"Condition the voice, and then get out of its way." -Kate DeVore
I was recently going through some notes and came across the above quote by Chicago-based acting voice coach Kate DeVore. She is a regular faculty member at the U's Summer Vocology Institute, so I think it was something I wrote down during her lecture this past summer.
I think the most obvious interpretation of this quote is that we should build our technique in the practice room so we don't have to think about our technique during performances. Once on stage, we should get out of the way and just focus on storytelling.
A second interpretation is that, after we condition the voice, we should get out of our heads. Anxiety, insecurity, and self-consciousness are all obstacles to free vocal expression. Sometimes, we might need to get out of our own way and trust that our voices will follow.
As a voice teacher, however, this quote hits a little differently. When working with singers, it's sometimes hard for me to know when I should step in and when I should just stay out of the way. "Condition the voice," as Kate says. That's my job, to help you all condition your voices so they are better equipped to do what you want them to do. But there is an unfortunate tendency in voice teaching to homogenize the singers we work with. If teachers have an '"ideal" sound in mind that they feel every student should aspire to, that might mean that everyone will start to display the same timbre, sing with the same style, and make similar interpretive choices. In other words, we can "condition the voice" so much that we condition singers' originality and uniqueness right out of them.
I know I'm guilty of inserting my preferences and opinions at times in the voice studio when I should probably be staying out of the way and allowing students to have more agency in deciding what choices they would like to make with their voices. In previous generations of voice teaching, students were often only allowed to exercise creativity from within the bounds of pre-approved options that the teachers laid out. Students who insisted too vehemently on adhering to their own ideas were seen as defiant or as questioning the authority or expertise of the teacher. Thankfully, we're trending away from that. Even so, I still find myself defaulting back to that approach once in a while.
As we get closer to the end-of-semester performances, I hope you will all honor your own ideas. Obviously, you should consider the perspectives of your teachers and practice lots of different sounds and interpretive options. But once you get to performance, you are the ones center stage.
In these last few weeks, how can you work to honor your unique voices and choices in the songs you are presenting?
Now go practice.
Thank you so much for this post Brian! I have noticed for myself that I do tend to get in my head, especially when I try to exercise a song in a performance setting or with the mindset that it would be this way for a performance, and I feel like I always either mess up somewhere vocally or decide to not make choices with the acting. What I have notice though in your studio while practicing is that while yes there are times where you express fun ideas for your idea of the performance, you always have us either try it or experiment with different ideas. To me, that makes me feel like the studio is a safe space where I can make these choices and explore. You sometimes have me play the opposite, tactic shifts, breathing in different areas, or even switching up names within the songs. And to me, doing that is so much fun and leaves me with an array of choices, more than I have when I came into the room. To me, this is how you express that each of us have different voices and performance/stage presence as no one can really make the same choice the way the individual does.
ReplyDelete- Jack Anderson
I love this post! This class has been such a huge representation of this style of teaching because I don't feel boxed in at all when I attend classes. It feels so interpretive and open to how we would like to perform our pieces. Yes, there is still that guidance which is extremely needed and very helpful but it still feels like we are leading ourselves too. For me, it's been super helpful going out with this mindset and just creating, trying new things with my voice; making discoveries. It's fun. Singing hasn't always been that way for me. I wish we could have this class for a longer period of time because I am learning so much about my voice and what I like to do as a perfomer, you have such a fond way of teaching us how to use our instruments. I think in these last weeks of class I really want to keep allowing for creativity and openness to interpretation and really giving in to the notes you give me and how I can change things, just making it a process of fun.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Brian!
This post was so beneficial for me to see right now! I feel as though the professors (yourself included), at the U really create an environment for us to try new things, explore, and ultimately get out of our comfort zones. That being said, while there is pressure on your end in the sense of anxiety of homogenizing students, there is pressure on myself to take what my professors say with much more than a grain of salt. This post is encouraging for me to explore outside of saying an enthusiastic "yes!" to everything that my professors are saying (obviously this is very nuanced based on different circumstances). My job as a student is to come with a head full of ideas (as said frequently by David Eggers) and take suggestions from there rather than fully building a foundation of artistry based off of the validation of my educators.
