VOCAL LIFE AND GROWTH
Choose Personal Responsibility
Your task as a singer is to set realistic goals, assess skills, develop a plan, reinforce what you do well, address needed areas of improvement, get some outside coaching and work on personal vocal development. Whew! That's a big list, but it is possible for every singer to accomplish this. If you commit to personal vocal improvement, you will need some assistance. You certainly can improve on your own, but as human beings, we do seem to make better progress when we are accountable to someone on a regular basis.
Chorus members often tell me they aren't solos singers and don't want to sing in a quartet, so they don't "need" to take voice lessons. My response is they are limiting their personal growth by not assertively seeking personal vocal improvement. Learning words and notes is not working on vocal skills, nor is singing one song one hour a day. Singing one song, once per day, might improve many things- like understanding lyrical flow, building stamina, or reinforcing right notes and words - but it doesn't improve the voice. This kind of singing or rehearsing improves the delivery of a particular song.
In order to improve, you need an honest assessment of your own voice - which is not an easy task to accomplish alone. It is easier to work in tandem with a vocal coach or voice teacher. The professional can help assess where you are, and once the voice has been assessed, can help you set a schedule for vocal development. Many people are concerned that the voice teachers in their communities are not familiar with barbershop singing. Please know that most aspects of vocal development are universal and apply to every style of music. Good breath management is important whether you are singing Beethoven or Bergman.
Where can you find a vocal coach or teacher? Look for a teacher at the university or community college. If private lessons are not possible, consider taking a voice class. If none of these resources are available in your community try a high school music teacher, a church choir director, a community theater organization, local music stores, or search online - you'll be amazed!
If these options don't pan out and you are left on your own, here are a few avenues to explore if you are a member of a chorus:
A. Chorus Director: Ask your director for suggestions for improvement.
B. Tape Evaluator: Since she hears you on a regular basis, she might be able to help you prioritize.
C. Section Leader: With her overview of the whole section, she may be able to tell you what the group goals are for the year and thus help prioritize your vocal work.
D. Riser Buddy (trusted friend): If no other ear is available, peer coaching can be a plus for both participants. Don't expect your riser buddy to have the capabilities of the musical leaders, but ask for her honest opinion of what she hears.
If there are no resources in your local community or your chorus, you are left to make your own plans. Attached is a copy of the PVI (Personal Vocal Improvement) comment sheet (see link below) that I use when I hear a singer for the first time. It is a tool for assessment, not judgment. It tells us both where to begin to work. Fill it out.
When you have done an honest assessment of your vocal skills, look at the column entitled "Needs Improvement". Your list has been prioritized for you. Posture and Breathing - the items at the top of the page - are the ones you should work on first. The answer to almost every vocal question has to do with air - needing more air, managing the air better, etc. Choose two exercises you heard at chorus rehearsal or your last coaching session and work those two exercises diligently for thirty days. Document the time spent. I promise you there will be improvement.
Second, work on Resonance . Enhancing your natural sound should be the goal. You will gain more from self-exploration than anything. Experiment with your resonating spaces, by going on a vocal exploration. Take time to listen to yourself and analyze what you like about your sound. Then choose a person whose sound you admire and emulate her sound. Sing along with a CD or tape of your favorite singer and try to duplicate the things you like in her sound. You may not have the vocal skills to duplicate exactly what you hear, but working in her direction could be freeing for you. And it will be fun. The idea is to add a new dimension to your sound. You are a work in progress and you should enjoy the journey to an enhanced sound.
The miscellaneous portion of the PVI Comment Sheet is not prioritized - each skill is listed randomly. All are areas that will help you enhance your vocal skills and contribute to an improved sound. Learning about any one of them could help you to improve. Choose one area, research the resources you have at hand and then pursue additional information from other singers. Ask what they know or what they understand about a particular skill area, like open vowels. If sharing information gives you something new to work on then your mission has been accomplished.
When you feel you have made adequate progress in the areas you chose to work on initially, start over. There is always more to learn. We never absorb everything on the first try and certainly don't master skills on the first try!
If you still need further direction, go to your local music store or go on line to Sweet Adeline International and check out the Vocal Production products available. There are all kinds of vocalize tapes and books available. Some are better than others but all of the resources can teach us something. The resources often include breathing lessons, ear training, explorations in range and resonance. Use these for a guide. They can help you explore your capabilities and discover what you want to work on next. The resources should be a beginning for your journey, not the final word.
A word of caution: Don't give yourself too many assignments. Choose one or two areas to work on and concentrate on those areas until the new habit and skill is established. Your brain catches on quickly but the muscles need repetition to form the new habit. Then layer on the next new goal. Vocal progress is a slow process. It is easy to expect instantaneous success, be disappointed when it doesn't happen, and give up trying.
Vocal change and vocal growth happens when you are exercising your voice not while you are learning new music. Vocalize and concentrate on the skill you are trying to improve for seven minutes a day and see how quickly you improve. Make a plan for personal responsibility and work the plan. Success will happen for you.
PVI Comment Sheet
By:
Darlene Rogers
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