Dear Dre,
All congratulations on your recital: it sounds
fabulous, and a lovely programme. You are very brave
doing all that on your first outing!
Re. your questions about support etc. It's entirely
possible that you're support muscles were tender
because this being your first recital you were
obviously working hard. It's possible to build up
tenseness in this region and bingo, before you know it
you're feeling it! I would be interested to know what
sort of 'hurt' you felt. Was it like being punched,
or like having done lots of sit ups when you're out of
practise? If that happens again, it might be an idea
just to have a little re-assess what you do. There
shouldn't really be any pain when singing. It's
interesting to note that many male singers get hernia
problems from over supporting.
As to your other question about things becoming
easier. You've really answered your own question.
Notes that were difficult become easy; cadenza's that
seemed unobtainable are there and so on. The more
practised you become, the more flexible the muscles,
the more you understand what the
music/emotion/expression requires, then you are bound
to find them easier. I often use dancing as a
parallel in singing (as an ex ballet dancer!) On a
first ballet lesson the teacher does not ask the
student to fall into full splits: this takes time to
accomplish, and the muscles need to be trained bit by
bit, and also most importantly, remember where they
go. Exactly the same with the vocal mechanism. You
don't have a beginner and ask them to sing
Pavarottiesque High C's. No, bit by bit, and you may
get there.
Dre, sing everything that's comfortable at the moment.
Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, Sullivan, those lovely
Bellini, Donizetti, and Verdi compositions de camera;
the list is endless. All you can do is learn from
each of them, and hopefully improve in leaps and
bounds. I look forward to hearing about your progress
in vocalists to come!
All best wishes,
Ian Belsey. Voice technician. Bromley, Kent, England
> Many greetings and thanks,
>
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