Sarah Gee VHR Critiques

Amber Denslow
Keep breath and energy consistent. a few places pitch is a little sharp, on the word "came"
use moment of voicelessness to go above actual note. keep a tonal center. careful to not squeeze the vowel. create imaginary tonal centers and practice it in a lower key to help to soldify that tonal center.
Mariah
don't slide through diphthongs, hold to the first sound as long as possible. make vowel changes  clearer.
don't let your posture collapse. open your jaw more on the word "wonderbar". ride the waves of emotion in the accompaniment. give consistent and generous vowel and breath.
Ben Shaw
Seems a little tense, great sound. good phrasing release a lot of air as soon as you start to sing. do the rag doll in your practice. practice in different postures, free your muscles for typical muscles.

Sarah Gee MC Critiques

Brad Summers

Shi – glottal – tense make sure all of your breaths are consistently expanding lower stomach rather than raising your chest.

Don’t let breath gush out before you start singing 

Cindy:

• Blinking eyes = unfocused – you need to see something
• Reveal something of yourself to the audience.
• list things you like

Sarah Gee VRH Critiques

Emily Hess

-narrow your focus- try picking one specific spot on the wall- who are you singing to in the song kunt ----more if an ooh like hoot as opposed to the uin hunt.

Amber Denslow

Higher notes sound a little off the breath. Don’t restrict airflow for them.

*Cassie Dibbons  ----place visual focus a little higher. Almost – get the “t” in there & home

Kaylee Farris

(arrow to line below) Be more confident with the entrance to 2^nd verse

You had it right but were tentative!

Sol- vana coza  - elongate

Sol nutroi ! cor 

Make more distinct the two vowels

Emily Cottam        Now sleeps crimson petal

Relax – u slip – open jaw more on “ein me” & sheep you have a very nice, dark voice. One shoulder likes to creep forward. 

*Aubrianne Dunn let us break bread together 

take lower breaths – will help fill out your voice with more power! You have such a lovely voice – great facial expression.

Jared Dayley             Luck

Make bs (tables) more prominent. (to some people) love is given

Brooklyn Dyer

Earth –open jaw take lower breaths – give more energy & keep it consistent even though you are singing a quieter song.

Sarah Gee MC Critiques

11/12/12 

Miken Feilding  Da’ juteme

A little tension

Liz Tait

Ooh – vowel in consistent on arpeggiated phrases.

Loud breaths after high note & quick breaths

Allen Stevens         Angles through the Night   Philip Curns

Beautiful warm tone

Shoulders over  feet more.

Night – jaw – open relax & me

(arrow to line below)No additional output –transpose

Use as a vocalize piece of song.

Shalayna – glottal stops

Massendo

Just let take the trip on those high note you’ve got them

Vecchio  tormento 

Vorei

Sarah Gee MC Critiques

Shalayna: B There were a few high breaks –glottal stops. Breathy release and noisy breaths.

I:  great

T: beautifully dramatic

D: enunciation ___ could be better

T:  1^st a little dead pan___ so much better when you have added meaning.

M; better phrasing – less or softer glottal stops

O: (curved arrow) first time was a little lacking in energy but beautiful none the less.

Jake: B: Wow you can do a lot with those lungs. – Try not to muscle the sound out.

I: Yes –high notes a little strained.

T: you have a very powerful, pleasing voice. 

D: good

E: could show a little more

Feel full head space available…like a boa constrictor.

Jaw loose with head space.

Liz 

B: could be deeper.  the jaw is open but it is really tense and maybe extended to far back every once in a while. the torso is also tense when breathing-- ”watching the street “  jaw comes in a bit.

Intonation and timber are good.

Great enunciation, I could tell what you were saying and that you were singing in English, you are always so good with diction.

Sarah Gee VRH Critiques

Brook: Great breath support! You have a strong voice. There were only a few spots that I heard a little drop in energy that could have helped the phrase sound smoother. Your German sounds good. You followed the rules we have covered on the first few days of German Diction. Your voice is very expressive.

Liz: You have a wonderful and unique voice- so expressive & I love it when you sing French, especially such a beautiful song. I thought you were amazing as a freshman but you have improved in so many ways since last year. Your posture is something that I know you have been working on & it has given you a much more open sound.

Sam: started a little tense. Nice stage presence. You have a very masculine voice. Cesposa* a lot of slide (*rainbow line over that word ) which was probably intentional. Wow, nice performance.

Sarah Gee VHR Critiques

VRH

3. Emily Cottam!

B Mostly good low breaths – few places were high

I Great!

T Rich tone, vibrato a little wobbly

D Higher placement of vowels would help diction

E Mio ( sounded like meo) pregai di me= jaw needs to be more open

M signore don’t close up on “e”vowels

Brad Summers

Have softer close offs of sounds

Need more consistent line

Loosen up

Seems like the tongue gets employed unnecessarily every once in a while.

Brooke

Unnecessary arm shoulder tension.

BIS  more space for vowels jaw released more consistent

Amber Farrow 

Regini

Chin tucked in

Create a better space for breath

By lifting rib cage

Claire Delune  Faure

Mariah Boyer Higher notes don’t close up

Space – don’t close up jaw

Sarah GeeVRH Critiques

Caityn Craig

B Ground yourself a little more

I You could release your jaw a little more

T Relax a little more in our neck slightly straining forward

D

E

M

O

Sing a bit of your part ---they know what to listen for…

Brooke Myers     Quando Mien vo

B Good job keeping it going

I  take consistent low breaths & don’t let out

the air in a big bubble at the beginning of phrase

T      nice light high voice.

D Some words were not said but did a great job

E keeping the song moving forward & what words 

were said were sung with good diction 

O hands were not relaxed – you are a dancer I can tell

Alyssa Robinson – 

Sail away – diction needs to be clearer

Beautiful tone – the song fits the sound of our voice well

Support your breath more --- sustain notes—give more energy as more breath leaves.

