Voice coaching: conveying the intangible

"It is not by opening the throat of the nightingale that one will discover the secret of his song." (Jean Cocteau)

While it may be relatively easy for a violin teacher to explain in a straightforward manner how to hold the bow or position the fingers correctly along the neck of the instrument, the voice teacher deals entirely in the realm of the abstract. Imparting technical and interpretive advice to the aspiring singer, who is at once the instrument and its player, sometimes seems to have more to do with the occult than any exact science. The vocal concept being taught, be it technical (voice control and legato, opening of the glottis), breathing-related (optimal use of the diaphragm), dramatic (stepping in to the character being portrayed) or interpretive must nonetheless be scrutinized, analyzed and reduced to its simplest expression for the young singer to be able to grasp the subtleties. "It is a long and arduous process," admits Joseph Rouleau, a renowned teacher who has coached dozens of young singers.

While the mechanics of the human voice, as Georges Loiseau wrote in 1947 in his Notes sur le chant, result from the "synchronism between the diaphragm (controlling breathing), the larynx, and the resonating cavities located above the larynx", this sound-generating triangle is also influenced by the "myriad individual factors, personality and unique individuality" of each singer. Is training the voice then something of a utopian ideal? Do we believe the age-old preconception that to train a voice is to ruin it? Not if one finds a, experienced pedagogue who knows how to impart his or her knowledge without quashing the student's own unique personality. "In truth, vocal technique is quite simple," notes Joseph Rouleau, "but it is equally true that sometimes the simplest things are the most difficult to teach and to learn. It is a science, a vocabulary, a technical language, and it must be explained in simple terms to be properly understood. Of course, while everything happens in the body, it all originates in the brain."

A precise understanding of the nature of sound is essential to any vocal training technique. The student must begin with long values, legato, and smoothing the transition to the middle voice before even contemplating combining the various registers by gradually incorporating vowels, from the lowest to the highest note. "This brings everything back to the basics," continues Mr. Rouleau. "As professional singers, we continue day after day to do what it is that we know, what we are able to do, without taking the time to stop and analyze how we are singing and the areas that can be improved. Teaching allows one to take a step back and analyze vocal technique. In my own case, I can tell you that this has allowed me to evolve in the way I approach my own way of singing."

In addition to teaching vocal technique, the voice teacher must also incorporate musical theory into the training programme to enable the ear to develop. The student must also be instructed in the history of musical styles (one does not approach Baroque and Wagner operas in the same way!), learn to develop a critical ear for the great performers of the past and of today and study the main vocal methods of the leading voice teachers of yesterday, whether it is Giulio Caccini, Francesco and Giovanni Battista Lamperti or Manuel Garcia, the most influential voice teacher of the 19th century and author of the Complete Treatise on the Art of Singing. His method was based on a deep knowledge of the workings of the "instrument" (larynx, throat, palate, tongue, etc.) and focused on such fundamental aspects as posture, breathing, pronunciation and the use of the three registers: chest (low), medium (middle) and head (high).

The most difficult part of vocal teaching is, without doubt, interpreting or conveying the musical and dramatic message of the piece. "The artist must have within him or herself this sense of emotion, of communication, to convey the message," explains Joseph Rouleau. "It is a natural talent that cannot be taught, except perhaps by example and patience, but we can make suggestions. Many sopranos might be able to sing the notes of the role of Traviata, but being able to render the emotion contained in those notes is what separates singer from artist."

Richard Miller, author of numerous reference books on singing, stresses in The Structure of Singing the importance of knowing the details of a number of techniques of singing and compares vocal pedagogy to "a smorgasbord, from which one can sample foods both rich and simple; (but) not everything that can be ingested is equally nutritious." He also stresses that singers should study with several teachers, attend numerous master classes and perfect their knowledge of physiology by reading reference books. Then, eventually, the time must come for singers to choose a teacher to accompany them along their journey and equip them with the tools they need to electrify listeners with the emotional charge of this unique and versatile instrument.

Lucie Renaud

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