At 10:18 PM -0400 10/18/06, David W. Fenton wrote:
On 18 Oct 2006 at 18:27, Mark D Lew wrote:
I can tell you from my years as a some-time vocal coach and all-around
wonk, when you start to talk to singers about sources and editions and
stuff like that, 90% of them get a glazed-over look in their eyes and
then reply with something like, "Yeah, ok, whatever. So what are you
saying? should I slur it or not?"
This is the fault of voice teachers (and coaches!) who don't make an
issue of it.
Yes, yes, YES, David!! But most kids are exposed to choir directors
long before they meet their first voice teacher or coach.
Why singers get treated as though they are 3 years old, I don't know.
Because of the perception that the only thing that counts is a
beautiful sound. People treat good quarterbacks the same way.
They are adults when they start serious study, and they are just as
smart in general terms as all other musicians (they are usually
behind on musical training unless they already play an instrument,
but that's because the voice develops so much later than the
capability to play instruments).
Here I have to disagree. If they are lucky enough to be in a good,
solid Kodaly program in school, they develop the musicianship early
and never lose it, and they develop it using their voices before they
start instruments.
And it sounds as if you haven't heard the American Boy Choir lately.
When the 8-year-olds swing into the piccolo part to "Stars & Stripes"
the idea that voices develop later goes straight out the window!
Sure, they develop later in terms of the adult, operatic voice, and
both boys and girls go through (very different) voice changes at
puberty, but I maintain that there is no more beautiful sound in the
world than the sound of well-trained AND well-coached children
singing a beautiful melody in unison. Carlisle Floyd's "Wind Through
the Olive Trees" (composed for the Juilliard Repertory Library, I
believe) is such a piece, and my wife's youth choir adored it.
John
--
John & Susie Howell
Virginia Tech Department of Music
Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A 24061-0240
Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034
(mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED])
http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html
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