Sara Low        Lese cre   Gabriel Fuare

Make sure your breaths are nice and low

Expand & suspend below the ribs

Don’t let your chest fall.

Sarah Gee VRH Critiques

Tiffany Stamm    Boswa Debussy

Raise soft palate

Open jaw consistently – molars up

Settle into the notes

Don’t let your r’s roll into vowel of the word

Nice arrangement

Alyssa Robison     How Could I Ever Know

Don’t collapse on yourself

"Hurt you so" 

more legato   

"Still" "me" I & e vowels – open jaws more

"But oh" sounded like buttoe seprate more

Ben Shaw    Nocturn Faure

You tense u at the end of phrases as you lose air

Your neck seems a little tense

Sarah Gee MC 12/3

Jake Spjute
Great sounding voice as usual! Neck seems a bit tense today. Jaw is coming forward a little bit. If these things were eliminated, then the sound would be more free.
Taylee Beckstead
You are pulling your vowels back in your throat instead of sending the sound out to the audience. I think that you are probably trying to make your sound more dramatic than it already is. You stay on the consonants a little longer than is needed. The beginning could be more legato. There is a little bit of fidgeting that is a bit distracting.
Laura Berg
you have a bit of neck tension when you sing in VRH and MC that I don't see when you sing in church as much. try to relax, it is hard to do when you know that people are critiquing you but we're on your side. try doing Oren Brown's goldfish exercise that might help you loosen up your neck. you really have a great voice. Great job today!

Sarah Gee 11/19 lesson summary

Today in my lesson I worked on my jury pieces and I feel pretty good about most of them. I always forget my words during juries though. I really have worked hard on memorizing them but for some reason words just don't want to stick with me when I get nervous. I think that I will do better this year in my juries than last year. I've been trying to work really hard. Especially on loosening my jaw and having clear intent for the audience to enjoy when I perform.

Sarah Gee 11/12 lesson summary

Today we worked on having clearer vowels with short crisp consonants as well as the loose jaw thing. we did some agility warmups as well. I think that I need to really practice taking the trip. I'm one of those perfectionists that just worry and worry about how it will turn out that I have envisioned only horrible out comes and therefore it will turn out that way and so I chicken out as I'm almost done loading the car.

Sarah Gee 10/15 lesson summary

Today we worked a little bit on my my agility in warm ups. I really need to get better at that. then we worked on my jaw. Then we worked on it some more as we worked on some of my jury pieces.

Sarah Gee 9/24 lesson summary

This lesson I came in a little late, I don't know why but I completely forgot about it and was starting to practice and then Cindy came and found me in the practice room which was very kind of her. She could of just said "heck, I'm taking a nap, too bad for Sarah." But Cindy goes the extra mile all the time! It was a good lesson. I learned that I needed to work on my jaw tension, to get rid of it that is. I learned some new ways to approach practicing being loose in the jaw.

Sarah Gee OB ch 21

Remember each student is different. learn all that you can about how the voice works so that you can accurately describe what is needed from your students to get the right results. know the back ground of your student's musical study. don't expect to much from your students but don't belittle them either. teach because you love to teach not to make your students into the person you wished you could have been.
Concepts:
language is a faulty thing, it can be interpreted so many different ways.
understand your student's background
understand how the voice works so that you can teach it.
don't teach for the wrong reasons, teach because you love to teach.
don't have too high expectations of your students.
Words:
misinterpretation
background
understand
teach
Connections: it is hard to explain what you want from a student if you don't have a clear idea of how to do what you what them to do. It is hard enough to figure out how to sing correctly with a very knowledgeable teacher, when you add a wishy washy teacher into the mix it gets even harder.

Sarah Gee OB ch 20

Some of the voice problems discussed in this chapter are hyper and hypofunctioning voices, laryngitis, edema, polyps, and nodules, dysphonia plicae ventricularis, contact ulcers (I'd never heard this one before), Myasthenia larynis. these are all conditions that effect the singer. the hyperfunctioning voice over uses the voice and is more prone to nodules and the other conditions. Some ways to treat most of these problems is through short periods of light vocalization and less over all use of vocal muscles.
Concepts:
use your voice wisely.
Words:
hyperfunction
hypofunction
edema
polyps
nodules
dysphonia plicae ventricularis
contact ulcers
myasthenia larynis
Connections: don't over use your voice, use your voice kindly. Take care and be mindful of your vocal health.

Sarah Gee OB ch 19

Enigmas are setbacks or emotional stress that may keep you from functioning the way that you would like to. because your brain and your thoughts and feelings are so intertwined with phonation, they can have a negative affect on your vocal production.
Concepts:
the only competition you have is yourself.
your emotions can work for or against you.
Words:
enigmas
psychogenic
stress
otolaryngologist
biofeedback
Connections: My friend who has been having a hard time speaking, has experienced this. because it takes so much more effort to produce sound, she has a hard time speak when she is under stress. I think that I have felt this way before when I was scared of a teacher it was harder for me to speak and answer questions in that class.

Sarah Gee OB ch 18

Hearing is also plays a big part in singing because the way that you hear yourself determines the ways you perceive that you are accomplishing the tasks you are performing. This could be accurate or it could be something completely different from what the audience or your teacher hears. there are several hearing disabilities that have been found that effect the person's ability to match pitch. you should try to preserve your hearing, once lost it is gone forever.
Concepts:
preserve your hearing because it is a great asset to singers.
Words:
frequency
hertz
tensor tympanic
tympanic membrane
ear muscles
diplacusis
Connections:
hearing is also very complex and plays a crucial part in pitch production, it allows you brain to be able to think the pitch that it has heard.

