To: "'VOCALIST'" <vocalist>
Subject: RE: teachers: your technique, in a nutshell
Date sent: Wed, 9 Feb 2000 11:26:31 +0100
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

Dear Isabella,

I'm fascinated by this too. I don't take regular students, but I have done
remedial work. Would contributions from working singers be invited, perhaps
after the teachers have had their say?

I agree with you that teachers do often teach completely different things,
and the argument, so often proffered, that they all teach the same things
('the central core of good vocal practice'), but in different words and ways
I find unconvincing. We have had several posts of late criticising singers
who don't put into practice what they are taught in their lessons. This is,
of course, fair, but the phenomenon is, I think, quite unusual. I think most
students try to do what they are taught as honestly as they can: they are,
after all, paying for the privilege of instruction. To say that a lot of
singers are too dumb to do on the stage what they are told in lessons is
rather insulting to these singers. I think you can judge the quality of a
teachers studio from the practice of their students. Knock out of the
equation those who'd sing well no matter who taught them and those who'd do
their own thing against all advice, look for the consistencies among those
who are left, and you get a pretty good idea of what goes on in the singing
lessons.

Another irritation frequently encountered among singing teachers (and, oddly
enough, critics) is claiming the authority of famous singers in support of
the teachers' own concepts in the face of all the evidence. A teacher once
told me that Pavarotti sings in the masque. I'd seen him in masterclass, and
knew that he was opposed to mask-singing, and pulled out the interview in
'Great Singers on Great Singing' as evidence. What answer did I get? I turns
out that Pavarotti only THINKS he doesn't sing in the mask. He is a paragon
of mask singing, and he doesn't even know it. You see, he really isn't very
bright, poor dear. He just sings on a God-given natural talent. He'd sing
that way even if he'd never had a lesson in his life. Now, isn't it peculiar
how this opinion contradicts not only Pavarotti's own stated view, and that
of many who heard him early in his career? Are we seriously expected to
believe that this singing teacher had a better understanding of what Big
Lucy does when he gets on stage than he does himself? Granted, it's not
impossible, but is it likely?

Should all voices sing the same way anyway? What's wrong with there being
different singing schools out there, as long as the particular schools can
be fitted to the types of vocal endowment they most suit? Instrumentalists
accept this, why not singers?

I don't want to appear to be teacher-bashing. I like voice-teachers. They
taught me everything I know about singing (plus some more, which I've
forgotten), and I don't have the words for my gratitude. I'm criticising an
attitude which I'm sure many of the singers on the list will recognise. And
there are counter-examples. Joan Sutherland was on British television the
other week giving a masterclass, and the gist of her advice was: 'Don't do
what I did in my career. I had some terrible habits. Here's what you should
be doing.' Now, that is the humility of greatness.

I think this could be a fascinating discussion, and one of the most
illuminating we've seen on this list. Thank You, Isabella.


Regards / vriendelijke groeten

Laurie Kubiak
Commercial Analyst - Europe & Africa SMMS
Sales and Contract Support, Shell Services International
Shell Centre, London SE1 7NA
Telephone: +44 171 934 3853; Fax: +44 171 934 6674
Mobile: 07771 971 921: E.mail: Laurence.l.Kubiak-at-is.shell.com
Office: LON-SC 631