Sarah Brenay - SS - Ch. 10

Summary: The inventions help us condition the voice for singing, but a singer's approach to singing repertoire is quite different from singing exercises. A singer should not be thinking about technique while they are singing. Performing requires the legato line Smith has described. An important aspect of achieving the proper line is vowel definition. We need to learn to sing vowels without interrupting airflow and and phonation. There should be no feeling of resistance or obstruction to the airflow regardless of the vowel. One good approach to refining vowels is to speak them in a sigh-like falsetto. With consonants, the goal is to pronounce them with minimal interruption to airflow. Singers need to avoid the temptation to over emphasize diction, and instead focus on the emotional intent of the text. The diction should be precise, but not over the top. According to Smith, musicality is inherent in the voice. All that is required of the singer is to sing freely with clear emotional intent. Singing softly should not be so very different from speaking softly: airflow stays the same, but phonation becomes less intense. Smith describes his steps to learning fioratura passages, which is similar to chunking. We should maintain the line even while singing staccato passages.
Key Concepts: Singers should not be thinking about technique while performing. Smith emphasizes the importance of the legato line/ constant airflow. Diction can be overdone to the point that native speakers won't understand it. All voice types should be able to sing fioratura.
Key Terms:
shadow vowels - the added vowel (schwa) that is not a part of the word.
Making Connections: There was a lot of information in this chapter. I will definitely have to revisit it! One thing that stuck out to me was his saying that performing is not the time to think about technique. I get so nervous that all I can think about is technique! Until I really get a piece down that is. I also liked what he said about belting. I'm not sure I'm with him 100% on the inherent musicality of the voice, however. That sounds like some more unfounded Smithism.