Sarah Gee OB ch 17

The brain is a very important part of the body and very important to rely on when singing. we must trust it to think the correct pitches and words and trigger the right facial expressions and muscle movements that seem natural as we perform. There are some where between 10 billion to 100 billion cells in your brain! we always have the ability to learn new things.
concepts:
words:
neuron
brain
medulla oblongata
hypothalamus
enigmas
axons
dendrites
afferent nerve fiber
efferent nerve fiber
reflex arc
point of saturation
synapse
pre-phonatory inspiration
kinesthetic senses
biofeedback
endocrine system
vagus
laryngeal nerve
glossopharyngeal nerve
trapezeus
sternocleidomastoid muscles
sympathetic and empathetic nervous systems
connections: the brain is so complicated because there are so many things that it must control, so of course it is difficult to navigate sometimes but you just have to trust it will do what you need it to do.

Sarah Gee OB ch 14

Singing in a choir is much different from singing solo. there are many different types of choral music and therefore different types of choirs that you could participate in. good choral directors are aware of the range and dynamic possibilities of the singers in their choir and cater the repertoire to that. When selecting voices, it should be well thought through, considering each member's individual tessitura.
Concepts:
Singers should be asked to sing consistently in their comfortable ranges.
Words:
Voice selection

Solosist

proper vocal production

intonation
level
Connections:
Choral participants should do everything in their power to use good technique.

Sarah Gee OB ch 13

Professional careers require you to be constantly working at keeping yourself doing good habitual things to maintain vocal health as well as improving in your field. You should be striving to become even better than you currently are. a professional attitude must be maintained, you must have a good attitude but must also add to the productivity of the ensemble not detract and distract others from that goal. go in to an audition and a performance thinking about how you love singing and love the songs and convey that to the audience and you will be successful.
Concepts:
Be confident.
Be professional.
To be professional you have to learn to act professionally.
Words:
voice
technique
Poise
Interpretation
musicality
appearance
confidence
personable
dependable
health
experience
publicity
timing
audition
Connections: To be successful you have to learn to behave in a professional was and interact with others in a positive way, as well as to be dependable and confident.

Sarah Gee OB ch 12

Interpretation is a tricky thing, it must be your own but you must study it out to know exactly what it means, how it should be pronounced, where the natural stresses are of the sentence, and what is reflected from that by the music that the composer put to it. You have to give heed to the way it was intended to be performed before you bring your connections and choices to the performing of it. Do not go the easy route and imitate another artist.
Concepts:
Demonstrate to the audience why your voice is something special.
Make the music your own.
Use songs that mean something to you.
Respect the poet and the composer.
Think, let, and trust.
Words:
Intent
Respect
Emotions
Connections: It is integral to a great performance to have meaning and to convey effectively that meaning to the audience.

Sarah Gee ch 10

Articulation is important to resonance as well as important to diction and expression and interpretation. Music heightens the meaning of text only if the text is heard in an intelligible manner. Good pronunciation is enhanced by good articulation and vise versa. vowel production that is very precise is irreplaceable in the clarity of language. when pronouncing a foreign language try your best not to over pronounce the woulds. Diphthongs should stay on the first vowel sound as long as possible before moving on, unless the first vowel is not stressed in speech.
Concepts:
good articulation enhances the meaning of the music.
Vowel production and clarity in diphthongs add so much to the overall performance.
Modifying the vowels on higher frequencies is crucial because those higher pitches require more space and more resonance to sound right to the audience. Make sure that the vowel is still being true to the original vowel.
Words:
vowel formant
unvoiced consonants
voiced consonants
phonemes
vowel triangle
vowel modification
Connections: being true to language and dedicated to knowing and saying the words correctly and with emotion is the most important job of a singer because no other instrument can speak as they make music.

Sarah Gee OB ch 9

It is very important, no matter what method you should choose to train yourself with for technique, to not over use your voice. This is something to keep in mind while teaching, to not give to much for your student to work on and not give music to a student not technically ready to sing it. The young voice is capable of some things that an adult voice does but should not be expected to be of the same quality as an adult voice.
Concepts: Don't over use your voice.
Don't expect too much from young singers.
Don't assign your student songs that require technical prepping.
Words:
technique
wobble
dark
child prodigies
Connections:
There should never be too much expected from young singers, but they should be given challenges.

Sarah Gee OB ch 8

Resonance is the means by which a singer can enhance the power in their voice without being too taxing on it. Resonance is the relationship between two bodies. The larger the resonator the louder the sound. the key to power is not to have a big voice but to be able to develop a carrying power to your voice that allows it to be heard at any dynamic in a performance setting.
Concepts:
Vowel and consonant formation play a part in resonance and therefore the power is effected by vowel production.
The goal is to make your resonator as big as possible to produce a larger sound.
Go back to the think, let, trust strategy.
Words:
resonance
power
carrying power
intensity
loudness
formants
potential
nasal resonance
nasality
tonus
Connections: The clearer your diction the more carrying power you have in your voice.

Sarah Gee OB ch 7

Agility is the ability to sing fast runs and frequent skips of all interval sizes. It is important for the preservation of the voice. Agility is the correct usage of the voice when using coloratura techniques. This important to maintaining future vocal health because you have to now how and when to let muscle rest that don't meed to be employed as you sing.
Concepts:
Singing requires vocal conditioning just like any other sport needs muscular conditioning.
Breath connection is a strategy for maintaining a constant subglottal pressure by employing the whole body.
Your throat must be completely free from all tension in order for correct coloratura to take place.
Words:
Agility
Kinesthetic
Conditioning
Breath Connection
Connections: Singing difficult passages of music correctly will lets you know that you can sing that way all the time and helps with your overall usage of the voice.

Sarah Gee OB ch 6

As we learned in the previous chapter, as teachers, we should stay away from classifying to early our students voices. This principal is very important when working with children and young voices that haven't been fully developed yet. We should also not classify ourselves to early, or at least know that your voice has the potential to change or your knowledge of the different ways you can access your voice can change the overall placement of your voice.
Concepts:
Each voice is different and therefore there are no set rules for classification.
Be careful in your classification of your own voice as well as others that you may teach.
Words:
spinto
lyric
coloratura
dramatic
heldentenor
tessitura
Connections: It is hard to know how to classify a voice, there are so many things to consider and so many ways in which a voice can be different from another. it is easy to confuse the classification and tessitura of a voice with the full capabilities of the voice.

