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Welcome to Vocal Process eZINE 31
In this edition we flag the courses coming up in October, and the
start of Module Two of our Integrated VoiceTM
programme. Anne Leatherland reports on her experience of
Module One. We have the second
instalment of Kim Chandler's interview on session singing, and
Jeremy tackles Tribute Band singing. |
 
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Integrated VoiceTM
Module One
The participants in
this season's Integrated VoiceTM Module One are just
finishing their final assessments. We have four people who have
completed the Module - Anne Leatherland, Adrian Parsons, Elizabeth
Price and Sandra Mayo. Yanle Zhong also studied Module One while
appearing as Christmas Eve in Avenue Q in the West End. She
is returning to
China and has had to interrupt her studies, but we will be staying in contact with her in her future
career. We asked Anne Leatherland to write about her experience of
Module One, and her report is featured below.
The next Module One
begins in January 2009. If you have already completed Singing and
the Actor Training, or its previous incarnation, Core Training, you
can collect a prospectus by emailing Tawny. We will be interviewing
from September onwards. If you haven't yet taken the Singing and the
Actor Training, see below for a special eZINE
subscriber's offer.
Module One report from Anne Leatherland
 "Integrated Voice
Module One has been the highlight of a busy year.
When I accompanied a
student of mine on Singing And The Actor Training in October 2006, I
had no idea that by the end of the course I would be thinking about
applying for a five month course of study.
I was familiar with
Gillyanne and Jeremy's work from previous courses and from their
books, and had expected SATA to be a reminder of things I had
studied previously. In some ways it was, but I soon became aware
that there were gaps in my knowledge and understanding. Many points
were clarified during the three days but I was left hungry for more!
Seeing Gillyanne and
Jeremy work expertly and incisively with one of my own students made
me want to work in a similar way. I went home excited by new
possibilities for professional development and later applied for
Integrated Voice. I was delighted when I was accepted following an
interview.
The course began in
January 2008 with an Induction for course participants followed by
three days of meticulous work on vocal anatomy. This was a baptism
by fire as we were challenged on all levels by the excellent work of
Jacob Lieberman (Muscles Alive) and Tom and Sara Harris (Vocal
Anatomy and Physiology). The detailed input required a high level of
concentration. There were also effective practical exercises and
useful question and answer sessions, with lighter moments along the
way. I think we all went home with many questions, but I found this
a good thing, as it stimulated the desire for further study.
The anatomy assignment
(four seven hundred word essays) sounded daunting, especially when
it dawned on me that this was actually quite a small number of
words! With guidance from Gillyanne I eventually realised that I
needed to be selective, accurate and concise. I struggled initially
as I had not written a report or essay for twenty years and was
unsure of the standard, but I was pleased with my final submission.
This assignment made me read all the books I had been meaning to get
around to for several years!
During February and March we undertook Computer Voice Training with
Jeremy and Practical Phonetics with Heather Keens. Both of these
courses covered areas which were relatively new to me, but both were
informative, practical and fun. All of the anatomy and physiology
work began to pay off as I realised that my hard won knowledge was
deepening my understanding of each new course presented.
Most importantly,
Integrated Voice was beginning to enhance my studio teaching: I had
a real "eureka!" moment when I used Jeremy's Computer Voice
techniques to help a student with a nasality problem. The Computer
Voice assignment made sure that I really did have fine control of my
own voice (nothing gets past Jeremy), and working on dialect with a
younger student (phonetics project) opened up a whole world of
possibilities for future teaching.
The course follow-ups
with Jeremy and Heather were extremely important as they allowed us
to return to the ideas following a period of reflection, and to ask
questions.
In the spring and early summer Jenevora Wlliams gave us vital input
on the understanding and care of young voices (The Developing
Voice), while David Carey and Gillyanne gave insights into voice use
in speaking and singing (With One Voice). Once again, both courses
were well presented and interesting, and my understanding was
enhanced by the work we had done previously.
Making case studies
and recordings for the Developing Voice assignment helped me to hear
my young students with new ears. It also provided useful tools for
assessing adolescent students at various developmental stages. A
fellow Integrated Voice student worked with some of my adolescent
students, as she had none of her own. This was a very enjoyable and
enriching experience for all of us.
