I've had to scratch my head more than once at some of the comments,
suggestions, requests I've had from various judges, auditors, directors,
etc.
I remember one of the comments from a judge last year of a competition I
did was along the lines of "Don't sing so loud". Amusing. I wasn't singing
loud. I was singing with my true voice - which happens to be a dramatic
mezzo/contralto - in a room that was too small for it. This judge, who
happens to be an early music specialist, didn't have a clue what to make
of my voice. The two other judges, who were both involved with opera, made
no similar comments.
Most recently, I had a director at our first rehearsal make the following
requests:
1) "Don't go into chest voice there." He said this when I was singing a
B and A below middle C in a contralto buffa role. Even if I COULD
comfortable sing those notes (below my lower "break") without going into chest,
I
wouldn't want to: the role begs for the sheer comic effect of that dark
contralto "bellow" that one can only do in chest voice.
2) "I can't hear or see when you're breathing. Try breathing more up here
[he demonstrated a shallow upper chest breath] so I can hear you." I
took this to be the best possible affirmation that I've finally got my
breathing technique RIGHT! And also a good indication of the sheer
cluelessness of this director (who also happens to teach voice - God help
his students).
Why are these people allowed to walk the streets, let alone put in a
position of judgement or direction over singers?
Karen Mercedes
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
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What lies behind us, and what lies before us
are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
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