Dear Kris? and Vocalisters:
Your response to my original message is included below to preclude
any confusion.
You perhaps did not notice that I used the phrase "use of an
unregulated chest voice at too high a pitch". The key word here is"
unregulated". There must be some form of adjustment of the mix of
chest and head at these pitch levels if the voice is not to
experience excessive strain and eventual damage. The vocal strength
of the singer that is inherent in her physical make-up will determine
how long such abuse will be tolerated by the instrument, but damage
will eventually result.
The intensity of vocal production is also a key factor. I am not,
in this instance, referring to the apparent intensity of emotion that
is acted out by the singer but, rather, the actual volume level of
vocal production. An amplified singer can astutely use the mike
position and amplification level to create the desired intensity of
sound while actually producing a vocal level that never rises much
above mezzo piano (mp). If this is done the vocal instrument is
under much less strain even with an undesirable extension of the
chest voice into upper pitch levels.
But the real answer is to learn how to move from one form of
production to another without it becoming apparent unless one wants
the vocal "glitch" to be heard as a vocal trademark as in yodeling
and country western singing. Recently it appears that most forms of
pop singing have adopted this vocal "glitch" as a device that signals
"real" emotion. For me it is another example of" vocal indicating
that I consider outside the realm of singing and, as in acting, an
undesirable and banally obvious lack of artistry.
I do hear Streisand make vocal adjustments to correct her mix but
she covers up this adjustment with an excessively open formation of
the vowel to give the effect that she is still in belting voice. A
knowing singer she is. (A comment from Yoda)
>In a message dated 10/23/2002 12:21:45 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
>kriswrite@a... writesin responce to my comments in quotes:
>
>
>" 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.
--
Lloyd W. Hanson
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