With One Voice
provided a wealth of great ideas for working with both the speaking
and singing voice. I was particularly struck by how singers often
neglect their speaking voices, and can now address this with more
confidence in the studio.
Throughout Module 1, I had five one-to-one mentoring sessions with
Gillyanne and Jeremy. These were invaluable as I was guided through
difficulties and helped to improve my own vocal skills. Support and
advice was also available by e-mail.
I have a family, and a very busy private practice with clients of
all ages and experiences, but managed to fit my studies around my
work. Travelling from the Midlands by train to London was relatively
easy as I was able to book reasonable fares in advance. Family and
friends in the London area helped with accommodation. I have made
new friends on the course and we have shared our ups and downs and
learned from each other.
I knew that Integrated
Voice would be a big commitment in terms of time, money and travel,
but felt that the course content, follow-up and the high quality of
the teaching faculty would make it worth it. Having completed Module
1, I am happy that I made the right decision. This course is
challenging and has much depth and many layers.
As vocal educators,
Gillyanne and Jeremy are constantly striving to learn more and to
share their expertise with others. It has been a privilege to work
with them.
Bring on Module 2!"
Integrated VoiceTM
Module Two
Integrated VoiceTM Module
Two will begin in October 2008. We already have several participants
including Anne, and Fran James, who taught a session for us on the recent Top
Techniques. Module Two includes courses on stroboscopy, the art of
communication with your clients, and the Advanced Singing and the
Actor Training.
Module Two is only
open to those who have completed Module One. However, some of the
Module Two individual courses are open to the public by invitation only. If you would like to be considered for
inclusion in any of the Module Two courses, please email us or phone
to let us know. We will be releasing more details and dates of the
courses in the Module shortly.
Coming up
 The next
Singing and the Actor Training
will be held on October 24-26 2008 in London. In response to the
demand, this is the second time this
year that we've run this training. We believe in giving participants
individual attention on our courses, so we usually keep our course
numbers small. We would rather run another course than pack 50
people in a room and give them no personal input! This course is the main entry
requirement for
Integrated VoiceTM Module One, and we
are already receiving bookings for this date, so check your diaries
now. You can read more about the course and the
special eZINE
subscribers' offer on this webpage.
 Advanced Singing and the Actor Training will be happening a few days
later.
To help our clients coming over from abroad, we have changed the
advertised dates to bring the two courses closer together. The
Advanced course will now take place on 29-30 October 2008. This
gives you two free days between the courses to consolidate,
practise, and embed the enormous amount of information and technical
know-how we give you on the original Singing and the Actor course.
Remember
that you can only come on the Advanced training if you have completed
either the Singing and the Actor Training or the previous
incarnation, Core Training. Each of the links above will take you to
our new-style information pages, which gives you everything you need
to know about each course.
In the meanwhile, Jeremy and Gillyanne will be teaching at the RSAMD
in Glasgow again in August on the Musical Theatre MA course, and
Jeremy will be giving a workshop for the Academy of Contemporary
Music in Guildford in October on computer voice training and vocal
function.
And Gillyanne will be revealing a new course for the first
time in Exeter on Saturday 4th October. Keep your eyes peeled for
more information.
Your
Questions Answered
A question arrived from Becky a few days ago that we thought we'd
include in this edition - it's one we've been asked many times
before.
Becky writes: "I have just discovered this excellent site
and would be very grateful if you could give me some advice. I am a
classically trained singer, but I have always enjoyed singing pop
songs using my chest range. Now, at 34 I have decided to earn a
living singing in clubs and pubs. Although I enjoy this style of
singing very much, do think it will eventually damage or restrict my
‘classical’ voice? Many thanks. Becky"
Jeremy responds: "Hi Becky
It's not really a question we can answer without hearing exactly
what you are doing in both your classical and pop singing.
It really depends how you use your chest voice. If you use it in
the same way as you might use chest voice in classical singing (ie
strong and dark up to about E or F above middle C, then above
that it feels like serious weightlifting), then yes, you might
actually do some damage in the long term.
If however you are using a "chest voice" (as opposed to "head
voice") type of sound, but it moves easily up to Bs and Cs above
middle C, then you're probably going to be ok.
