Emily F. masterclass 10/1

Emily F. masterclass 10/1
Amber Denslow: Some breaths looked a little high, but for the most part, breathing seemed even and consistent. I feel like you're not grounded-- I want the sound to come from a deeper place in your whole body. Pitch went sharp sometimes. Timbre was less airy than last time I heard you sing, so good job there. It seems like you could use even more resonant space to enrich the timbre. I really liked the difference in dynamic and timbre as the song progressed. In the beginning it seemed softer, with a more straight tone, and later got to be a fuller, richer sound. I would have liked to hear crisper consonants. I didn't really understand the emotion of the piece. When it's a tough song like that, I have to relate it to something that I really can get into, so that's it's not an abstract feeling that I'm trying to manufacture. It's a really tough, exposed piece, so way to go! When Cindy helped with the tonality and the scooping to pitches, it really smoothed out the performance and it was improved. 
Mariah Boyer: You have a lovely, confident posture. Breaths looked low, but maybe fast, due to nerves. Intonation was great until the last note--it went flat, maybe because you were out of energy, or just done with the piece? Timbre is mostly clear and bright, but has a bit of an edge to it. I kept wanting more space in everything to give the sound more resonance. Diction was pretty good, but German requires a lot of commitment. You could round your lips even more, particularly on the umlaut vowels and "u" vowel. I saw an understanding of what you were singing, you could just do even more with your expression. When Cindy asked about the meaning of the words (by the way, great preparation with that- you knew your stuff!) it really created a depth in your sound that wasn't there before. Using the music to propel the feeling really helped, too. 
Ben Shaw: The first thing I noticed was the stiffness in your upper body. I understand that because you're doing push-ups every day for PT, you've got the strength there. You are definitely strong enough in body and voice to sing whatever you want, but I'd love to see a more released, free feeling with all that power behind it instead of in front (if that makes sense). Timbre is rich and powerful, but feels a little forced, as do the words. I could see some expression going on, but I wasn't quite clear on what it was, and it could be even more. Maybe having more released technique would help us see the emotion better. Singing in the different position gave you a more rounded, rich sound, and it was nice. I was really impressed with the amount of power you have in your voice. Good job.