Emily Cottam
VRH Critique
August 29, 2013
Sarah Brenay
She had a very good preparatory breath. Throughout the piece she had some issues because her phrases seemed unequally supported by her breathing, but she also had several moments with good support. She sang well in tune and she obviously knew the music very well. It was clear, but her lower notes seemed slightly muffled, and as a result some of her lyrics were difficult to understand. Her expression and body language was aptly coordinated with the piece. She was relaxed and had excellent duet interaction with her partner. Overall, I really enjoyed her performance, particularly because of how relaxed she was and how she was able to communicate with her accompanist/partner.
Sarah Boucher
Her breathing was very controlled and there was no undesired movement as far as I could tell. Her intonation was excellent. The timbre of her voice was bell-like, and there were quick transitions that went smoothly from light to fuller/rounder. Her diction was very good and understandable. Her expressiveness was good for the piece--she appeared melancholic through the use of her facial expression and body language. Overall, I really enjoyed her piece because even though the theme of the song is generally quite consistent, she added contrast through the use of dynamics and tone.
Taylee Beckstead
Her breathing was good, but there was an occasional audible intake of breath, but it was only once or twice. Her intonation was good, but some of the high notes were slightly under pitch. The timbre of her voice was round with the smallest metallic feel, possibly because of the way her voice resonated in the room. Her diction was good with strong emphasis on the consonants--I don’t know much about German singing quite yet, but I would’ve liked a more even balance between consonants and vowels. Her expressiveness was very good. Her body language and facial expression appeared to be “cocky” or “sultry” as far as I could tell. Overall, I liked listening to her sing because you could clearly hear that she worked on the diction and expression for this piece.
Mariah Boyer
Her breathing was good, but I noticed that as she changed pitches, her chest rose and fell just slightly. Her high notes seemed just a little shaky, but the intonation for the rest of the piece was excellent. The timbre of her voice was very dark and smooth, particularly for the lower notes. Her diction was good, but at times it seemed to sound a little muffled--perhaps loosen the jaw a little. At some points it was a little difficult to tell where she switched from French to English, but it was good overall. Her expression was appropriate for the piece with a melancholic facial expression, and some variation in her body language and facial expression would have been appropriate as well. Overall, I really enjoyed her performance, particularly because she seemed so calm and in-character.
Carolee Beck
Her breathing could’ve used some more support; her chest rose and fell with some of her breaths. Her intonation was excellent. Her tone sort of reminded me of Norah Jones but with more resonance--there was that jazzy and conversational feel to the whole song. Her diction was very good; although there were one or two words that I couldn’t understand, but that may have just been me. Her expression matched the tone of the song--very relaxed and easy going. Overall, I think her performance was very effective because almost everything about her stage presence and the way she sang her song matched the “jazzy” feel.
Emily Cottam
From what I could tell of my own performance, my pitch was slightly off, especially on the high notes, and my vibrato was difficult to control because of my nerves. I’m hoping that the more practice I get performing in front of people, the better job I can do.
Caitlyn Craig
From what I could see, her breathing was good. There may have been the occasional shoulder rise, but only once or twice. Her intonation was excellent. The timbre of her voice was a little breathy, but it had a nice dark tone to it as well. Her diction was good as far as I could tell. Her facial expression seemed just a bit tense--relax the forehead perhaps, but other than that, she did a very good job emoting her piece. I think I would’ve liked a little more dynamic contrast. Overall, I liked the performance because she seemed very prepared to perform her song and she performed with confidence.
Laura Berg
Her breathing was good, as well as her intonation, which was well in tune and didn’t have any outstanding pitch issues. The timbre of her voice seemed bell-like and clear. Her diction was a little difficult to understand, probably because at either ends of the phrase (it changed throughout the song), she suddenly decrescendo’d to the point where I couldn’t understand what she was saying. This affected her resonance, I believe, because the sections where she added volume were just beautiful. Her expressiveness was good, but I think I would’ve like some more contrast in her body language and facial expression. Overall, I really enjoyed her singing because her tone was silky and very pleasant to listen to.
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