Vocalist.org archive


From:  bjjocelyn@p...
Date:  Thu Mar 14, 2002  3:54 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] fry, modal and falsetto

Hi Mike ! Remember Bart, Karen's beloved home-truths monger ? Well, I'm back
on track !
Discordant voicings, mordant rejoicings, and so forth...

All right, but seriously now : my fueling the controversy you launched.

Indeed, I'm on your side.

Seasoned comedians, orators and preachers do sustain "high" ringing vocalic
pitches, as Opera singers do. Only the purpose differs. In that respect,
1930's and 1940's radio "speakers" (not to mention sadly notorious
nationalist leaders of that time) are worth lending an ear to. Singing then
was not that alien to everyday life, as in today's couch potatoes' vocal fry
world. Soldiers, marines, scouts, schools, orphanages, congregationnists,
unionists, film crews... many areas were rife with liveliness bursting out
in a carefree, resonant voice. Sure, there were still individuals considered
to be vocally better-endowed than their neighbours, yet not necessarily by
modern "voice-quality" standards. First of all, the real cursed ones were
the out-of-tune ones (litteral ignorance of music due to pauperism, meaning
then pianos, radios and phonographs were luxuries). Secondly, breaking lucky
at those Dark Ages of Media meant displaying a fairy-tale-like multitalented
artistic personnality (acting, singing, dancing, looking good, beeing funny,
performing tricks...), hence the happy (?) few filmo/discography did keep
track of, overshadowing their numerous contemporary vocal peers. Let alone
originality as a prerequisite to stand out from the crowd : namely coming
out with a very special, recognizable timbre, as a rung above the mere
ability to sing and ring well many then had. Before WWII, when Opera was
still proper entertainement, a failed tenor's high note was all too often
successfully oversung aloud by an anonymous spectator !

So come to think of it, this Art of Singing and Ringing (true ?) musn't be
too unnatural to the human race... but to the unfortunate many who let doubt
come in the way, allowing misconceptions to hamstring self-confidence. It's
one thing to pay a reasonable tribute to those mediatic myths and legends
one grew up with, another one to credit them with vocal dispositions beyond
compare noone could ever dream of coming close to. And by the way, it's Okay
not to be the best athlete, but it's lame not to even attempt running,
springing, and dancing as a non-handicapped human beeing.

Now, singing may not be everybody's cup of tea. So singing for the wrong
reasons (such as allmighty vanity) is bound to bring about characteristic
personnality assessment linked troubles in the middle run (who am I,
compared to X who can go that high or ring that much, how come I can't reach
as high and ring that much, and why, and so on...). Hey there ! How about
dusting it all off for once ? Breather needed there, baby. Sometimes it's
definitely best to sing, swing and spring without rime or reason. Without a
voucher. Full stop.

Bart.









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