Emily F. OB 19

Emily F. OB 19: Singing is deeply connected with emotion. This doesn't just mean the emotion that we express or feel about a song, but everything that is going on in our lives has an impact on singing. Stress of any kind has effects on the body, and the body is the instrument in singing! It's no wonder that the voice is so difficult to master. "Biofeedback, sympathy, empathy, stress, and emotional environment can all affect voice quality and control." This means that in order to be successful, singers need to understand themselves and learn good coping skills for the emotional and psychological difficulties we all encounter. 
Key concept: "The thinking part of the singer's brain has to learn to control the emotional part."
Key terms: enigma, psychogenic, biofeedback, stress, emotional environment, performance anxiety, beta blockers
Making connections: I've definitely experienced ups and downs in my life that have affected my singing. Last fall when my back was so bad that I was in pain all the time, it was so hard to commit to singing, particularly the emotional connections to my pieces. On a smaller scale, things happen week to week that change my confidence and the quality of my sound. I'm grateful that I've had some life experience to help me learn how to identify and deal with difficult feelings. Something interesting in this chapter was how Brown talked about "the danger lies in succumbing to emotions as you perform." I can see how this will be/is a challenge for me. I have a hard time connecting with the audience anyway, and I could easily "over-commit" to the lyrics in order to get that connection. This is something I need to think about more. 

Elizabeth Tait Mock Jury 12.2.13

I learned that I need to have a constant balance of both space and proper shape.  These two principles are independent while simultaneously connected.  Space is constant, while shape is insistent upon the declaiming the language.  I tend to close down shape on closed vowels such as [i], and that is something to work on. 

I notice that space is the hardest element to come by when I am not doing well emotionally.  Anger, lack of confidence, frustration, or despair really close down my singing space.  I believe that there is a way to experience these emotions, and use them to not shut down space, but create it.

Today was a very positive singing experience, and I feel very excited for my senior recital to come next semester.  I feel that I'm on a good track, and I just need to keep rollin!

Luke Shepherd Lesson Summary (Mock Jury)

I came in warmed up and ready to go but my voice has been super dry today and yesterday. It's probably because of all the overeating I did over the weekend and now I have to catch up on hydration. My accompanist didn't show up but Emma sat in and sight read for me. My pieces went well but I felt like my breathing was high and stuck in my chest and my shoulders were kind of stiff. I made some weird mistakes that I haven't made before. Meh, I know what I need to be working on for the next couple of days so now I just need to put in the polishing work.

Jake OB chapter 16

There are many muscles involved with the production if sound. Understanding how they all work together to form a free legato sound is very important for any serious singer. " many will contend that the less you know about how your voice works, the better. I suggest that the more you understand the anatomy and the physiology of voice production, the better equipped you will be to sing or to teach singing.
KEY CONCEPT: gotta figure out how all those little muscles work. So much!
KEY TERMS: ALL that anatomy stuff! ( too hard to copy and paste with the iPad)
KEY CONNECTION: I really liked the way he described the muscles and how they all work. It was a good review for me because I'm still not 100% there with all the anatomy stuff. Also, there were new things that he talked about at the end of the chapter with the extrinsic laryngeal muscles: sternohyoid, sternothyroid, omohyoid,  etc. more to learn!! Holy moly!!

Jake OB chapter 15

As singers, it is important for us to know the mechanics of how sound is produced, and what happens when it is happening. We don't need to use extra force to make the sound louder as we go up into our higher registers because the sound naturally travels better as we get higher and higher . Understanding intensity, wave forms, the Venturi effect, the Bernoulli effect, frequency and pitch, will benefit a singer in the long run, after learning technique, singing with emotion, etc.
KEY CONCEPT: understanding the science behind singing will help us progress in our technique.
KEY TERMS: frequency, pitch, Venturi effect, Bernoulli effect, intensity, resonance.
KEY CONNECTION: I'm still kind of confused about how everything works, especially the effects. So much to learn...

