To: <vocalist>
Subject: Re: Speech-Level Singing
Date sent: Thu, 3 Feb 2000 12:00:52 -0800
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

Hi, List

glad to see our discussions on SLS are getting a lot friendlier here :o)

First a reminder for those who are not familiar with SLS: there's an article in the archives I posted a few months ago called "Speech Level Singing: Definitions and Differences" in four parts.

Anyhow, I just wanted to clarify how this discussion thread started. Isabelle posted about losing breath support along with body weight, and I wrote to her in private suggesting that maybe it just became apparent that her support wasn't quite good before the weight loss, but that a "fuller"
sensation might have disguised that, and went on to talk about vocal cords not closing well, etc. The old story ;o)

She wrote back "publically" and that's where the whole story about classical singers and females in SLS started, and I'm happy to see that quite a few Vocalisters got interested.

In any case this particular post here is just to give my two cents on Demi Moore's speaking voice...... OUCH! I cringe everytime I hear it, it just sounds broken and unhealthy.

Also, someone suggested maybe they should speak in mix rather than chest; I don't recommend that either. We're all born with a different instrument; we can't really change the sound of it unless we start interfering with the normal phonation process in the sense of lowering/rising the larynx,
etc, but singing should be founded on the "unmanipulated", healthy speaking voice in order to avoid later problems.

My 2 cents.

Rocio Guitard
Speech Level Singing Instructor