Welcome (back)! Here we go...
Last year, I wrote a blog about the Prerequisites for Advanced Singing, where I identified four elements that I feel are necessary for moving past the beginning levels of singing.
In this blog, we'll explore what may be considered the prerequisites for learning, as outlined by Prof. Lynn Helding of the University of Southern California. Helding is a pioneer in bringing cognitive research and motor learning theories into the way we teach singing. She has written a hugely influential book, called The Musician's Mind, that I have quoted in previous blogs. In her estimation, there are four components that should be present if true learning is to occur: volition, desire, effort, and sleep.
Volition essentially means that it is your choice to participate. You are the one choosing to take voice lessons, you are choosing to practice, you are choosing to do what is necessary to improve. If you are only studying singing because it's a requirement of your major or because some authority figure is making you do it, you are not likely to learn much.
Desire means that you truly want to improve. That may seem obvious—who doesn't want to be a better singer? But, do you want it enough to actually practice? If not, then you have a dream, not a desire. I dream of being a great pianist, but I don't desire to sit my butt on a piano bench to practice for hours a day. The famously witty Oscar Wilde once said, “To get back my youth I would do anything in the world, except take exercise, get up early, or be respectable.” I wouldn't exactly call that desire.
Effort is also a necessary component. To put it bluntly, if something is easy, you’re probably not learning. Going through the motions of vocal exercises may keep your voice conditioned, but it is not going to lead to added skill. Let me be clear, we're talking here about mental effort, not about extraneous muscle engagement. Helding builds on cognitive psychologist Robert Bjork's idea of "desirable difficulties," which are described as tasks that require a considerable but desirable amount of effort, thereby improving long-term performance. Your singing regimen should include some tasks that you already perform well (the repetition of which will continue to solidify those skills) and lots of other tasks that you are just on the edge of being able to perform, or perform consistently (which will keep you stretching your abilities).
Sleep is the last prerequisite necessary in order for learning to occur. In a previous blog about the importance of sleep, I admitted that it may not be helpful to lecture students about getting enough sleep when many of you have class all day, rehearsals or work all evening, and THEN you're expected to do homework, write papers, oh, and just live your life! Still, sleep is crucial for both health and for learning. In her book, Helding presents various theories that suggest sleep makes us more able to pay attention, encourages "synaptic pruning" (essentially cleaning the brain of weak neuronal connections so the stronger connections can thrive), and helps short-term memories become long-term memories (also called "memory consolidation," which is the cognitive term for actual learning). (The Musician's Mind, p.84-86)
As we kick off the semester, you may consider briefly going through this checklist each time you practice. Remind yourself that you are choosing to sing, that you genuinely want to get better, and that you are willing to challenge yourself in order to improve. Then commit to giving your body, mind, and voice the proper sleep needed to flourish and excel.
In the comments below, type two or three goals you have for your singing this semester and this school year. You may want to consult this blog and this blog as reminders of what to keep in mind when establishing effective goals.
I'm so happy to be back at it and am looking forward to working with all of you. Let's have a great year!
Now go practice.
While I don’t have much training in singing, the voice teacher I did have for approximately three months told me I should sing quietly, as it allowed me far more control over my pitch. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work for musical theatre singing, which is mainly what this class is about. For my first goal, I’d like to improve my pitch accuracy when I am singing at a louder volume. I’m not entirely sure of the best way to work towards this goal, but I figure frequent practice, especially in specified exercises is a good place to start. Secondly, because I have very little training, singing in front of others makes me very anxious. This in turn decreases the quality of what I can do which once again makes me more anxious; and the cycle continues. I think a more long-term goal might be to feel more confident in singing in front of others. I believe this is accomplishable through practice and training, as well as viewing all performances as a rehearsal opportunity. For the duration of the semester, I believe this will help me in the final.
ReplyDelete-Isabelle Siebeneck
My first goal for this semester is finding my own pitch and working on it. I’m excited to see where this class will lead someone like me who does not have much singing experience. Another goal I have is learning the best way to sing. I’ve been told by others how it's done (what part of the body to use), but I believe I was never able to fully grasp on that idea. Every time I even tried singing for more than 5 minutes, my throat would hurt. I’ve been told it’s because “I’m not singing from my core”. Though I’ve been told this multiple times, I was never able to understand how to fix it. Even when I thought I was singing from my core, I wasn’t. So, I’d like to be able to understand and practice this for the final.
