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Welcome
to Vocalist's Insightful Practices(VIP) Newsletter!
August
5, 2002
Table
of Contents:
1. Welcome Notes
2. Vocal "Trivia"
3. VIP Q & A
4. Vocal Tip
5. Notable Quotables
6. Trivia Answers
1.
Welcome Notes
I
hope you all are enjoying a relaxing summer. Welcome to
Vocalist's Insightful Practices (VIP)! It is wonderful
to welcome many new subscribers!
Welcome
to our new subscribers and thank you to our friends who
continue to forward VIP to their friends. That's how we
grow and have a greater impact on the vocal community!
Thank you again for all the positive feedback and for
helping to make VIP such a successful e-newsletter!
VIP
is a free monthly newsletter that's goal is to promote
proper vocal health by providing valuable, yet simple
tips to singers, vocal coaches, speakers and anyone else
who uses their voice! I hope that this electronic
publication assists you in creating a voice that is more
healthy, powerful and enjoyable. Please let me know how
I can be of service to you in reaching your vocal goals.
Take care of your voice, if it breaks you can't get a
new one!
A
note to subscribers: Do you have all VIP issues since
it's premier in June 1999? View the recent VIP issues
today! http://www.musicsimplymusic.com/viparchives.htm
If
you have a question that you would like to see addressed
in an upcoming issue, e-mail me with the info! You may
contact me at Mail to: dambrosino@musicsimplymusic.com
Shameless
Marketing Plug: If you know someone who would benefit by
subscribing to VIP, please forward them this copy and if
they choose, they can click on the link below to become
a monthly subscriber.
http://www.musicsimplymusic.com/newsletters.htm
Be
sure to check our web site at: http://www.musicsimplymusic.com
We have lots of information, and resources you can use.
We're constantly adding and up-dating so check it often!
2.
Vocal Trivia
Test
Your Vocal Knowledge
- Is
drinking cold or warm water more beneficial in
promoting a relaxed, undisturbed tone?
- The
term for the most comfortable part of your range is
called your____________.
- True
or False: Your neck muscles should stay tight as you
vocalize. .
3.
VIP Q & A
Q:
Should I always sing a song that's in the correct key
for my voice?
A:
Many of my colleagues insist upon singing songs only in
the correct key. Many artists, such as Frank Sinatra and
Barbara Steisand, have had extremely successful careers
following that rule as well. I (as usual!) have mixed
feelings on the subject. Surely if a song is in an
extremely uncomfortable high or low range and just
doesn't compliment your voice, free feel to change that
key. Transposing every song into "your" key
can also become problematic in that it limits your voice
to a certain range. Your voice will remember this key
and may have a very difficult time singing in another
range. This is restricting as a singer by keeping you in
your comfort zone (a place where you don't grow!).
Except on rare occasions, I, and ALL my students,
perform songs in their original key. This allows the
student to use an expansive range and continue to work
on skills to help him grow as a performer. By stretching
your range and expanding your musical horizons (going
for it!), you get to witness your abilities and
weaknesses. Being aware of your weaknesses will show you
where you need to build your skills. Being aware of
abilities may make you realize, "Hey, I can do
it!" Both of these observations will motivate you
to continue to work on you skills as a singer and
performer. Maybe it is the musician in me talking, but I
think songs just don't sound the same out of their
original keys. That change in quality is another reason
to keep songs in their original key! Remember, instead
of listening to that negative voice inside of you saying
that you "can't" sing those notes, be creative
and figure out how you CAN! Don't quickly resort to
changing the key! Find and then utilize the skills you
need to successfully sing that song.
4.
Vocal Tip
The
next time dust or smoke gets into your nasal passages,
try the following: With warm water, wet and then ring
out (well) a washcloth. Put the cloth against your
nostrils and inhale through your nose. Be sure to
thoroughly moisten your nasal passages before blowing
your nose into a tissue. Doing this will clear your
passages, thus making it easier to breath and
eliminating any itch that sometimes accompanies those
annoying particles.
5.
Notable Quotables
"To
sing is to love and to affirm, to fly and soar, to coast
into the hearts of the people who listen, to tell them
that life is to live, that love is there, that nothing
is a promise, but that beauty exists, and must be hunted
for and found. That death is a luxury, better to be
romanticized and sung about than dwelt upon in the face
of life." -Joan Baez
"The
trouble with most people is they think there's only one
right way to do anything." -Velda Johnston
6.
Trivia Answers
- warm
water
- tessitura
- false
Copyright
© 2002 Diane Ambrosino. All rights reserved. Permission
is granted to reproduce, copy or distribute VIP so long
as this copyright notice and full contact information
about the author is attached. The author of this issue
is Diane Ambrosino and she may be contacted at: mailto:vip@musicsimplymusic.com
or reached by telephone at 631-863-2069 ext. 32
To
subscribe, simply send an email to : VIIP-list@musicsimplymusic.com
with the words "subscribe" in the subject line
of the email.
"A
sound approach to music education"
ph:
631-863-2069
fax: 631-863-2355
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