Well Jennifer, I did something else a few months ago (and I know that everybody is going to jump at me, but since you asked): I stopped taking singing lessons, started practising with a very good pianist. I also record every minute I sing (about 60 a day), especially when singing with my pianist. I should add to that, that my recordings are quite profesional, and that I have very good speakers. Believe it or not, but since then my singing improved greatly. One example: I can sing now a complete program of 50 minutes continuous singing (Schubert, Schumann & Mozart songs) without tiring my voice, something I certainly could not do before. I finally have a good support, my legato is better, my voice is bigger, my diction is much better, my high notes are, my jaw is finally relaxed (I thinks that is where it all started) and my tongue is where it should be. But the most important thing: practising with my pianist makes me happy, because I am making music, instead of being told: 'this is not right and that is not ok and so so on'. Singing the Mozart songs did more good to me than all those terrible exercises. (of course hsi aria's are great as well, e.g. Il mio tesoro). And to become really naughty or nasty: I hate exercies! I am so happy I don't have to do them anymore! That stupid humming! You feel like a cow! I have honestly never learned anything from exercises. I think they are only good for a teacher, because with an exercise it is easy to hear what somebody does wrong. I can tell you, that I do a lot wrong when singing an exercise, I don't do wrong when singing the exact same notes in a piece. At home I have an interview with a very succesful tenor, that thinks the same, I forgot his name, but is he from some Latin-American country. I will qoute from it in my next mail. Despite all that: Of course, you will be right; somewhere out there should be somebody that could teach me a lot, since I also learned a lot from Mr. Hansons remarks. But for the moment, I must say, I am very happy not to have somebody that says: stand like that, look like that, breathe like this, and interpretate this song like I learned it. I must say that in the beginning I learned something from my teacher(s), and especially the last one was really nice. Maybe all this has also to do with the fact that I have an easy voice, I am a light lyrical tenor with easy high notes, but strangely enough with easy low notes as well and with a not too small voice, so if I just relax, support and keep my tongue in the right place, it already sounds quite nice.
I will try to qoute from the interview this evening (European time) I hope I did not offend anybody, but not all people are the same, maybe I am just somebody that does not benefit much from singing lessons, somebody whose only option it is to find it out himself.
Happy singing,
Dre de Man --- Jennifer <jennibri@i...> wrote: > > It's just the opposite from my experience with > singing > > lessons: there somebody tells to do things, not > > willing or even being able to tell you why, only > to > > let you find out that those things mostly don't > even > > help. > > > That's really sad. I almost always come away from my > lessons having learned > something valuable and improved in some way. Perhaps > it's time to get a new > teacher? > > Jennifer > >
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