The reason I'm saying this is because of the way different
singers use the term "chest voice". The operatic chest voice
tends to be a different "mix" to the one used by pop, rock and
jazz singers. The operatic version is designed to match the
power and depth of the upper ranges, and so tends to have more
things in it. Without getting too technical, and speaking very
generally, operatic chest voice has more "pull down" or depth,
"turn" or "tilt", and more mouth cavity space in it, usually
with a flatter tongue.
What we refer to on the website as "speech" quality has
comparatively less depth, less "turn" and is a more
straightforward sound, speaking easily. As it moves up above
that F above middle C the sound and feel gets closer to calling
than singing (hence "speech" quality). For classical singers
finding it for the first time, their comments usually include
"but I'm not singing", "that's just like talking on pitch", "I'm
not projecting" and "that feels completely different".
Remember that the operatic chest voice is designed to be
projected acoustically without enhancement (most of the time),
whereas almost all the musical styles known as contemporary
commercial (pop, rock, jazz, musical theatre, blues etc etc) use
a sound system of some kind. Therefore the training and voice
production for these sounds are different.
Incidentally, not all pop is sung in "chest", but we're
presuming you know that already!
This speech quality sound is only one of the many sounds that
pop, rock, jazz and musical theatre singers use, although it
tends to be the basis of most of the vocal setups in those
styles. We help singers all the time in our studio to move
between different vocal setups without harm, and to find and
maintain different muscle memories when they sing. The voice is
an immensely flexible instrument, and can make and hold many
different positions safely. And remember, singing is also about
identifying with the sound or style of the material, so aptitude
and attitude play a part.
And in answer to your question, if you find a healthy,
uncluttered speech quality like the one described above, then
no, it won't adversely affect your classical voice. In fact, we
usually find that when classical singers find their speech
quality, it actually enhances their classical voice."
This has now been
added to our
Your Questions Answered section of the website.
If you want to find
out more about moving between and maintaining different vocal sets,
or you would like some input on your voice and performing,
contact Tawny to book a one-to-one consultation with Jeremy or
Gillyanne.
I need
your help!
The next set of booklets will be about the extraordinary amount
of jargon that exists in singing, performing and training.
You know the sort of thing - "bring the voice forward", "singing
into the mask", "carry the sound on the breath", "float the sound",
"reaching for the high notes", and even "chest voice".
Here's where I need your help. I want to know the phrases that
you hear, know or even use, that can be (at the very least)
misinterpreted - the jargon that goes with singing. You don't even
have to know or explain what it means. Just send me the phrases and
I'll take it from there. For example, how about "belt it out",
"round vowels", or "sing from the diaphragm"?
If you're a choral singer and you hear your conductor asking you
to follow certain instructions but you're not really sure
what they mean, let me know (in confidence, of course!).
If you're a recording artist and the producer asks you to sing it
more purple,
send the story along to me!
If you're an opera singer and your teacher has asked you to think
of the shepherd's crook, sing down the elephant's trunk, or my
absolute favourite so far, "sing from your little mary", just
pop it in an email.
They don't have to make sense, you don't have to know what they
mean, but they have to be phrases currently in use. If you have
any ideas, phrases or sayings that you know of -
please drop me an email here.
If you have friends in the business, or work colleagues who
belong to a choir, or you know any singing teachers or conductors,
please pass this on to them - the more the merrier! I'm hoping to build a website with a suggestions box in the near
future, and I'll let you know the best suggestions.
What is a
session singer - part II?
 The
interview with Kim Chandler in eZINE 30 raised a lot of interest and
became one of our most popular pages on the website. Here is the
second part of the interview, containing the remaining five
must-have skills for a good session singer, working as a "soundalike",
Kim's favourite singers to back, and what goes on behind the scenes
of the Sky One show "Don't Forget the Lyrics".
What is a Session
Singer part II is on the website. In the
meanwhile, here's a taster for you to enjoy.
Jingles
Jeremy: This whole area I’m really fascinated in because it’s
something I know nothing about. The jingle.