ReplyDelete- Kirsten Henriquez
DeleteMy primary goal for the semester is to expand my breath capacity and fortify control of my breath. I desire the ability to thoroughly shape the notes and the lyrics of a piece to express more nuanced emotion. I am at the level to effectively produce a robust sound, but my wish is to be confident in such production AND tender the phrases of the music that require more effort in varying the dynamics. Secondly, I plan to develop a specific practice regimen that requires me to place my full attention on exploring my voice. I use “exploring” due to my tendency to perform rather than rehearse when I am practicing. To give me a consistent time and to-do list to devote to singing will be necessary for my vocal development. Additionally, I want to develop my “mix” to diminish my fear of approaching the passaggio of my voice. Diversifying and fortifying my vocal capabilities this semester will be crucial in supplying me with the tools needed to craft thoughtful and meaningful performances as an actor.
ReplyDeleteCamden Barrett
One of my goals for this semester is to increase my range, specifically my performance range. I want to increase this range to be able to reach notes healthy, effectively and most importantly consistently. This idea brings me to my second goal, which is to work on hitting notes in a correct and healthy manner that is unharmful to my voice. In the past my theater teachers have put more emphasis on hitting the notes instead of doing so in a safe manner which in turn would leave me with a sore throat. My last goal for the semester is to increase my practice time spent with singing. With previous vocal teachers I would not put in the amount of time necessary to improve. However, with the class layout I can see that this goal will be easier to attain.
ReplyDelete-CoCo Berwald
One of my main goals for this semester is to understand and increase my vocal range, specifically to feel more comfortable reaching higher pitched notes. I tend to play it safe when choosing songs to sing instead of ones that challenge my vocal range. With that being said, another goal that I have is to allow myself to go out of my comfort zone and push myself to become a better singer overall. I also want to work on my performance range and become more comfortable singing in front of other people. I love singing when I’m alone, but I can be pretty cautious when singing in front of people. Another goal I have is to be consistent with practicing and maintain focus so that I can learn as much as I can about the elements of singing. My last goal is to gain better breath control so that I feel comfortable when performing for long amounts of time.
ReplyDelete-Aly Carter
My starting goal is to know my range. Become more aware of my comfort zones while singing and what notes I can reach before injury. From there I want to work on songs that are outside of my comfort range as I feel that I will learn more and hopefully expand not only my comfort range but my range in general. Working on breath control is another goal I have. I am excited to pick up voice lessons again, but from my previous experiences I know that I have not been good at practicing everyday like I should have done. I need to work on self motivation to practice everyday as well as take care of my body and my throat by eating and drinking better. I also want to learn how to read music but that might be something I have to do on my own time.
ReplyDelete- Noah Omelchuk
One of my goals this semester is to figure out my vocal range, and how to be more confident throughout the entirety of that range. I tend to want to sing songs that are at the top of my range, but when I get to a note I don’t think I can hit I tend to panic even though I would likely be able to hit it fairly well if I just relaxed. I also want to be more consistent with practicing and sleeping. This last year was not very good for my daily routines and practice schedule, and I want to get out of that flow I had and into one that will better me as a singer and artist. Lastly, I want to gain better control over my voice. I tend to get a little shaky on higher notes, and I wonder if this is because of a lack of confidence, breath support, or both. I want to gain the ability to control it so that my higher notes are more consistent with my lower notes.
ReplyDeleteNate Ginsberg
As we start off this semester I am beginning to think more and more about the singing training I already have and where I want to end up. For my first goal, I wish to improve upon and get more consistent with my range of voice. When I took voice lessons about a year and a half ago, I had a range, but it would go up or down depending on the day and I wish to help make it more solid and consistent than it was. For my second goal, I want to improve my breath control while singing. My previous voice coach helped me a little in this regard, but I still have trouble keeping air in and not expelling it all at once in a few short lines of a song. Thirdly and finally, I want to become more accurate with hitting notes. Again when I took singing lessons I could hit some notes one day and others on a different day but could never seem to hit the same note twice correctly. So to become more consistent is what I wish and desire.
