Dear List,
Interesting thread indeed! On this list or in any other vocal arena we will not agree about the issues related to falsetto. A friend of mine once said that when voice teachers hear the word falsetto- they leave the room...screaming:)
As I have mentioned many times before from my own work with Reid, his use of the falsetto is a matter of vocal function. And yes he does place the falsetto range IN BETWEEN the chest and head registers. Garcia did exactly the same thing in a diagram from Vol. 1 of his treatise. Garcia likened the falsetto sound quality to the low tones of a flute, rather breathy or hooty. In my experience with Reid, this is the way he wants his pupils to produce the falsetto. From a pedagogical standpoint, this falsetto is useful because it produces only slight medial compression and allows the TA to relax in a pitch range where it would normally be active.
At times, we all want to fit current methodologies into historical practices...and this is one area where that just will not work. To speak on these issues it is probably necessary to be well aquainted with the work of both Garcia and Reid in order to fully understand their beliefs and speak on HOW they teach, not how we THINK they teach. Better yet, check it out for yourself on 86th and West End Avenue five days per week.
Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers...I'm in the heat of preparing for my doctoral general exams- happening next week. Thanks!
Take Care All,
Taylor L. Ferranti Certificate of Vocology DMA Candidate, Voice/Voice Science Louisiana State University Associate Director of Music First Presbyterian Churh, Baton Rouge
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