ReplyDeleteAlexa Shaheen
I love this quote, I'm connecting it to the way I am feeling right now as dem lab and juries performances are quickly approaching. After our lesson Monday, I was feeling good about my dem lab song, but then my friends and I went to practice together and all confidence went out the door. I got so in my head and afraid of judgement- but once I got in my car I was singing so freely and strongly. It was so absurd and confusing as to why I lost all my work once I did it in front of people. However, this blog reminds me that I need to get out of my own way (out of my own head) if I want to be able to keep that work consistent. I think I need to work on embracing my voice and unique sound, because my sound is just as valuable and valid as anyone else. I will try to be more in-tune with myself, and trust my voice at anytime, not just when I'm alone. I also need to remember to not get mad at myself when I make mistakes and know that it's all part of the process.
ReplyDeleteHailey Petersen
This blog post was very interesting to me as I am very critical of my own voice. I usually don’t like the sounds I produce and try my best to configure a “perfect sound.” While no such thing exists, it’s nice to know that through practice it’s possible to let go of this self-critiquing mindset. The idea of essentially submitting to one's voice while on stage is something I hope to achieve as I find it difficult to not focus on my technique when singing. I think a good way of putting these ideas into practice would be to try letting go while performing. To let myself sound bad in the pursuit of knowledge! Easier said than done, but definitely something that would help aid in the storytelling aspects of my performances.
ReplyDeleteLucas Van Orden
I have had voice teachers do exactly what you described in this post which is, teaching and enforcing the best way they think a singer should sound. There were peers who drew outside that teacher's box and I was always envious of how they could be so unique and true to their sound. I feel like I try to imitate how I think a song should sound instead of just singing the song naturally. Finding my own voice has been a journey and I don't think it's over yet. I feel like in class you always encourage us to sing the way we want to and I'm so grateful to be given the space to explore and grow.
ReplyDeleteI may be going against the grain here, but i would actually disagree to a point about the idea that only the student should have agency in deciding what their sound should be like. Obviously it shouldn't necessarily be so extreme as to the student having no options to work with, but these roles are here for a reason. I am a student, attempting to learn from someone who almost certainly has more knowledge and more experience than me. Teachers can of course be wrong, and they should be able to be flexible as well, but often I have found myself thinking that I know more than a teacher, and there have been numerous times that has come back to bite me. For these last couple of weeks, I will be working to make sure the sounds I am putting out are ones that I genuinely want to, not just ones I may think sound good, or even what the song may typically call for.
ReplyDeleteIn the past I definitely found myself questioning my own artistic choices because I wanted to appease to my professors and their pre conceived ideas. And as a performer this style of performance does frustrate me at times because I feel I can only do what everyone else wants. But as of recently I have found myself following what makes me, me. I 100% that I need to learn from my professors because I won't be successful without their input. But I also understand that I need to take some advice with a grain of salt and try out every option that I am given.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this blog Brian!! I’ve never thought of this concept in that way before and what it can mean from your perspective. I, personally, have always felt really free with you and like you have let me be myself vocally from the very beginning. Maybe I’m a unique experience because I came to you knowing absolutely nothing and you got to condition my voice pretty much from scratch. At the same time I’ve also always considered myself as versatile and like I want to be able to sing anything at all. Those two things combined allowed us to figure out technique from square one while also cultivating the creativity I feel to make choices within each genre. You always made it such a safe space and encouraged these choices which I will always be grateful for. Within these next few weeks, I want to work on continuing to develop my own sound. I’ve already started to feel that with my showcase song “gravity” because I’ve already created so many iterations of it and done sooo many different versions that I created on my own which I’m proud of. I want to continue that trend and always be thinking of fun new choices or riffs I can add into things and how to make songs sound interesting.
