Elizabeth VRH 8/29

VRH 8/29

Name: Sarah Brenay

Breathing: I didn’t see anything that worried me, which I think was due to her upright and poised body.  Great surprise breath at the faux start! haha

Intonation: I was impressed with her pitch.  She was consistently in the top of the pitch, which left me feeling at ease.

Timbre:  A tiny bit nasally, but has a velvety, cushioned quality.  I would love to hear nasal sound disappear and be replaced with ping.  Then she could be velvet ping!

Diction: I could have used more consonants.  Dig into the consonants!

Expressiveness:  Very unawkward body, which is refreshing.  However, her face was just generally pleasant, not specifically an emotion.

Overall Performance Generally pleasant, but did not move me to climb a mountain!

Name: Sarah Boucher

Breathing: I think there might be a breathing problem that I can’t detect, because I hear a wide vibrato.  I saw nothing wrong in the body, however.

Intonation: Sarah has a tendency to be flat in times past, and I noticed 1 phrase in which that was a problem again.  However, a lot of improvement on that front.

Timbre: Has a brightness, but with a lack of depth and fullness.  The brightness is very pleasing though. 

Diction: I never thought about it, and I consider that a very good sign.

Expressiveness: I’ve noticed a bad habit of Sarah’s: moving her arms a certain way and twisting her body as an “expressive” move.  I can explain better in person.  But I loved her face, it really told a story for me personally.

Overall Performance: Compelling, but not moving.  However, her performances are headed in a great direction.

Name: Taylee Beckstead

Breathing: It seemed that she had some gaspy breaths

Intonation: There is a consistent flatness problem, but it’s probably a resonance problem, not an aural problem.   The flatness of the tone lends a sense of flatness of pitch.

Timbre: horizontal and fuzzy

Diction: I could have used a more lively spoken introduction!

Expressiveness: Here face has intense expression, but it comes across as insincere.  It seems as if she has stock facial that she uses that don’t come from a real place.

Overall Performance: I would like to see an improvement in her sincerity and see a voice going away from thinness to richness, because she has the potential.

Name: Mariah Boyer

Breathing: I noticed an expansion of the lower abdomen, so good start.  Great posture, so that’s awesome.  I think she doesn’t have good breath support for high notes, because the vibrato is a bit “beaty”

Intonation: There was a flatness problem that seemed a result of tightness in the larynx…I think.

Timbre: Strident in the high pitches, fuzzy in middle range

Diction: I couldn’t tell what language she was singing in, and that’s a problem.

Expressiveness: She uses her shoulders to show emotion, which she could instead transfer to her face.  Her face has some emotion, but it’s non-descript.

Overall Performance:  I didn’t feel any strong emotions, but I wasn’t offended!

Name: Carolee Beck

Breathing: Her uneven vibrato is hint that perhaps she does have much longevity in her breath.  I think that could be coming from poor posture (collapsed torso)

Intonation: All good girl!

Timbre: Resonantly scratchy….

Diction: Good for the style, of which I am not an expert.  Her introduction could have used more gumption

Expressiveness: I feel that the nature of the song shouldn’t be in this setting, standing still in front of a piano.  I wish she could be moving around a bit with a microphone haha.  I felt she was halted from what she wanted to do with her body, feeling constricted.

Overall Performance: Very pleasing tone, but her voice could use some filling out!

Name: Emily Cottam

Breathing: Her body seemed a bit stiff, but it was surprisingly not killing her vocally.   What good stuff could happen if she was using her body!

Intonation: Immediately noticed a flatness problem, especially on descending lines.  Perhaps she just needs to be aware that is her problem, and it will be fixed.

Timbre: Sparkling, with darkness.

Diction: Glad to hear dentalized “t”s  Italian was satisfactory. 

Expressiveness: I could tell she was nervous, so it inhibited a show of passion.  That was apparent in her introduction as well.

Overall Performance: Exciting to hear a voice with a lot of potential, it just needs to be given confidence and freedom.

Name: Caitlin Craig

Breathing:  Her posture didn’t set her up well.  It seemed that the hips were perhaps too forward (my constant problem as well)

Intonation: Some flatness issues, I believe perhaps due to low energy, which again might come from posture. 

Timbre: scratchy and breathy

Diction: Good French pronunciation!

Expressiveness: She has her eyebrows furrowed constantly; she could try a different choice for this piece (sexy, pensive, apathetic, there are many choices for that fabulous text)

Overall Performance: Not nervous, which was comforting, but lacking depth for me.

Name: Laura Berg

Breathing: I don’t have anything to say about this one!

Intonation: Doesn’t seem to be a problem

Timbre: covered at points, but bright at others.  The timbre of her high notes impressed me most, it seemed to really lock in. 

Diction: I couldn’t really pick up the words easily

Expressiveness: I appreciated the specificity in her face at some points, but them it transferred back to stock eyebrow raising.

Overall Performance: Not nervous, which was comforting, but lacking realness I think.  But good!