Emily C.: MC Critique, 10/1/13

Emily Cottam, Master Class Critique, 10/1/13

Amber Denslow

Breathy timbre of voice on the high notes. Intonation is a little off, particularly when the piano comes. Diction is a slightly mushy--try giving a little more emphasis to your consonants. There was good breath support on the louder sections, but in the quiet areas lacked the same strength.

MC: Try singing in an actual key, even though the music is 20th century. Identify the points of rest. Find the “center” tone so the song is consistent with in-tune, and return to the original tone--there needs to be a frame of reference. Be very clear with the rhythms and avoid the small scooping. Utilize the voiceless consonants to hit the pitch from above rather than below. Practice this in several (four) different keys. At the lower pitch level, it’s easier to ease out the throat constriction because your syllables seemed “squeezed” out (“sausaging”). 

Overall, she responded very well because the song seemed a lot more consistent and the “key” was a lot more recognizable. 

Mariah Boyer

Intonation is a little sharp on some of the notes--watch that. Timbre is slightly muffled and dark. The diction could have purer vowels. Expression is very calm, and I like it, but I think I would like some variation. Breathing is good, but I think you could work on a little more on diaphragmatic resistance and keeping the ribcage open.

MC: What is your goal as the singer? What are you trying to get? Understand completely the meaning of the piece. Really listen to the music and figure out what the music says to you; treat it like a script/score for a movie. Listen to what happens harmonically, and really bring in the piano accompaniment as part of the experience. A lot of the technical problems could be unlocked with the emotional commitment. Keep the vowels long--they take up most of the note length. Vibrato right from the start. 

Ben Shaw

Breathing is like a bucket. Timbre is very full and rich--very nice even vibrato. Very good diction--you prepare for your vowels from the beginning, but some of the “oo” vowels could be tighter. I like the expression, but it stays quite the same throughout the entire song. I love the dynamic variation. 

MC: Doing some physical positioning to relax the neck and shoulders; when you breathe, you want more work occurring in the lower back. Don’t collapse your lower rib; resist the air leaving you. Do the “ragdoll” to release tension. If you’re in a state of “stretch,” then you can identify the muscles that contract a lot easier.