ReplyDeleteI mentioned this in a previous blog response, but I can’t shake the idea of “trusting your preparation.” This is a phrase I often lean on going into a performance and I think it ties in well with the concept of getting out of your own way. For instance, I really do agree with the thought of honing in technique during rehearsal so it doesn’t look/feel too rehearsed come showtime. Especially in studio-type settings, I feel we as performers often feel pressured to make certain choices in a calculated manner (hence the term “rehearsed”). However, I do think it’s essential that we honor our natural voices and acting instincts so that our performances feel as emotionally raw as possible. For me, “trusting my preparation” consists of experimenting and determining what works and what doesn’t in the practice room, and with this, exploring the choices that feel right for me in the exact moment I’m in touch with the story in front of an audience. Of course, not everyone operates this way, but I find that the more intricate work I put in before the fact, the more I’m able to “let go” in a performance; in other words, to “get out of my own way.”
ReplyDeleteI love this quote. I love that it's open to many interpretations. And it's also a thought I have just about every time I sing. I feel like that have gotten to a point where I am finally comfortable enough with the conditioning that I've done (and it is NOWHERE near complete, mind you) that I can sing without fear or instability in my technique but instead with the full ability to navigate my voice through a song and make any change necessary to "recalibrate" throughout that song. Personally, finding that space to sing from has been a goal of mine throughout my years of training so I really agree with Kate.
ReplyDeleteHelena Goei
For me what i have noticed during my practice time is that trying out new things, such as experimenting with different character choices, exploring new emotions and changing my physical expressions has the potential to bring out a distinct and good voice that go with the song I am performing. Combining all these elements, I believe I can witness a transformation in the way my voice resonates and the tone it carries. Additionally I think it would be beneficial to practice these techniques when I have some free time, so I could gradually build my confidence until I feel comfortable and can see it clicking. This preparation will greatly assist me in getting ready for the songs I will be presenting.
ReplyDelete“Condition the voice, and get out of its way.” is such a powerful quote by Kate DeVore. I completely agree with your interpretation of the quote in regards to performance and rehearsal mind, in which we are meant to condition and develop our voice using techniques we’ve acquired within the practice room and in turn not having to think about it while we are performing, which, therefore, gives us time and mental effort back to tell our story. However, I also agree with the other interpretation of the quote on how we as singers tend to for the most part get in our heads about the way we condition our voices, in turn avoiding various obstacles that we may suffer from such as anxiety, insecurity, and self consciousness. But I could understand the issues and complexities that come from teaching under these circumstances of trying to differentiate when one should intervene as a teacher/instructor or be an observer in order for their students to learn the most effectively.
ReplyDeleteFor me, I feel like I have the most expression in my voice when I begin to focus on the storytelling aspects of the song. When I am in my head about hitting notes and the technique of the song, thats when I start to loose my individuality and focus more on producing a specific kind of song. I really like the idea of letting the voice feel whats right, and then let your brain rest from trying to constantly create a sound. I forget that the body keeps score, and that all of the technique I have once used isn't just forgotten.
ReplyDeleteSomething that I really appreciated during the workshopping of "Sometimes" was when you brought up the fact that sometimes it doesn't matter what someone else would have done, because we all make different choices when it comes to our performance. We all have a different style we want to achieve so it doesn't seem fair to put those specific goals on someone else. It is also great to see how one song can be done in so many unique ways. Without variety, performances would quickly become bland. Its hard for me not to compare myself to my talented peers, but I will certainly try to honor my own choices and explore those further!
ReplyDeleteI really liked this post because first, the quote from Kate had so many good interpretations and secondly because of the conversation it opens up. In my opinion, art in any performative way is most beautiful and touching when someone puts their unique spin on it. You can execute a technique perfectly or have a group that is able to sing the exact same and don’t get me wrong that is talent. Yet with that said; hearing, seeing, and feeling differences is when it starts to get memorable for me. We have talked a bit about this before but I think I have really started to distance myself from comparison. I have so much admiration but just saying “I wish I could sing like them” doesn’t hold much weight, you have no idea how someone got to where they are or what they have to do to maintain it. The way that you teach your class Brian has helped me honor my unique voice because you don’t force or push for one specific outcome (sound wise). You want us to come up with an intention or goal specific to us and work to get to that point with the help of your knowledge. It is so frustrating to sing by myself or right before class in an empty room and feel confident in the way I sang but then get up in front of the class and become red-faced, and unable to hit the notes that I did not more than 40 minutes ago. The only way to move past that is perform more and I feel better having a performance under my belt that I feel really proud of.
ReplyDeleteEmily Williamson