Emily F. masterclass 11/12

Emily F. masterclass 11/12:
Meikjn Fielding: There seemed to be good release in jaw and body, but not a lot of focus. There was a lot of extraneous movement and effort. Timbre was fairly well-balanced with a little bit of a breathy quality at times. Diction sounded more Italian than French (to me). Expression was good and appropriate for the song, but a little reserved. When Cindy helped Meikjn with singing with intention, the timbre improved, as well as expression. Being actively engaged in achieving the objective of a song can help focus the mind and the body in a performance where the feeling is usually scattered. 
Elizabeth Tait: What a great song for you! It's in a great place in your voice and shows it off beautifully. I noticed some gaspy breathing throughout the song. I imagine that's because of the long phrases and probably because you haven't had it too long. I think when you practice it more, you'll be able to manage your breath better throughout. Your shoulders tend to "direct" the song. When you go higher or lower, your shoulders tell us where the contour of the music is, and when you get uncomfortable, they roll inward. Cindy talked about the high D as "repelling"--you just have to let go and trust. It takes guts to sing that high in front of everyone, but you can do it! And it's amazing when you do. Cindy also said that you can't put the brakes on and wonder why it won't go, and you have to let the airflow cycle and continue once you've gotten there. My high notes are way lower than yours, but the same applies. I've noticed improvement in your power and fullness of sound in the last couple of years, by the way. Good job. 
Allen Stevens: The first time through the song, the timbre was well-balanced but lacked space in mouth and in jaw. I just wanted Allen's mouth to open up more and have more "spontaneous combustion". Overall performance was really nice. He didn't have any weird nervous habits, and he looked peaceful and calm, and expressed the music well. When Cindy had Allen sing the song up a step, and then again, his space improved every time, and the timbre reflected that. It was interesting to see the mouth open more as the notes were higher, and it sounded better! Cindy brought up the idea that it's not whether we "can" hit the notes, it's if the larynx and voice stay the same in the other keys that's important. 
Shalayna Guisao: The first time through I noticed that the consonants seemed to be getting in the way of the legato line, chopping it up, kind of. This is such a beautiful, lyrical song, and your timbre was really nice for it. When Cindy had you work on the primal sounds for the connection, it was better. I feel like this song could use more "simply speaking simply". Maybe you could try speaking through the tough parts to get that sense of connection and line. I really enjoyed watching your work today. It was nice to see you let loose and be so willing to try whatever was asked of you. Good work!