Vocalist.org archive


Date sent: Fri, 28 Jan 2000 10:23:42 EST
Subject: Re: MOUTH VOICE, i.e. teaching styles....
To: vocalist
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

In a message dated 01/28/2000 5:43:47 AM Pacific Standard Time,
lafond-at-ufl.edu writes:


Dear List, I had to respond to this post because I think it brings up the
heart and core of good vocal pedagogy and how we, as teachers, communicate
it.
JRL wrote:
" As much as I am passionate about vocal science, I have come to realize
something that Mr. Spock so eloquently expressed in Star Trek 6
"Undiscovered Country": Science [logic] is only the beginning, not the end."
As I observe teachers, I find that there are those that rely heavily on
science and exactly how the voice works at a technical level. Even more
common, are those teachers that teach at a more "visual" level, and often,
unfortunately at the expense of good vocal pedagogy. The balance, lies
somewhere in between. I believe that excellent vocal teaching consists of a
core knowledge of how the voice works and what factors influence, and hinder
vocal growth. But along with that knowledge, the teacher must be able to
apply it to each students voice through exercises that encourage a behavior.
These must be concrete, result oriented exercises that a student can
experience immediately.

. JRL Stated" Personally, I find something much more
artistic and visceral about "directing the air up to the skull."

In no way do I mean to demean this statement or the person's credibility
as a teacher. But for me, I find that statements like this can be confusing
to a student. Visualization and imagery must come secondary to process. My
first job is to give the student a result, once the result is "induced" I
can then tell them how this feels to me when I do it, or ask them how it
feels to them. Their response may be, " it feels like I"m directing air up to
my skull." However, if I had asked them to direct air to their skull first
off, it is very unlikely they would have been unable to produce the result I
was after. My point being that imagery must be used as a reinforcement of the
result. It is a way of solidifying the result not inducing the behavior.
The second part of teaching, or perhaps the art of teaching, is one's
ability to sense and adapt and encourage each student where they are at.
Being able to push, encourage, correct them in a way that will help them grow
to their greatest potential. Now that's an area that no scientific book can
teach or explain and therein lies the greatest challenges in teaching voice.
Hope to hear a lot of discussion on this,
Mary Beth Osborn