A Soprano On Her Head: Chapter 1
Emily Cottam
Chapter Summary: Eloise Ristad had her students perform a series of physical activities that are unfamiliar and strange, as far as sensation is concerned, in order to get their conscious minds off of the “judges” that prevent them from otherwise performing at their best. She emphasizes the idea of “letting” sound just happen while performing instead of forcing it to be a certain way--sensory awareness in this sense is being used as a mode to get the mind into a state of relaxation when performing. The student must be willing to accept change as well and try new things (as odd as they may seem at the time). She also has her students try things on extreme ends before settling on a happy medium to get the desired sound (much like a scale tipping back and forth to find the perfect balance).
Key Concepts: Letting sound/music happen, and not forcing things out.
Making Connections: I can use the concepts in this chapter in my practice by focusing more on how a song feels rather than how I can make my voice do what I want it to. I have the habit of tensing up on higher registers during a piece when I can reach them just fine in separate vocal exercises, so I need to learn how to associate singing a piece of music with the relaxed sensation I have when I’m warming up and doing my vocal exercises. I’m also slightly inhibited by the title I’m usually given (an alto), which sometimes leads me to believe that reaching high notes is something that should be difficult for me, but in reality, if I just let the notes come out, it’s a very easy task.
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