Sarah Gee OB ch 5

This chapter explains the natural ranges and registers of the typical singer. The ranges were explained as follows: for men, because they generally have a wider range, can go anywhere from about low a in base clef to high g in treble, and for women it is  generally from about high g in base clef to high b in treble. Based upon a musical symposium that brought musicians and scientists together to clearly define each register of used by the voice. the first of the 4 registers agreed upon was the lowest, vocal fry. the second is the referred to as the chest voice, the second lowest register. register 3 is referred to as the head voice. The last register is the highest register, the whistle. there is a sub category to register 2, 2a, which is a mixture of 2 and 3.
Concepts:
There are 4 distinct registers with which a voice can occupy.
You must learn to carry one register through another to make and easy transition for the audience listening.
Words:
Vocal Fry
Chest
Head
Whistle
Connections: It isn't fair that guys can have such a large range. Also I need to work my cricothyroid muscle more so that it doesn't get bullied as much at school by the big meanie, my thyroarytenoid muscle.

Sarah Gee 11/19/13MC Critiques

Kaylee Simmons                      

beautiful voice! 

Releasing the rounding of lips would help your diction

Find deeper meaning

Tightening slightly on higher notes

Brooke Myers     Tenessee Williams

This is a great song for your voice! 

S z sh ch j are consonants that close the jaw, make sure you re-release your jaw after you say any of those.

-jaw tension – sometimes brought forward

Bric Slade

Keep up the hard work, lovely voice!

Energy was inconsistent

Hard (the rainy days have come to stay)

Low – glottal fry on “rose or two” and “give me your hand”

Could have more emotion

Sarah Boucher 

Great facial expressions.

Jaw forward

Jaw closed

Colored darker

Lips held tightly together, rounded.

Laura B - Lesson Summary Nov. 1

Laura B
During this voice lesson, we really focused going through some of my pieces and working out the little musical kinks that I was struggling with. We worked through "Liebe schwaermt auf allen Wegen," and concentrated on cut-offs as well as having a continual shake and tug feeling in the phrases. We worked on my Italian piece. Brianna worked a lot with helping me to do fall-through's from above the notes to hit the higher notes with more freedom and accurate intonation. She also helped me to make the Italian more authentic and Italian. She also gave me some tips on helping my accompanist to be more together with me and more musical. It was a great lesson.

Laura B - Group Practice nov. 15

Laura B
Practice Partner: Sarah Brennay
We started out with swapping warm-ups back and forth. She gave me some great ones that should really help me with getting into the core of our voice and help me to not hold and keep myself from using vibrato. We then each sang one of our pieces for each other. Sarah helped me throughout my piece to concentrate on keeping my voice in a speech-like place as well as keep a consistent vibrato. She was having a hard time connecting emotionally with her piece, so I helped her a little with that. We then each held the ends of a scarf, and she sang while pulling the scarf to make the connection more fully in her body. Great practice session!

Taylee - ch21 DYV

Summary: Each student is different, which means each course of action needs to be different, each lesson needs to be different, and expectations need to be different. Get to know your student as a person so that you can understand more about what will be effecting their singing. An important thing to remember is that you were once an unknowing student too! Help them learn how to learn to sing! It is important to apply your knowledge of mechanics and historical context, but if they don't learn how to learn these things, they won't progress outside of your office.
Key Terms:
Key Concepts: Each student is different. Period.
Making Connections: I don't love teaching yet, because I'm too worried I'll mess up. I do love to sing though, and I think that is what I need to start focusing on with my students. It's their choice whether or not they come into the lesson and learn something, so I shouldn't get hung up worrying about if I'll botch it or not. No, my job is to provide my students with the best I can do that day, and show them just how much I love doing what I do. Knowledge on how to teach will take time just like learning how to sing

Taylee - ch19 DYV

Summary: Singing starts in the mind. And with that comes the positives and the negatives. We are more than just singers. We all have other responsibilities and roles in our lives that need attention too. Our brains are responsible for a lot, and sometimes the emoitions or stress that we are feeling will effect the voice. We tap into our emotions to bring out authentic singing, so it would make sense that the connection goes both ways. Perhaps we are not fully aware of how stressed or emotionally unbalanced we are until we see it present in our voice. The way to deal with this is to find healthy ways to deal with stress. This could mean a variety of things, but there is always the goal of doing what is best for you.
Key Terms: Enigmas. Psychogenic.
Key Concepts: Emotions have a direct connection to the voice. The best defense is a good offense: take care of yourself physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, etc.
Making Connections: I'm currently dealing with the repercussions of becoming too stressed. I have an AWESOME immune system, but when I allow my stress levels to get away from me, I get sick. But I should have payed closer attention to the week prior to me getting sick. I would have noticed last week that my voice took a long time to release, and that my head wasn't always in the right place while I was trying to sing. Paying attention to the warning signs of my voice could have saved me from this head cold, because I would have taken more time to sleep and take care of myself. Oh well, better luck next time.

Taylee - ch20 DYV

Summary: We live in a different world than singers past, but our bodies have not had sufficient time to compensate. Therefore we must exercise more caution in our choices that could effect our vocal health. Since singing is such a significant part of our livelihood, professional help could be required.  Any extreme is not good for the voice because it is not working in the natural state it is intended for. Although these faults can start as just mental issues, they can develop into physical problems that effect more than just singing. If you suspect anything, start fixing it now. Prevention is so much easier than treatment of the problem. 
Key Terms: Hyperfunction. Hypofunction.
Key Concepts: Know what your tendencies are, so that you can make changes now before it's too late!
Making Connections: As I read through the chapter and saw all the paragraphs of issues, I noticed a lot of these could effect me if I wasn't careful. Some of these are inevitable like periods and pregnancies, but I can still make healthy choices that will steer me clear of more serious problems. I'm really glad that he discussed a few details about each one, because there were a lot that I didn't know enough about. Hopefully I don't ever have to worry about these things, but I'm glad I at least have a basic sense of what to expect so that I can try to prevent as much trouble as possible.

