In a message dated 10/23/2002 12:21:45 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
vocalist-temporary@yahoogroups.com writes:
> A recent example of a singer who has gotten into major difficulty
> with the use of ann unregulated chest voice at too high a pitch is
> the recent winner of the Idol contest. It was just announced this
> week that Ms. Clark's first CD is being delayed because of vocal
> problems caused "by the demands of her winning the contest". But
> when I hear her sing I am in pain on all the high notes.
>
I can't speak specifically of Clark's problem, since I've only heard her sing
once or twice, but it is perfectly possible to sing in this style--taking the
chest voice up to as high as an E or F above tenor C, or blending the chest
and head into a very popish sound that makes it difficult to hear when the
singer has "switched voices"--without damaging the instrument. I've been
doing it for about 20 years. Many famous singers (for example, Barbra
Streisand and--especially--Linda Eder) have had successful careers doing
this, too. (And these are singers who've done Broadway shows where they've
sung a majority of songs, night after night after night after night.)
This is not to say that many people don't push their voices and end up with
vocal fatigue and damage when they try this "belting" technique...but I just
want to make sure that this is said: That's no reason to condemn this sort of
singing as a whole.
|
