VRH Critiques 9/5/2013 Jared Daley

Jared Daley  VRH critiques 9/5/2013

Emily Floyd-
Breathing was good for the most part. Towards the end of the piece there were a couple shallow catch breaths. Beginning breathing was deep and calm and her voice was much more present. The "e" vowels or I should say "eh" vowels were brighter than the rest. I personally liked the dark "o" vowels they were rich and colorful. "cht" words could be crisper, they were kind of soft. Seemed very calm throughout the performance. One thing I noticed is that when going for the higher notes she's move her head side to side. Oh and I'm sorry about the stupid fly bugging you.

Amber Denslow-
The only breathing i noticed were the quick breaths and that was because they were noisier. "oo" vowels were clear and pingy. "ohs" and "ahs" were darker and almost sounded covered. It could have just been the french, but what do i know? Good consonants, they were very crisp and clear. I appreciate that a lot. There was a little bit of nervous hand clentching. With all the piano issues and things it seemed she got a little bit discouraged, and as soon as i felt that the, presence in her voice was not as strong.

Amber Farrow-
Breathing was good until the chorus. Needed better preparation for the "don't cry out loud". She has a very clear, pure tone, but it needs that breath support! I wasn't paying attention to why this happened but the words "you see" were a little under pitch. I was looking down and writing so i couldnt see a visual clue to help out with why that happened. The speaking parts of the song were sooo good. Very  clear and great diction. Sing like you speak! She tended to move side to side, not sure if it nervous energy or tension somewhere.

Michael Lechner-
The only problem with breathing i noticed was breathing in the middle of phrases. Maybe chunking could be useful for that? His "oo" vowels were the most in tune, very clear and resonant. The "ah"s were a bit swallowed. Maybe notice the placement between the two vowels? "ch" in german could have been a little cleaner for me. most consonants were ok could have used more, but the T's were fantastic. Had a very relaxed face, but head moved a lot. Maybe try finding a vocal point. The low parts were awesome.

Sara Gee-
Very first breath didn't help start off very well. After that breathing seemed easier and more productive. It was in tune. Very pure tone. Nervous breaths pulled the higher notes under a bit. Beginning consonants were great and easy to understand. There were a few ending consonants that were unclear.I would also suggest a vocal point when singing. Lovely, clear, pure tone it just needs some breath support. She needs to use that nervous energy to her advantage.

Jordan Davis-
In the beginning of the piece breathing was very good. It kind of tapered off towards the higher energy parts. "ah"s in the lower register were open and clear. The higher notes were a little bit under and towards the nasal side. The words were clear and understandable. pretty good diction! It the faster parts of the piece he seemed a little tense but he was able to relax again when it got to the slower parts. I don't have any notes on expression because i was writing like a mad man at this point trying to finish two other singers notes.

Aubrianne Dunn-
My notes were that she had noisy breaths. I didn't look up much so i don't have any visual clues to give only auditory ones. her "ee"s in the higher register were pulled back and nasal. Yes it is also the type of music, but it was noticeable because the rest wasn't like that. Her words were very clear. I could understand them all. She used lots of expression, i felt like she connected to the piece. Only suggestion is that she doesn't close herself off by crossing arms trying to use emotion.

Emily Hess-
I noted that i could hear her breaths. Her "oo" vowel was her strongest vowel. Very resonant and clear. The words "about you" and the spot following "out you" were a little under pitch. Maybe it's the vowel? Beginning consonants need to be more present, for example when she sang the word People. I heard eeple. Great range of emotion and expression shown here. Moved around a lot. Really needs to ground herself and feel stable. A vocal point might also help her as well.

Kayelee Farris
I noticed some shallow gaspt breaths just before the chorus. In tune, Very warm sound. The very last "soul" "Great" and "art" were the most resonant and open. Had really good breaths right before those notes. Could use clearer diction, especially in beginning consonants. For example the words Christ and Come. Very calm demeanor, seemed relaxed. Swayed side to side at times. Needs to center herself and support from below. I like her sound. Very warm.