Daily Voice Cart Part 3: Preparing an Operapart

I work with high level performing artists , with whom I make an extramindful preparation plan.
This means, we work the part mindful and when the time allows gently in the voice. For example pushing your voice in dramatic sound to fullfill the requests of dramatic sound is a completly wrong path and the risk is there of falling into bad habits of tension and other compensations that will be difficult to unlearn. In my opinion and according to my results in my own professional life and in the performance life of my artists it is a healthier way first to show the singer the special kind of self-awareness, so that he or she feels that every operasound has to be sung without strain in the voice. The singer needs patience to go through this process then he or she will get the way of steady progress. Once the singer has digest the healthy route to sing it is easy to put the dramatic into the piece. I remember when I sang Butterfly I started 3 months before the rehearsal time at the opera house started to sing it into my voice and to learn everything around the character etc. Then, when stagerehearsals start, I felt so easy in the part that I could fully concentrate on the character and staging.
Your body sensations and your mind and your emotions work together and all three are wired into voice. To understand this and to stay attentive to the process of feeling the voice is effortless singing is the important thing for keeping your voice healthy.
In my everyday teaching I see that it takes the crystal clear intention of the singer to trust in this profound work process. Singers who get involved in my special well-foundet way of working, which I have created, experience fullfilment and success in their performamces.
The magic pill you cannot find in a quick way , the magic pill lies in trust that your day by day self work will bring the result and hopefully with the help of a trustful voice teacher you will learn in a profound training or retraining to understand your individual vocal production.
Merry Christmas and a blessed time for you and your loved ones . Toi toi toi for all my wonderful singers, who have concerts and performances coming up the next 2 weeks. Next weekly Nugget comes 2018.
You are also welcome to find out more about Methode Stimmkunst 2018
With appreciation and warmest wishes
Vera

Good Morning Singers

Today part 3 about auditioning
In the former weekly nuggets I concentrated on how to prepare for an audition and what you need in your presentation folder. Yeah, you’ve got an invitation for an audition or a request to send an audio or video beforehand! Most important is: Send an audio or video only, if it is without any musical faults (what means no rhythm mistakes, all dynamics the composer wanted, no question in vocal technique, etc.). Choose only an aria or artsong that you can manage to sing with ease and effortless. A theatre or an agent is interested to listen to a recording which shows what you can do now. Pieces you are working at and “Fach Changes” you are working at do not belong in the audible equipment of an application. On top of all this you have to take into consideration that people who get your audio or video recording can listen to it often and it will never give the same impression as you would give in a live audition. I remember when I sang for an adviser for singing career years ago in New York, how penetrating he insisted that one should only send super polished audible materials. So, it is worthwhile to work on your presentation until every puzzle is so convincing that all your competitors are left behind and the theatre has no other choice than to take you!
With my appreciation
Vera