Taylee - ch18 DYV

 Summary: We learned earlier that our ears our designed in a way that protect themselves from our voice. So in this chapter that discusses hearing, we need to remember that our perception of our self is distorted. Just like the anatomy of making sound, the anatomy of the ear is amazing when you compare its size to what it accomplishes. Also just like our vocal folds, the nerves and muscles of the ear are extremely sensitive, and once hearing is lost, it cannot be regained. Our ears are most sensitive to sounds in the frequency range between 700 and7000 Hz. Another thing to consider is that it takes more energy to produce an audible low note than an audible high note. This is due to the high frequency levels of higher pitches. Take care to not overwork the muscles of the ear. They are like all muscles and need rest.

Key Terms: Threshold of pain.

Key Concepts: A decrease in hearing ability can never be restored. You don't hear yourself as others hear you.

Making Connections: I guess it's pretty obvious, but I never thought of ears as being able to get tired! I don't get a scratchy sensation in my ears like I do when my voice is tired, or a soreness like I get in my legs after running, so I didn't always recognize when my ears needed rest. Since they don't have as obvious warning signals as other muscles, I need to figure out what my ear's warning signal is. I've decided that I get mentally tired when my ears are done. I feel a lot of anxiety and so I naturally seek out a quite relaxed environment to ease my mind. Hopefully I can better develop my awareness so that I can make better decisions concerning my hearing.

Taylee - ch17 DYV

Summary: Summarizing the function of the brain in a paragraph is kind of laughable. This is (in my mind) the coolest phenomenon of the human body. There are literally billions of cells in your brain and they microscopic in size, yet your brain controls your entire body!! These cells receive information through their dendrites and then if this info required an action, the cell would send the message out through its axon. Since these cells are constantly being fired, the body provides an insulation, known as myelin, which helps to make the job of the brain cell more efficient. The more myelin, the faster the message gets passed along. Eventually these responses can become automatic, and don't require a conscious effort on our part. The catch is that the correct neurons have to be fired inorder to myelinate them.
Key Terms: Neuron. Axons. Dendrites. Reflex Arc.
Key Concepts: Singing requires thinking. Pay attention to what your body is doing when your voice is functioning the way you want it to!
Making Connections: I'm pretty sure I'm going to need to read this chapter a few times. There are a lot of terms that I just need to get more solid. However, I really liked the part when he told us to pay attention to the body! I am almost always more concerned with what I hear, and I need to remember that that's not what it really sound like anyway, so I should really base my decisions off of that. The times I have made the best sounds, are the times that I felt the best in my body. Since my perception of my voice is incorrect, I would do better to focus on how I feel. I shouldn't control it, but at least I can give better directions on my next attempt.

Taylee - ch16 DYV

Summary: There is no different other than size, when it comes to the laryngeal anatomy of males and females. But, no two people are a-like, and since we don't have physical access to our students voice boxes, it makes teaching that much more difficult. Earlier in the book, Oren mentioned a list of functions of the vocal folds and he finally presents it here. An important thing to not is that these functions are reflexive, which means your thoughts control them! (THINK. LET. TRUST.) This chapter is filled with pictures to help the reader see what is being described. I think if I tried to summaries what Oren said, I'd end up just rewriting it. So, suffice it to say that there are many parts that contribute to sound production. Another important thing to note is that they delicate, and need to be taken care of because we only have one set!
Key Terms: (pretty much all of the names listed.)
Key Concepts: Knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the larynx should help you to free your voice and allow it to grow in a natural manner.
Making Connections: I'm a visual person, so seeing the pictures in class was very helpful to me. But some of these parts were learned a while ago in class, so it was very helpful to get the refresher. He also presents them in a very concise manner, which is helpful for me as a future teacher. As I said in the last chapter, this knowledge has helped me more than I ever thought it would. I'm fascinated with how such small muscles do something so miraculous!!

Taylee - ch15 DYV

Summary: We can't make things happen in our voice, so learning about the physics of singing is not so that we can micro-manage ourselves. However, knowledge is power, so learning more can help us in the "think" aspect of singing. Frequency and pitch are synonymous, and are measured in hertz. Many things can effect a frequency wave, and any change will produce a different pitch. As air passes through a smaller opening (like approximated vocal folds) the low pressure of the moving air will close the opening. So letting the air do the work for you is a real concept! You don't need to do anything to get your folds together for singing. Anther effect that coincides with singing is the venturi effect. As we come to understand more about the physics and science behind singing, we can make more educated thoughts and provide more clear directions for our body, without being forceful.
Key Terms: Sound. Hertz. Condensations. Rarifacations. Resonance.
Key Concepts: Sound has no inherent ability to project in a single directions. Venturi and Bernoulli effects.
Making Connections: I noticed this semester in my lessons I was able to catch on more quickly to what Brianna would ask me to do. I understood more of the "whys" of singing and in my body, so I was more aware of what was actually happening when she liked or didn't like something. I'm not the best at applying it in my teaching yet, but I really enjoy learning about these things and hope to make better use of it.

