Dear Jana and Vocalisters:
My first concern for your student is the idea that she must, somehow, change from choral alto to choral soprano. As a seasoned choral director I am well aware that all designations of voice type for choral work are artificial because they are based more on choral needs or the needs of filling the ranks of a section than on the individual qualities, tessituras and ranges of the voice. It is not uncommon for a quality mezzo to be asked to sing 2nd soprano because of the needs of the choir or a very high soprano to sing low alto for the same reason and because she has a "nice reedy chest voice." This comment is not meant to bash choral singing nor choral directors but only to emphasize that voice type designation for choral singing should not be a part of private study considerations unless the choral singing is interfering with the private study which appears to be the case here.
While I very much admire the Voice Care Network, I find most of their emphasis has become organized around choral singing. As such, they have re-trained many choral directors to become more sensitive to individual voice needs and have provided an education tool for the individual choral singer. But they have not, to my knowledge, become expert in the area of private study to the extent that they have any kind of track record of success with soloists beyond the choral domain. I cannot speak to their requirement, as reported by you, for a stroboscope exam in order to have a correct diagnosis but it seems logical to me.
The problem with any voice that fatigues quickly is often diverse and most difficult to diagnose. Speaking habits such as pitch of voice, intensity, glottal onsets, duration of conversations, work conditions,etc. all can, and often do, play a part and not all of these are within the knowledge of the studio voice teacher. I would strongly suggest that your student visit a voice therapy facility to gain some of the information about her speech/talking habits. Many times the singing problems are merely an extension of the problems created by poor speech habits.
Regardless of the reputation of the OTL, I would never trust a diagnosis of voice type from a simple mirror exam. There is nothing that prevents anyone with a speciality in medicine from overstepping his knowledge and making a diagnosis that is not well based on correct information. Although we are all careful night drivers there is nothing that stops us from "overdriving" our headlights. Physicians and voice teachers do it all the time. I speak from experience, sorry to say.
I would also suggest that her designation of voice type be ignored for the time being and your instruction be centered around singing any range and literature that is comfortable for her and the present time. (I am sure you are already doing this.) I would also suggest to the choral director that she be placed in a section that will allow her to sing in the most comfortable range of her voice, perhaps 2nd soprano or 1st alto.
It has been my experience that singers who have been trained to use mostly the lower portion of their voice will attempt to bring that quality into the upper portion of their voice because they know nothing else. I often suggest to them that their high voice has been little used and is not well developed and will, therefore, sound more immature but that this is a passing phase. In these cases, I encourage a lightness of tone in the high voice with an easy production but without a breathy quality. I have found that an emphasis on well balanced onsets throughout the upper middle voice will eventually carry over into good phonation habits in the high voice.
But the best success I have had with discovering the high voice in female students who have used mostly their low voice (and this seems to be the universal pattern today) is a diatonic arpeggio on double octave (1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 16, and back down) on an [a] vowel but with this stipulation. Have the student find an easily produced, resonant, chest voice for the lowest note of the arpeggio and point out that the size and shape of the resonating space they have created for this tone, on this note (the first note of the arpeggio) is also the resonating space that will work for all of the notes in the arpeggio with no need make changes in that resonating space except to open the mouth slightly for the highest tone (the student will do this automatically; it is just good to let them know that their instincts are correct).
I also point out that they will be very aware of changes occurring in the laryngeal area and they should allow these changes to take place but should not attempt to make any changes in the resonating space they have created for the well resonated, well produced chest voice on the first note of the arpeggio. They will also very likely find that each of their register change points will be very obvious and, sometimes, a bit embarrassing. This exercise will not help in hiding these register change points because it encourages a more or less consistent resonating space and, therefore, does not allow adjustments for smoothing over the register change points.
This exercise will help the student discover that most of the alterations that they desire to make as they ascend into their high voice are counterproductive and that their vocal folds will do whatever function is requested of them by the mind if the singer does not attempt to assist in any way. The voice will automatically change from register to register on the ascent and descent (the descent is sometime more difficult) because as the vocal folds adjust to each pitch in the arpeggio, there is already in place a correct resonating space for that tone. (Keep in mind that all notes of the arpeggio are overtones of the first note). The vocal folds will more easily be able to make frequency changes without needing to adjust to incorrect resonating space along the path upward.
Play with this a bit with your student. I would be most interested to know if it is of any help.
Good luck. Thanks for the posting.
-- Lloyd W. Hanson, DMA Professor of Voice, Pedagogy School of Performing Arts Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ 86011
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