Jake OB chapter 14

The conductor of a chorus needs to be as well informed about the voice as a private vocal teacher is. They need to understand how all the voices in their choir are doing and they need to understand the levels they are at so they won't pick music that is beyond or below their vocal ability. There are lots of ways to have effective sessions without actually singing. Thinking about the music as a choir can help students learn just as much as singing does, if not more. Intonation is usually a problem among choirs, this is something that the conductor must be able to identify and correct.
Key concept: a choir director must be a good voice teacher, he/she must be able to understand and help the voices he/she directs.
Key connection. I thought this was a very important chapter! I feel like at some point in our Ives we will have opportunities/jobs with some kind of chorus and we need to know the best ways to help them learn  and feel comfortable.

Jake OB chapter 13

A singer needs to know how to audition, interact with their peers, and be professional. There have been lots of promising singers with lots of talent that never made it because they didn't understand the business aspect of singing. It takes a lot more than what we think we need to make it professionally. The singer should have a love for singing that will propel them forward even pin the face of failure and negativity. If you really want it you will keep working and wanting to improve so that you can succeed at a level that is what you want.
Key concept : a singer will have to work hard at auditioning, and being professional with their colleagues.
Key connection: I didn't realize that singers are constantly auditioning and usually only get 1 gig out of doing 20-25 auditions. I have to work hard and be ready for not hearing back from companies.

Jake OB chapter 12

There are many different aspects that are important to putting together a recital program. We should be technically sound in all the sings that we want to perform. The sets in our repertoire should be diverse, audiences do not want the same emotions over and over again. Conveying these emotions with effectiveness is probably the most important thing to focus on in a recital besides being technically sound.
Key concept: a singer should learn to sing with their emotions to capture the audience
Key terms: interpreting music, performing with your emotions, composers intent.
Key connection: I learned a lot of great things pin this chapter that I am excited to incorporate into my singing in preparation for my recital. Lots of things to work on and think about!!

Jake OB chapter 11

We cannot underestimate the importance of daily practice. As singers we are athletes, we could maybe even be considered as professional athletes. So as athletes, we should be practicing every day, just as the the professional football player. This daily practice will improve your technique and eventually frees the voice and allows for emotional and intellectual expression. Our body feels different every day, some days, we are more tired, sore, and sick than others, and the voice is the same way, it is a part of our entire body.
Key concept: daily practice will improve technique and allow us to be free.
Connection: this chapter was definitely a kick in the butt for me. I've been lackadaisical in my practicing lately, mainly because I was sick for a while. But that's no excuse!! Lots can be done in the practice room without actually singing

Sarah Brenay - OB - Ch. 18

Summary: As musicians, our hearing is indispensable. Though it may seam counterintuitive, our hearing can also be detrimental to our singing. We sound very differently to an audience than inside our heads. For one thing, our ears contain a muscle called the tensor tympani which protects our ear drum when our voices reach an intensity that could be harmful. This means that when we sing high, there is more sound coming out than we can perceive ourselves. We also perceive the sound that is resonating internally through our bones rather than hearing it after it traveled through the air to our ears. These differences in perception require singers to depend on their internal sense of vocal mechanics rather than on what they are hearing. The fact of the matter is, once you've heard that you are flat, it is too late to correct it. Depending on auditory feedback is ineffective for singers. Higher pitches require less intensity to be heard than low pitches. Singers must be cautioned not to push for loudness in the higher range, it is not needed. Lower pitches will require more energy to be heard. Still it is important that we protect our ears. Regular exposure to decibels levels of 85 or higher can cause serious hearing damage. Wear earplugs to rock concerts, movie theatres, while mowing the lawn, or during any activity where you will be experiencing frequent loud noises. Hearing damage does NOT heal.
Key Concepts: Protect your hearing. Depend on internal awareness of vocal mechanics rather than auditory feedback.
Key Terms:
Auditory Fatigue - our hearing has limits. Constantly straining to hear soft sounds or to dampen loud noises will cause listeners to become tired.
Making Connections: This chapter clears up questions about vocal projection in different ranges. It's so fascinating that low notes require more energy, when most singers would say that they are easier to sing. I appreciated the information about the way the ear works. I feel I will be more protective of my hearing now!