ReplyDelete---- Matthew Jbara
As I am completely new to singing my first goal will be to gain awareness of my vocal capabilities. I am excited and nervous to find out what my voice can do. A parallel goal will be to approach the discovery of my voice in a gentle and curious way. Often I can get too critical of my abilities and where I want or think they should be. I know this mindset is counterproductive to growth and ultimately that is the thing I want to achieve. As I develop an understanding of my voice I want to gain knowledge of what healthy use feels like. In the past when I’ve been in plays I know my voice can become tired but I don’t really know the best practices to help take care of it over long (weeks or months) periods of time. Once I have a foundational understanding of my voice, I would like to keep an upward trajectory of growth. Being a beginner I’m not exactly sure what that will look like, maybe it will be to increase my range or to have more breath control -I’m anxious to uncover these things as I go.
ReplyDelete-Hannah Ekstrom
I love this post, and I feel that it could be a good reference for me when I get stumped in my vocal practice. I first find the distinction between volition and desire important. It usually isn’t difficult to remind myself “I am paying a lot of money to be here and learn, so it’s my choice!”, but finding the actual desire to practice can be difficult. I sometimes have to mix in a bit of leisure singing with my technical practice to keep that desire burning. Once that desire is met, usually it is easier to put in greater effort into practicing. Sleep is certainly a week point for me. As you pointed out, between class, work, rehearsal, homework, and basic living, it can be difficult to find time to get a decent amount of sleep. I recognize how important it is in maintaining a healthy mind and body, so hopefully I can find more time to sleep!
ReplyDeleteGoing into my last two years at the U, I really want to focus in on some goals. Specific to this semester/year:
1) Prepare an audition binder that displays a wide variety of styles and periods to help me feel confident in the audition room. While my repertoire has expanded, I haven’t been auditioning too much with COVID and all, so I need to hunker down a bit on what I can present to auditioners.
2) Sing up to a G4 with most vowel shapes and qualities with consistency, control, and ease.
3) Be able to animate my songs with a variety of acting objectives to really get a story across without sacrificing (too much) vocal quality.
Looking forward to another great semester in person! :)
-Caleb Hunt
I really love these types of blog posts at the beginning of the year/semester. I always come into the year with personal organizational goals for myself and goals on how to improve the three main areas of musical theatre. But reading this blog post just gave me a new perspective on how to achieve my goals and also a new take on what I need to do to achieve my goals. Being a junior is really shocking and I know that I need to lock in my goals and the steps I am going to achieve those goals. But some of my goals specific to me and this year/semester are
ReplyDelete1. Solidifying my audition book. So often I find and learn a completely new audition song for every audition I go to. I think compiling a book that meets all genres, styles, and periods will help to take the stress off of always learning something new.
2. I want to continue to work my agility and also train my ear for agility. I would love to be able to create and explore my own agility but to be able to do that I fist need to work on the basics.
3. Lastly, be able to bridge my passaggio. I want to have a consistent warm tone throughout my whole voice and be able to grow and build m mix as a whole.
- Langley Hayman
Starting off with a banger Brian, this blog was a great read. I laughed a bit at the sleep section, I find myself questioning if I’m here for a dream or desire often but after this summer I’m certain it’s a desire, something I am willing to fight for.
ReplyDelete1. This year I really want to expand my book, I have a lot of golden age type songs about love. Which is great don’t get me wrong, but I know I have more to bring to the table.
2. The second thing I want to expand on is my vocal expertise. Originally I wanted to write vocal control, but its not control I need to work on, its consistency.
For this school year I have some goals in mind. The first one being Consistency. I need to make it a goal to keep the good parts of my singing consistent so that i can advance other parts of my training. my second goal is to keep practicing. this summer set me back in practicing becuase covid had a really negative outlook on how i had classes, but now i just need to keep pushing and making sure i only improve from here on out. and my last goal is to keep my singing healthy. there are times where I need to watch what i am doing with my voice and need to keep it healthy and strong so that i can keep growing at a steady pace. I am really looking forward to getting to work on new songs and work harder on songs i am used to.