Taylee - ch14 DYV

Summary: Auditions are vital to a quality choir. When auditioning people, remember that vocal health is the most important thing, and therefore your decision should be what's best for each person individually. If this means you have to change your plans concerning selections to sing or the size of the ensemble, so be it. Just because the sound is collective doesn't mean that we should look pass the need to ensure thoroughly warmed up voices. The same vocalizes that were taught to apply to the individual can also be done in unison. Taking the time to do this will only make things easier down the road! It's also important to educate the members of the choir as much as you can about vocal health and technically correct singing. (If you can't convey yourself well collectively, try to make time available to spend time with the members in smaller groups) Although many aspects of individual singing correspond with choral singing, there are a few things specific to choirs. The obvious one: blend. The director needs to figure out a system that works best for them, but it is important to teach the members that feeling good while you sing is more important than how you sound (especially since we can't really hear what we sound like).
Key Terms: Blend. Intonation. Equal Temperament.
Key Concepts: Vocal health is number one! Voices can change, so be prepared to make adjustment when necessary. Warming up the voice is important in any setting.
Making Connections: I have a feeling that the only choir I'll ever direct will be ward choirs. I'm not thrilled about that prospect. But in an attempt to stay positive, I really liked that Oren discussed how blend can be achieved when singers focus on how they feel and not just what they hear. The point of singing, no matter what level of skill, should first be to enjoy making music. Since my talent pool will be greatly limited, it's a good reminder to me to think of moral rather than making a brilliant sound.

Taylee - ch13

Summary: Talent can only take you so far. Eventually those who work hard will pass those you rely on natural gifts and then the hard workers will be so much better off, because they'll have really learned the skill they now have. Likewise, there is a lot more to having a successful career than just having a nice voice. You need to develop good people skill as you will have to interact with other collegues, and in the case of teachers parents and students. You need confidence, poise and flair, stage personality. A really important one regardless of your career choice, is being reliable. No one wants to pay for something and not get it. If you're not punctual, or prepared with your materials, people will notice and your career will suffer. You need to take care of yourself! Your body is your instrument, which gives you a much higher responsibility to make good health decisions. MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL... you need to love what you do. Music can be very taxing on the individual. You rehearse late, you practice long hours, you might not have a steady stream of gigs lined up, you sacrifice so much of yourself that if you didn't love every moment of it you'd be setting yourself up for failure. Think about it, you have to tap into your emotions when you are up on stage. The audience will know if you're not really into it. That isn't to say that music can't be extremely rewarding! But it can only be so, when we truly enjoy ourselves when we make music.
Key Terms:
Key Concepts: The student must posses the inner drive!
Making Connections: I've thought a lot about what I want to do with my degree after I'm done with school. Here's what I've come up with: I LOVE to perform, but I don't like living in the city, and I don't love the traveling life. I also want to have a family, and don't want to live a separate life from them. So it seems that choosing a Vocal Performance degree was a little off. Well it might be, but I know I love what I'm learning, and I know that God wants me to be here. I think I've decided that I would really like to get a Master's and Teach at a university level. Until then I want to teach from my private studio, so that I can start a family with Sid. I'm really ok with that though, because I think of music as a gift, and I know that my abilities are definitely gifts from my Heavenly Father. If all he wants me to do is teach music lessons, that is fine with me. I know what a blessing music has been in my life and I would be honored to help others benefit from music as well.

Taylee - ch12 DYV

Summary: Technique takes a lot of time and energy to develop. Eventually though, we need to get to the point that good technique becomes habitual so that we can focus our attention on the emotion and meaning of the song. After all that is why we are singing, to convey a message. There are a lot of things that need to be taken into consideration when working on the emotion of the piece. There is the aural aspect obviously, but then we also have to portray the meaning in our face and in our movements. The deeper we understand the character of the piece, the more easily we can make musical decisions as to how to convey the message the composer intended. One of the easiest ways to tap into the emotion of a song is to correctly produce our primal sound. Things can get even more complex when trying to put together a program of music. Be sure to consider your abilities along with the overall mood that the selections will produce.
Key Terms: Color. Empathy.
Key Concepts: Think the music and your voice will sing it for you. If you are to have something in mind for your body to produce, you have to have studied the music thoroughly so that you can understand it for yourself.
Making Connections: This chapter had a lot of really great references. I really like having examples of what other people have done in the past, and this chapter was full of them! I've noticed with myself that my emotion comes off obviously fake if I don't make a real personal connection with it. This kind of puts me in a sensitive spot though. I'm a private person, and I usually only share personal things with people that I'm very close to. Singers really have to be quite vulnerable. I'm also a cry baby. I bawl over most anything. (I always like to watch "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" but I cry every time! Why I do that to myself, I'll never know...) There have been times were I have allowed my personal connection to become so real that I start crying in my song. What do you do? Obviously I start trying to stifle it, which only creates tension. It doesn't happen very often, but I'm constantly worried about it because I'm so prone to crying.

Taylee - ch10 DYV

Summary: An extremely important part of singing is the forming of words. Words help to convey a deeper meaning in addition to music, but cannot do so if the audience can't understand what is being said. Obviously there isn't much you can do if you are singing in a foreign language, but even then the singer should strive for a purity in vowel and cleanness in consonants. There are some vowels that can sound similar, but each vowel has different characteristics and require a different formation of the articulators. In the case of diphthongs, the singer must learn what the correct emphasized vowel is, and produce it in a way so that it doesn't get muddied by the surrounding sounds. Consonants too require attention so that they do not effect the purity of the vowel whether they precede or follow.
Key Terms: Vowels. Vowel formant. Consonants. Phonemes. Vowel alignment.
Key Concepts: Language is shape. Refined speech is just as important as in singing. Vowel sound fall on the beat, therefore, initial consonants must be sounded before the beat.
Making Connections: I have already taken all three diction classes offered here at USU, but it was really helpful to get a refresher! Plus Oren words things differently, and I was able to make more distinctions between some vowels that I have had trouble with. As I read this chapter, I wondered what things I do in my speech that need attention. How should I address my speech patterns? We learned in the last book that we want to keep our natural vernacular, but I would really like to learn more about things I can work on when I'm not singing.

