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From:  RALUCOB@a...
RALUCOB@a...
Date:  Tue Oct 24, 2000  5:16 am
Subject:  Re: [vocalist-temporary] Re: Entrenched Thinking or Pops VS Ops


many years ago, i read an article in a magazine on different types of
intelligence. the article spoke of intellectual intelligence, of course.
it also spoke of artistic intelligence and included many examples from the
'high arts'. another type of intelligence the article covered, and it was
the first time it had occured to me as such, was physical intelligence.
michael jordan, then in his prime, was the example they chose to illustrate
'physical intelligence'.

'physical intelligence' was described as being intelligent in a physical
way not an intellectual way. it is not use of the body as being designed by
a reasoning mind. it is non-verbal. proprioception is an example of
physical intelligence. michael jordan is a proprioceptive genius, so is
larry bird, so is tiger woods (so too was seve ballesteros until he 'lost
it').

singing can be part of physical intelligence. however, if the attempt
is made to verbalize control over singing, then, it is no longer of physical
intelligence, it is mental.

in regard to intelligence, where it is standard for the opera singer to
attempt to control timbre and, in a sense, assemble it, operatic singing is
not governed by physical intelligence. singing that is an extension of
one's speech, if used to convey the message of the material, with the
priority being the conveyance of the message not the voice, that physical act
of singing is governed by physical intelligence.

to say that opera is better than pop or vice versa, is to compare the
intelligence of gary kasparov to michael jordan (and for some strange reason,
bobby fischer seems to be someone who plays chess by physical intelligence.
maybe it is the fact that his writings on the subject deal with excellent
piece movement rather than elaborate territorial schemes).

as someone who has spent most of his singing life studying classical
vocal technique, operatic in particular, only to abandon it entirely for
other forms of music, i would describe the essential difference between the
two approaches as being the difference between mental and physical
intelligence. the personal experience in singing in these very different
ways is not to be compared. it is almost as if they are different arts.

mike

emusic.com