Vocalist.org archive


From:  "oldervoice" <baritone21@h...>
Date:  Sat Jan 19, 2002  10:51 am
Subject:  Then- and now

Once upon a time

A person would have a vocal quality that would cause others to
suggest "voice lessons" to develop the gift. OR they may have had a
burning desire to SING, and sought instruction for themselves.
The vocal teacher then had a somewhat simpler task than now. Find the
correct vocalise, develop the voice, start repertoire development
and, given time and talent, watch and guide the development of the
student. Role models, or vocal examples , were very consistent, and
if the person did not develop into a performing artist, they may
still have had a very pleasant vocal quality that was perfect in an
intimate family musicale setting. If the student was not a good vocal
candidate, the reputible teacher would usually tell them early on,
and save both time and money.
Repertoire development was done along the lines of Art Song, Lieder,
Opera and Oratorio, all of which had a rich tradition of performance
history, and true vocal talent was trained to sing this music in an
accomplished style that also led to stage and performing
opportunities. If an aspiring singer did not have a marketable
talent, the engagements either did not come, or were not renewed, and
that performer generally had no future on the performing stage.
Almost always, the presence of vocal talent was gauged by the sound
of the traind voices of the day who were successful singers, and that
sound was the "classical sound". Even the folk music in much of the
world used that sound as the basic underpinning in folk singing. I
know some will quibble about my use of "much of the world". I am not
talking about regional things like Balkan music, Throat singing, and
tribal chant but rather the Western World Standard.
As Vocal Music developed, influences from other sound experiences
were assimilated into the "singing experience", and the approach to
developing voices startes to change.
Now- People, voice teachers, agents, promoters, impresarios(are there
any like Sol Hurok today?), seem to have lost integrity and will
promote anything for a buck. Technology, a curse in many respects,
makes it easy to skip vocal development, and even to circumvent that
requirement that most would have, that the singing be beautiful to
an "accepted"standard. THERE IS NO ACCEPTED STANDARD anymore.!!
Entertainers can make an obscene amout of money because the public
has been dumbed down to the point of accepting bad for good, ugly for
beautiful, trash for Art, and garbage for music!!!
I am NOT PC! Never will be.
Even Vocalist is being dumbed down but this "C--" thread, and the
feeble "me too" one-liners. If you want to try to make it as a comedy
writer for stand up routines, Go ahead. Find another forum!
No wonder many of the intelligent posters on relevant matters have
gone silent. I ask again, HAS IT ALL BEEN SAID? As Peggy Lee
asked,"Is that ALL there IS?
I will continue to peruse the posts, and save very few. When trolls
and feel-good PC dominate Vocalist, I will sally forth again.

Ron Zinkel
San Jose. CA





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