Amber OB Chapter 21

OB Chapter 21
Being a good teacher, is being a good communicator. There is no cookie cutter way to teach a multitude of students. Each will have his or her own perceptions, points of view, and ways of seeing the world that will greatly affect their ability to take in the information you give them. So, learn to be flexible and creative in communication ideas.
Know your stuff. Get to know the mechanics of what you are working with to further you ability to get concepts across to your students as well as helping them to avoid injury.
Get to know them and their background so that you know where to start in order to make the best progress.
Don't promise the moon, but be realistic and supportive.
Last but no least. Do it for the love of it. Otherwise, whats the point?
Key concepts: Communication is key. No two students or voices are alike and should be respected and approached in this aspect. BOTH of you need to be patient and realistic. Get to know the student. If you don't love what you're doing, go apply at Walmart or something for a steady income.
Key words: patience, individual, for the love of it.
Connection: If I want to teach, I need to treat each student as the individual they are, learn how to communicate on many different levels, be patient, not promise the moon, be supportive and love what I do.

Jake TC chapter 7

most hotbeds in history were ignited by one superstar emerging from nothing into a national icon. Like In the dominican republic and baseball.
Feinburg and Levin started their own charter school KIPP. Their goal was to get all of their students into college. They took the best teachers from around the area, made stricter rules in their school, and made the teachers more available to the students. With hard work, dedication, and a little bit of stealing, (using the best teaching ideas of others and disregarding methods that didn't work) their students became some of the highest scoring students in the nation, and 80% of their kids went on to college. They made a talent hotbed from the ground up.
Primal cues:
you belong to a group
your group is together in a new strange place
if you do well, you'll go to college.

Amber, OB chapter 20

OB Chapter 20
This chapter should really be entitled Horror Stories for Singers!
There are all kinds of functional disorders that the voice can suffer from. Everything from hyper and hypo function to good old laryngitis and the dreaded nodules. The list of tragedy goes on and on.
There is also a whole obstacle course of things to avoid for a healthier voice like, not singing during menses for females, cautions about drugs alcohol, hydration, overuse, and allergies.
A voice can be rehabilitated if don properly and the p[patient is truly willing to put in the work and patience. Be safe, be reasonable, and most of all, don't sing stupid! Take proper care and don't do things that dry you out or cause overuse.
Key concepts: Damaged voices need patience and careful work to be rehabilitated. DON”T SING STUPID!
Key words: rehabilitation, Hypo function, Hyperfunction, Healthy voice.
Connection: This chapter scares me a bit. I feel like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz when she enters the scary woods with the Scarecrow and the Tin Man, “Nodules and polyps and edemas, OH MY!!!!”

Jake SOHH chapter 16

Eloise talks about her her ideas have helped different people become better singers. She states that you have to be consistent with any technique that you learn, or else you lose it.

Jake SOHH chapter 15

In this chapter Eloise talked about improvisation and the many ways i can help you be creative and learn things in unconventional ways. One experiment she did to relieve stress was banging on a drum for an hour. It helped her and her students to relax.

Jake naked voice intro 2

Chiarooscuro is the balance between light and dark in the voice. Chiaro is related to speaking, and oscuro is related to breathing. Some people tend to over emphasize the chiaro of the voice because of its ability to cut through an orchestra. We have to think about having a big space in the back of the throat in order to get the oscuro sound we want to blend with the chiaro. We want upward space, not downward space. Projection we have to sing at a higher intensity than when we speak. Line, speaking with line means speaking with constant intensity. Defined vowels, depending on what part of the country you are in, you may hear the same vowels pronounced in different ways. As singers, we need to find clearly defined vowels.
KEY CONNECTION: chiaroscuro  is the combination of light (speaking) and dark (breathing) to find the most natural healthy way to sing.
KEY TERMS: chiaroscuro, line, projection.
KEY CONNECTION: I feel like my combination of chiaroscuro has changed a lot since I had my lessons with Thomas Glenn. We worked a lot on space in the throat, as well as vowel purification.

Jake OB chapter 17

This chapter talks about the brain and nerve endings. we have a voluntary and an involuntary nerve system wiring throughout our body connecting to our brain. 

KEY TERMS: laryngeal nerve, inferior, superior branch

Luke Shepherd Lesson Summary 9/16/2013

I didn't realize I never posted this lesson summary...
The focus of this lesson was two fold- firstly we worked on muscles of articulation. It seems like an ongoing theme with my lessons is that Cindy is constantly trying to help me use only the articulators I need for a certain word rather than chewing on consonants and closing my jaw for every single new word rather than keeping the space open. We went through the text of my italian aria just speaking it while holding a finger to my jaw and checking myself for keeping the jaw open. The second main focus of the lesson was about posture, singing in the the position as if you were about to take off with the weight not on the arches or the toes of the foot but on the arches. We also focused a lot on keeping my hips below my rib cage and not having that small arch of the back that I so naturally fall to. We even did some stretches against the wall that focused on keeping an upright, balanced posture.

Jake OB chapter 4

When we elicit pitch we shouldn't be trying to control the outcome. " the singer's only protection against failure is thorough preparation." We have to relax the muscles in order to elicit pitch, the larynx must be low in a relaxed position. Start making the sound in descending scales, this helps the sound remain free ad the larynx low. Eventually you must learn how to sing ascending scales with the same freeness that you have with descending scales. Do not increase breath pressure when doing ascending scales. Let airflow do the work.
KEY CONCEPT: we can't force the outcome of our sound/pitch. You have to prepare and trust in you preparation without modifying what you do.
KEY CONNECTION: this is something I think about all the time, I feel like I try so hard to trust in what I have worked on in lessons, technique, etc. And most of the time I think I am doing it right, but then I end up finding out I was doing tons of things wrong.

Luke Shepherd Lesson Summary 12/9/2013

It was great to have another lesson with Cindy before juries! I was still feeling really sick so we began with some relaxing warm-ups and focused on vocalizes that got the voice moving lightly rather than sustained notes. We focused particularly on breathing in this lesson, and Cindy had me sing 2 of my pieces while bending my knees in a squatting position, leaning forward, and focusing on low breaths and release. It was SO easy to sing like that and I felt like I tapped into a reservoir of power that I didn't know I had. It was amazing. I look forward to continuing to apply all this to the rest of my repertoire.