ReplyDeleteThank you
Alex Fish
For this semester, my main goal is to truly put the four components of true learning (volition, desire, effort, and sleep) to work in order to better my craft and work forward in learning how to be a better singer.
ReplyDeleteThis semester, one of my goals is to continue working on my singing from a head-dominant placement in order to sustain my voice and add different colors/sounds to it. I want to get to a place where there is little effort to transition from a chest-dominant placement to a head-dominant placement.
Another one of my goals is to get more specific with my acting choices in songs. I feel like I have gotten better at acting through songs, but I feel as though there can be more specificity with the separate lines I am saying and focusing more on the moments in between the singing.
A last goal I have to be able to sing with passion and energy without sacrificing my vocal health and going back to singing heavier. Finding a good balance that feels healthy but also sounds the way I want my voice to sound.
This semester I have two main goals in mind. First off, I want to be able to discover my range and type of voice in general as I have had no prior access or training. I've always wanted to learn how to sing and learn more about it and actually be able to know all the proper ins and outs of it. The second goal is that I want to become more comfortable with singing in front of people and reducing that fear. I want to be able to comfortably sing the best I can possibly sing without fearing missing a note or being too self-conscious. I'm really excited for this semester!
ReplyDelete-Tyler Kline
My primary goal this semester is to be able to stretch my voice to include a C5 as a consistent head voice note. Included within that goal I want to be able to have everything below the C5 be in my performance range and be able to consistently CONTROL the notes during a performance. I've found that the times I've been able to perform something like a Bflat4, I was pushing the note out rather than really performing it and making it sound pretty. What I have is a good start, but I want it to be better if I want to have a Tenor Broadway range. Secondly, I want to be able to have a better understanding of sheet music and be able to read and comprehend it a lot faster. I have a very basic understanding of what's going on within most pieces of Broadway music due to my beginner musical training / self-training and my years training in the voice, but I want to be able to pick up a piece of sheet music and have a better sense of the flow of notes and how the music should sound before I begin. This would allow me to have an easier time beginning and mastering a song so that I have more time to use that song to empower my voice.
ReplyDelete-Tyler Van Oostendorp
When it comes to singing this semester, I have two goals. The first is to really brush up on my rehearsing disciplines and skills. I rarely rehearse singing in my own time, but when I do, I never have a set time or place to really allow myself to make mistakes and improve that way. I want to be able to practice in an isolated area for 20-30 minutes a day and establish a decided objective to achieve each time. My other goal is to be able to sing comfortably and consistently in a mixed voice up to a C5.
ReplyDelete-Caroline Ciet
Hi Brian! I totally agree with the 4 main components you listed are absolutely essential to becoming a healthy artist. For some of my goals this year, I want to continue some that I started last year. I want to continue pursuing a variety of genres. I focused on more classical last year and I would like to continue training in the darker tone, but I would also like to try maybe more rock rep such as Spring Awakening. Another goal of mine is to be able to convey a story better. I’ve always had my own interpretation to bring to the table but I feel as if I could always bring more. I’m so excited to work with you again Brian!! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Brian! I'd say my biggest goals this semester are to not be afraid to try new singing styles I'm not used to and to get more sleep. I tend to want to retreat to what I know but it's definitely important to be able to sing all types of things so I want to become more comfortable doing that. I've been so exhausted lately and it's only the first week so I think I also need to put a lot more effort in sleeping more.
ReplyDeleteI think my goals with singing are in line with my goals of senior year. I want to be more disciplined and on top of my work, consistent and through more than i have ever been. I think the in person classes will really allow me to do that, so i am hopeful. Also, I want to get better technique on runs and riffs, i feel like i have much improvement to make and would benefit from that skill. And finally is getting adequate sleep, i think i want to fill my days up so much sometimes it’s detrimental to my work but, i need to be better on a sleep schedule and my social life balance.
