What happens in a lesson?
What happens in a lesson?
Of course, everything depends on the needs of the student: what you need, require, and are working towards. That’s the container.
Pedagogically?
If you are studying classically, there are hoops to jump through. Not of my making, certainly. They are determined by the art form itself, bel canto being a Muse who doesn’t play fast and loose. She wants what she wants, and there is no going forward until she is satisfied.
What does she require?
That you know how to breathe.
That you know how to hold your instrument.
That you know how to form a beautiful tone.
That you know how to speak and sing pure vowels.
That you sing pure vowels on scales and exercises until you are blue in the face.
That you graduate to repertoire once the first 5 requirements have been satisfied. Once this happens? Your technique becomes…
ABSOLUTE.
What does absolute mean? It means that the note that comes out of your mouth comes out in such a way that you know it’s right and can’t be any other way. It’s Mozartian in effect. Sure, you have bad and good days, but even with this, your technique isn’t subject to the whim of the weather. It works come rain or come shine.
I’m not going to dump on anyone here, but the majority of problems with singers today is that they haven’t submitted to the Muse.
This doesn’t mean you can’t sing repertoire while you are getting your technique in order; but if you are mainly singing repertoire and throwing in some technical work as an add-on you have the equation all wrong. This approach doesn’t work.
The students who make something of themselves in my studio work on technique before they sing repertoire. This is how it has always been and always will be. With all the technological advances available to us (faster, faster, faster), the fact is that learning to sing at a high level takes time: about the same time it takes to learn a language.
How long does it take a kid to learn to speak her native language? About 18 months for simple sentences; additional months and years to have full command.
Anna Schoen-René said that singing was 75 percent technique; and the more I teach, the more I believe she was right. If you spend 75 percent of your time on repertoire, you aren’t going to achieve your goal.
Work the first 5 steps and you will find your Way.
Contact me for voice lessons in New York City and online lessons in the Art of Bel Canto.
