Emily Floyd
Good things: I think your posture and confidence has improved so much since you've arrived here at USU. I thought your body looked very open and relaxed, which is relaxing for the audience. I also enjoy the darkness of your tone color. It's got a cool mezzo quality which is very attractive. Work it girl. You seemed to be really connecting with Thomas and his advice, and as you took it to heart, you truly improved.
Things to improve: Although you posture was good, it seemed like you neck might have been all locked up. You might benefit from someone hitting you from behind while you're singing, and see if your neck is floppy (like Cindy did to me in masterclass.) You didn't seem to be on top of the pitch, but that problem was essentially cleared up with Thomas's advice. Your French wasn't really understandable, and I think it's because you don't make a huge contrast between the "lippy" vowels and the "smiley" vowels. I would love a bright [a] and [i]. On your first go around with the song, you had very little energy in the accompanimental introduction, which got me worried. I knew you needed more energy to start singing well, and I couldn't see any of it! Ch. 3 of Soprano on her Head! I also think you could have benefited from focusing on vibrating on every note.
Sarah Boucher
Good things: I think the timbre of your voice has improved so much since last semester. It seems more full-bodied, and consistent in resonance. Woohoo! You have an awesome ping quality that not everybody has. I liked that you seemed very calm and collected as a performer; it put me at ease, because I thought, "she must really know this piece."
Things to improve: I saw a bit of chest breathing, and it turns out Thomas that that was a problem. I think a greater connection to breath and to the body could assist in a problem that I hear often from you: wobbly vibrato. It's hard sometimes to determine if pitch is accurate because of how wide your vibrato is. It seems to me that your lips are very involved in everything. Perhaps this isn't a vocally unhealthy thing, but it is distracting to me. In terms of your face, I could use more cheekbone liftage. Your face looks really sunken and depressed to me, and you don't look that way in real life at all. I also thought that giving yourself more molar space might help the high notes soar out more. Open your mouth!
Sarah Low
Good things: I appreciated your specificity of pitch; I can tell you learned your music well. Your voice seems meant for coloratura like that. Perhaps you will be an awesome early music singer in your adult life! The tone is very balanced and not disturbing in anyway, which was nice. I also thought the darkness of your vowels was pleasing.
Things to improve: The breathing seemed shallow and chesty to me. Just make your breathing like your last name, Low! Your tone is balanced, but I want more ping to it. You tone feels like a nice sphere stuck behind some kind of rice paper film. And it's trying to break through to come to us, but it can't for some reason! It will come with more practice I think. Your eyes glass over when you sing, and it doesn't look like you are thinking about anything but "I am worried about this piece" Your eyebrows were also quite active, and I think they need to come down and relax. Rock on, girl.
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