ReplyDeleteJosh W
I'd say my goals are fairly basic especially in the grand scheme of singing. My biggest is to begin learning how to healthily sing, I've had a rocky few years with singing and I think I've lost my understanding of health singing in execution and projection. I also would like to begin expanding my range. I haven't consistently sang since COVID started so I know my range has shrunk. On top of all that I need more and better sleep which means a better schedule and a rigid enforcement of that.
ReplyDeleteLuke Morton
Senior year baby, and Brian killing it on the keys as always with an insightful and well informed blogpost. Our KING. Looking ahead, there are a few things bouncing around in the pot of potentiality I'd like to see come to fruition:
ReplyDelete1. To sing mindfully, specifically while in performance. I find that the adrenaline rush that kicks in often helps bring my technique to where it's at, so to speak, as my brain is more occupied with the soothing of the parasympathetic system, and less focused on technique. Therefore, bringing awareness and mindfulness will enhance the capacity to sing with proper alignment.
2. Singing for the hell of it! Singing is fun, and for the past three years, I've been so focused on my vocal "inadequacies", I haven't connected to the joy of singing. It's something I have been working on as of recent, though it's a slow going process... and that's okay. If I can connect back to the love of it all, I am certain it will resonate in the vibrations my chords send out.
3. Finding a ritual for my practice sessions. In my personal life, I have many rituals that bring me joy, peace, comfort, and grounding that I do every day with intention and purpose (as best I can on that given day). With a new perspective and can-do attitude, I'm positive daily vocal practice will become a ritual I look forward to.
Peace, Love, and Stars
T
This year I would like to stop my bad habit of doing a little slide up into high notes that in my mind add "texture" but have come to realize that it is difficult to stop a bad habit. Secondly I would like to continue working on a solid chest to head voice transition, coming down from head to chest is a lot easier for me (probably because I worked on "I can't stand still" a lot to get it more comfortable). Third I would like to play with more texture that will get me into more interesting acting choices than trying to play with word emphasis like you can do in a monologue, you are limited in songs because the note durations are given to you already, so changing the loudness or the pointiness of a phrase could help with expression.
ReplyDeleteI want to get back into a balance with my mix and make it easier and less effortful. I also want to actually do the practice that I tell myself I'm going to do. I feel like it will help me grow more quickly and efficiently than i did last year. Right now these are what I'm going to focus on but I feel like hopefully I'll be able to focus on more when I get into the groove of the semester.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest goals this semester are really to relax into my voice and find where it sits completely naturally. After years of training in singing with a focus in vocal health and anatomy, I really want to focus on singing as an actor specifically. I want to practice really consistently and make it a necessity instead of an optional activity. I want to be focused and eager in my own personal practice as well as in class. I have a strong desire to improve and I want that desire to drive my work. Can't wait to get going! :)
ReplyDelete1. I want to improve my vocal agility this semester! I want to continue to focus on that.
ReplyDelete2. I want to continue to improve my voice's resonance this semester. I think this will help me sing vocally demanding material while keeping my voice healthy.
3. I want to expand my repertoire this semester! I want to sing songs outside of my comfort zone, to improve my well roundedness as a vocal athlete. I think this will help me bring technique to performance as well as give me more options for auditions.
This is Abby not Brian. I am being forced to type my "goals", whatver that is.
ReplyDelete-immediate goal: prepare for dem labs each week, and for upcoming callbacks.
-Semester goals include: adding new materials and dissecting my book, expanding rock/pop/jazz ability, and tackling riffing.
-Longterm goals: pros and cons of certain locations post grad, Look into other music performance jobs.
thanks luv u
this is myles, i'm being disciplined. my first goal is to be as close to the center of the pitch as often as possible. My second goal is to make my vibrato more even. (the less i force the better it sounds). my longterm goal is to build better consistency on my F# and then work up to a G and then an Ab.
ReplyDeleteMy goals this year were to increase my range, and to sing daily. I’ve done well on these goals (considering I’m writing this at the end of the semester) due to sticking with my practice schedule. My range hasn’t increased too much but I do have a better understanding of how to use voice and modify tone.
ReplyDelete-Jimi Barton