In a message dated 11/15/2002 12:06:32 AM Central Standard Time,
deanmacy@a... writes:
> >While your husband may be musically "illiterate" he does understand one
> thing
> >... he does understand what makes careers in today's world.
> >
> Of course you mean careers in pop and rock music. And that is a total
> shame.
>
> Dr Dean
>
That is not a total shame. Classical music is a very small nitch of the
market place and to sing in a manner that only suites that is what keeps most
people from working.... that's the shame
From Jerome Hines "The Four Voices of Man" p. 191, "...the tragic fact is
that the total number of Americans who earned $25,000 or more singing opera
in the entire USA in 1994 was only 104."
The husband cited above is the market place for today's music and most of
musical theater. For voice teachers to teach in such a manner that a person
is almost guaranteed of not finding substantial income or opportunity is
unethical and severely misguided. The ethical teacher is able to teach
coordinations that lend themselves to multiple genres which are in demand,
yet also promotes vocal health. One should only pursue an operatic/classical
approach if they truly desire to and have the innate quality in the
instrument to have a chance. Statistically, one has a better chance of being
a professional baseball player than making a living in classical vocal music.
If one goes down the classical route they do so under great risk of poverty
and/or then having to make their livelihood in some other manner than they
wanted to. Most likely, most of the people that get pushed down this route
have no chance and probably did not want to go there in the first place.
However, the voice teacher directs them there and when the student finally
figures out they are going nowhere, they've ingrained a coordination that
keeps them from finding work elsewhere. I see this everyday in my studio and
my heart really goes out to those clients... I work extra hard for them to
eradicate past ethical and moral abuses so they can then find work in today's
venues. They are so grateful when they finally able to start working on a
regular basis and do what they love ... sing; be it in musical theater, pop,
gospel, r&b, jingles, jobbing bands, etc. Music that actually has a sizable
audience and can pay the bills.
Randy Buescher
Randy Buescher
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