Jake OB chapter 3

the strongest muscles for breathing are in the sides and back. Proper breathing gives a natural efficient supply of air. The lumbar region is the most flexible area on of the vertebrae. Proprioceptors is a sensory receptor that that responds to stimuli from from muscles and tendons. It is important to increase awareness of correct breathing, sometimes you might have to hunch over on a chair to feel the air expanding you sides and back
KEY CONCEPT: breathing correctly is very important for getting a generous constant flow of air going for singing.
KEY TERMS: cervical, lumbar, thoracic, sacrum, diaphragm, crura.
KEY CONNECTION: I feel like I learned a lot about breathing with my sides from Dr. Cook last year, its something we worked on pretty much all the time. There was a noticeable difference in my singing when I would breathe correctly and when I wouldn't. Its something I still need to work on obviously.

Taylee - Lesson Summary 11/04/13

Well, this was my last lesson for the semester as well as my last lesson before the recital. Brianna felt so bad that she was going to miss it and wouldn't be there to help with a warm-up. So my vocalizes in the lesson were focussed on what I could do on my own and what would be most helpful just prior to performing. They were short sweet and to the point! Then I just sang my whole program, in order and only breaking in between sets. I was feeling really good afterwards, especially compared to how rough the last few lessons had been. I was releived that I had a good lesson were I left feeling proud of how I sounded and felt, just before the real deal.

Well the recital went really well. I was very happy with how I did, and I even felt like I could sing it all over again right after. So that was a great indicator of how healthy I was singing, and that I was in the right state of mind! I'm so ready to get back into lessons though. I miss having the outside opinion and I'll love learning new songs!!

Taylee - Lesson Summary 11/01/13

We did a few different things in my warm-ups. They were the same vocalizes but with a few modifications. The one that stuck out the more was instead of doing lip trills on a 5-1 scale, we hummed them and made chewy motions. After that we did one were I started on "ng" then I opened to an [i] and did a descending 5-1 scale. We then talked a lot about how we word things in our lessons. Brianna had recently had an experience were one of her other students just barely understood something she had been saying for 3 years to that person, because another teacher had told her the same thing only worded differently. I guess it just goes to show that what works for one person may not work for another, and as the teacher you need to try a lot of things to give the student more of a grasp on what needs to happen. After warm-ups, we just started at the beginning of my program and sang through it, stopping after each song as necessary and discussing what I could do differently.

Taylee - Lesson Summary 10/28/13

The next couple of lesson summaries are pretty short (which makes me feel even dumber for waiting till the last minute to do them). Since my recital was just around the corner we mostly focused on running through songs. As we were warming up we discussed my last lesson and how I was feeling in comparison to Friday (the last lesson). The previous lesson was rotten. I couldn't release and I was messing up things that I didn't ever mess up on, like the words to songs I had had memorized since the beginning of the semester. This lesson I decided that I was just going to be more aware. I can't "make" anything happen, I can only observe, then think what I want to have happen instead/differently/stay the same and just let my body do it. I still struggled on some of the words of my most recently memorized songs. However, I knew that I connected well with the emotions of those songs, so I wasn't worried about getting them. Since those 2-3 songs were my weak point, we focused on them. Well I did better than my last lesson, there were still tension and weird moments, but it was better. It took a long time to find the needed release in my body during vocalizes, but perhaps that wasn't a bad thing because I was pretty much working in my "sweet spot" due to the struggle and then needing to be more focused.

Caitlin Craig OB Chapter 21 Summary

Chapter Summary: It is important to remember that in both singing and teaching we don't arrive at a spot of readiness, but it is a constant learning process.  Each student is different, as are their VF's, and because of that they react differently to different language in teaching, as well as different imagery.  We must be able to understand their background (history) and cater to their learning style.  We must use anatomy and physiology and other sciences pertaining to the voice in our matrix of knowledge.   It is important to gain a knowledge of their medical history as well, as that can factor into voice habits.  Keep expectations of improvement realistic.  Don't push students too hard too fast, and assign them music that is appropriate for their skill level.
Use appropriate language when instructing.  And remember that just as in singing, we need to teach for the love of it.
Key Terms:
Key Concepts: "I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I amnot sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant."
Making Connections: I want to continue to improve my skills in both singing and teaching.  I am lucky to have had some experience in a classroom with the Reading in Motion program, and I feel that it has taught me that language and vocabulary use is extremely important.  I have to be specific to get the students to follow directions.  I think that this can easily be translated in voice lessons.

Taylee - ch11 DYV

Summary: Singing involves muscle, and muscles require activation to stay strong. We've all been taught that if we want to be good at something, we have to practice. Well.... duh. Since the muscles of the larynx don't fully develop until we're older, we must establish good habits for us to build on when we do reach complete physical maturity. Those habits include daily practice. Each day we should practice these things: loosening our body, posture in correspondence with natural breathing and low breaths, thinking pitch and letting it happen, warm-ups and vocalizes, correct habits that enable us to develop over time, and a full developed voice that is competent in all 12 areas of study. Time seems to be a reoccurring theme in many aspects of singing. Just like technique, learning new material takes time and is better internalized if broken up and done one thing at a time. We are striving for authenticity in our singing, therefore the more we invest of ourselves into our music, the more of us the audience will see when we perform it.
Key Terms: 7 Golden Rules. 12 Areas of study. Mental Preparation.
Key Concepts: Perfect practice makes perfect, therefore we must show discipline and structure outside of the performance hall to be able to have it inside the performance hall.
Making Connections: I always have it stuck in my head that practicing is this huge elaborate process that lasts for ever. (I make mountains out of mole-hills remember?) So, I always benifit from people wiser and more experienced than me, giving me the reassurance that my practice just needs to be true practice. Working in a focused and productive state for 20 minutes multiple times a day is FAR more beneficial than 2 straight hours of fluff.