrimental to another!  In other words, when it comes to vocal and choral pedagogy, one size does not fit all.

When a student or an entire section in a chorus exhibits intonation problems in a particular pitch area, a voice teacher or conductor all too often will conclude that the cause of the problem is some sort of technical limitation or imperfection.  Further, the teacher/conductor then usually offers a short-term quick fix such as supply more air, smile, drop the jaw, or raise the eyebrows.  However, it very well could be that the pitch problem may be a normal and natural part of the students’ developing vocal process, and it doesn’t need fixing because it will fix itself in due time.

For example, maybe the reason why a soprano’s pitch is sagging in her passaggio (upper or lower) is because her vocal tract recently opened as a result of it becoming more relaxed.  Or maybe it is because her breath support suddenly and drastically improved.  In either case, although it may take a little while for other elements of her vocal technique to re-adjust to and re-align with her newly acquired “vocal posture,” the adjustment will be positive and long-lasting because it will have come from allowing nature to take its course.  In other words, when it comes to vocal and choral pedagogy, one size does not fit all. 

Unfortunately, most vocal exercises and choral warm-up techniques presented at workshops and clinics will not work for everyone because what is optimal body alignment and vocal posture for one person will not be optimal for another.  What may be beneficial for a high female voice will most likely not be relevant for, and possibly even be detrimental to, a low male voice.  What might be an important consideration for a 65-75 year old singer’s voice would probably not pertain to a 16-20 year old singer’s voice.  Therefore, when choral conductors attend a workshop hoping to learn one “cure-all band-aid” technique that will solve any and all vocal problems, they should remember that when it comes to vocal and choral pedagogy, one size does not fit all.

John Weiss
University R&S Chair
WA ACDA

   
     

ACDA-IFCM Voices of the Baltics
by Timothy Fitzpatrick, R & S Chair for Male Choruses

This past summer, I lived in Tallinn, Estonia for one month; to soak up its rustic beauty, experience its music, study at the Estonian Music Academy, make contact with musicians and composers, and to participate in a multicultural international conference sponsored by the International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM). The 3rd conference in a series, the Voices of the Baltics focused on Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, and Finnish choral music, drawing on ancient singing folksong traditions as well as “high-art” choral music.

The four-day conference included examinations of folksong traditions - the regilaul, daina, sutartines, presented by composers from the four different countries; Veljo Tormis of Estonia, Vytautas Miŝkinis of Lithuania, Kaspars Putniŝ of Latvia, and Karoliina Kantelinen & Ketsurat of Finland.

Morning sessions started with an open sing featuring the best of the Baltics choral repertoire. Days and evenings included concerts, museum tours, trips into old-town Tallinn, and a scenic ferry ride out to Naaissar, the island site of Tonu Kaljuste’s Nargen Opera Project for a memorable performance of Tormis’ operatic staging of Eesti naiste laulud (Estonian Women’s Songs)

The intimate size of the conference (50 delegates) made it possible to become better acquainted with fellow musicians from around the world. Informal exchanges led to fascinating insights into wider world of the choral arts, and a clearer perspective as to where we stand in relation to the world community in our pursuit for in teaching and performance.

The opening event of Voices conference featured the Estonian National Youth Song Celebration, Ilmapu (World Tree); including 18,500 singers, age 6 to 26, formed of 612 auditioned choirs from around the country. This is the 10th such youth song festival held on the historic Song Festival Grounds in Tallinn (visit http://www.singingrevolution.com to find out more about this historic site). This festival has inspired the composition of hundreds of new works and arrangements especially for young voices ranging from elementary and middle school to high school mixed voices.

As a choral conductor, I found this conference to be deeply inspirational, refreshing and informative. It opened my eyes to new choral repertoire. It made me aware that there is more to learn about diversity and multiculturalism, even though we may think that we are already well-informed in this country. In my search for good music, I often feel overwhelmed by a plethora of sugar-coated, market-driven repertoire. I find it refreshing to have discovered a rich resource in the music of the Baltics. There are many composers, publishers, databases, and websites that await discovery and perusal. The Baltic countries are eager to share their music, and are pleased that world is beginning to pay attention what they have to offer.

If you have other resources on Baltics music that you have enjoyed, please feel free to share them with our colleagues or forward them to me at Timothy.Fitzpatrick@wwu.edu .
Here are some starters:
            Sacred Choral Music of the Baltics: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia.
                        Published by Augsburg Press at www.augsburgfortress.org
            CD recordings of Estonian Choral Music http://www.singers.com/choral/estonia.html
            Veljo Tormis’ homepage and website at www.veljotormis.com 
            Musica: an international database of choral repertoire   www.musicanet.org           
            Estonian Choral Music at www.estonianmusic.com
            Cantemus: international choral octavos at http://www.ifcm.net/index.php?m=19


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