Kim: Yes, well it’s my speciality. I’ve literally sung
thousands, even before I’d left Australia, because I was one of the
main jingle session singers in Australia. That’s actually how I got
into session work. My very first session was either ‘87 or ‘88, and
I can still remember it. It was a jingle for a bacon company in
Australia [KR Darling Downs}. And that jingle for all I know is
probably still on air. I took to it like a duck to water. I went
“Ah! I really like this”. It was one of those epiphany moments. I
thought “I really dig this”. It’s a very odd thing, session singing,
which is what I try to explain to people. It’s not glamorous! I
don’t know what people outside of it think it is, because I’ve been
in it too long. I know what it is, so I find it really difficult to
picture what other people think it is. What I try to tell other
singers is that it’s a weird headspace that you’ve got to be in to
love session singing. Because of the level of scrutiny involved, and
the perfectionism involved, and the working conditions sometimes. So
you really have to be wired that way for it to suit you. I’m glad
for the future of the music industry that most people DON’T want to
do it. That most people do want to make a creative, unique
contribution to the world as artists and use us session singers to
enhance that.
Software sampling
Another area we haven’t talked about yet is the software sampling
side. You don’t get more prescriptive than that! I was part of the
choir for Hans Zimmer’s [famous Hollywood film composer] choral
sampling software session recorded in a converted cathedral in
Hampstead. We had to sing every note in unison from an F# below
middle C to a top C in a wholetone scale (which you had to be able
to pitch accurately) on pretty much every vowel imaginable, lots of
different consonants, different lengths, different dynamic levels,
so soft ones, loud ones… There’s no creativity involved in that,
it’s just you being a ‘machine’.
Last Friday I did a session for an educational website which was
just me by myself having to sing every note in the solfege scale
from a G below middle C to a top B chromatically, each one held for
5 seconds completely straight. So again I had to be able to pitch
the chromatic scale – you have to have a good musical understanding
and education to actually know what a wholetone scale is and what a
chromatic scale is and be able to sing them accurately. So the
sampling software stuff is the polar opposite to creativity because
it’s all about you as a technical vocal machine – that’s all you are
in those sessions.
Jeremy: It’s the real precision thing isn’t it?
Kim: The precision required is ridiculous. It even comes down
to how you breathe before you come in. Because it’s being sampled,
you can’t make any extraneous noises whatsoever. So, we don’t want
to hear your in-breath, we don’t want to hear your lip noise, we
don’t want to hear your stomach rumble because you’re getting hungry
(which did happen!). I had to do a retake because my stomach got
involved. Everything is being heard with such a high level of
scrutiny that it has to be absolutely blemish-free. It’s a strange
experience, that’s the only way of describing it. It’s like no other
form of vocals that any professional singer has to do. If you look
at what most professional singers have to do, they don’t generally
have to do this sort of stuff where you’ve got a magnifying glass on
every aspect of your vocal technique.
Jeremy: I can’t think of anything that’s comparable for a
singer, but for an actor it would be the equivalent of doing some of
these programmes where you have to read words out, and by the end of
five hours they mean nothing to you, they’re actually just symbols.
Kim: Yes. I also did a dance-based vocal sampling package at
the end of last year that was not dissimilar to that. I was given
five pages, in a very small font so there were probably 50 words and
short phrases on each of these five pages – there were hundreds of
words. I just had to sing them in any key and in any style that I
felt would work. That’s where you’re bringing in the creativity side
again, and I had to come up with endless ways of these phrases being
sung a cappella.
Jeremy: That’s quite a brief!
Kim: Uh huh. I just don’t know what I’m going to be asked
to do next!
Click here to read the rest of part II of Kim Chandler's
interview
Or click here to read part I of the secrets of session singing
You can also visit
Kim's own website for audio and video demos of the backing
vocalist in action. And Kim is the vocalist/percussionist in the
house band for Sky One's primetime music gameshow, "Don't Forget the
Lyrics", currently recording its third series.
And finally
 Jeremy
has just had several articles published on a number of websites and blogs. Aimed at the tribute band singer, they focus on techniques to
sound like your favourite artists, exercises to help find the
emotion of a song, and six different ways of starting a note. Check them out
by clicking on the box.
http://www.singingcoach.blogspot.com
We've had quite a few new registrations from our
new popup box on
the website. Thanks to all of you who have joined this eZINE list
recently. Let me know if you got your copy of "86 things you never
hear a singer say". And keep your eyes peeled for more special
offers and discounts only available to readers of this eZINE (you
won't even find them on our website!).
 
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© 2008
Vocal Process Limited
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