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Voice Training CD's ?Date: January 21, 2010
Greetings all
I had one of my HS tenors ask me if there were some good voice training CD's that he could use while driving in the car and thought I'd ask here for some recommendations. Doing a quick search there are many out there but I'd like to know if there are some really great ones out there (or the turkeys to avoid).
So, any thoughts would be great!
Thanks
Christopher McCloskey Replies (7): Threaded | Chronological
Allen H Simon on January 21, 2010 8:39am
Singing in the car is to be discouraged; the high ambient noise and the reclining posture make it difficult to sing well. One can do note drill in the car, but it's impractical to develop good singing technique there.
Joanna Cazden on January 22, 2010 9:39am
as a speech therapist/singing coach I strongly agree... even here in Los Angeles where people spend so much time in the car, I discourage any singing beyond easy lip-buzz or tongue-trill warmups. Better to spend the time listening to repertoire, memorizng lyrics from an audio track; or as useful solitude: checking-in with one's mood, physical fatigue/tension, letting-go-of-anxieties etc. so that one is more prepared to relax/focus and sing well at the destination! Mouth looseners/warmups or diction drills can also be useful, silently or quietly. And stay off the d**m car phone... :D
on January 21, 2010 9:19am
The CD accompanying Larra Browning Henderson's. How to Train Singers, 2nd edition (Parker Publishing) is especially useful.
S
on January 21, 2010 9:29pm
I can't say that there aren't such CDs, but I must point out that the most valuable thing a teacher brings to voice lessons are a pair of educated ears and the vocabulary to give the student meantingful and helpful feedback. Remember that no one can hear his or her own voice as others hear it. If there are such CDs, I quite honestly can't envision how they would approach voice training in a general rather than a personal manner.
Now learning music from recordings is a different question. I see no problem with that, just with trying to work on technique without getting feedback from a live teacher.
All the best,
John
on January 22, 2010 9:02am
I have been reminding myself about the CD accompanying Larra Browning Henderson's book, How to Train Singers.
In her own introducation of the CD, she makes clear that this is not a lesson recording but, instead, recorded examples
of the various vocalizes in the book. She, further, recommends one to stand while singing the examples.
You Choralnet veterans may remember that I am a staunch supporter of this method. The teacher who taught me this method, Dr. Phillip Ewart,
was Ms. Henderson's student evidently while she was developing the book. Dr. Ewart and this method, saved my voice after I had carried
too much heaviness in my voice away with me from studying in Germany and subsequently with German-trained Wagnerians in America.
In my doctoral vocal recital, I sounded like a singer twice my 30 years of age and a very aged singer at that. My voice, since then, has grown and become much better as I have aged. I am now 62 with no hint of "age" (my voice--unfortunately, not me).
In no way is this book and CD a replacement for the skilled voice teacher. In fact, I might have been left in the dust had I not studied with Dr. Ewart who was able to weed through her own somewhat convoluted writing. In fact, her writing seemed as if dictated and then transcribed as is.
Still, I recommend the book and its demonstration CD to any student or teacher of singing in any stage of development. The singers on the recording, not surprizingly, are the very models of her method and singing in general. As I am writing this note and listening to the CD, I can sympathetically feel that everything is just right with these singers--both male and female exemplars.
The first edition of How to Train Singers dates from 1979. I studied with Dr. Ewart in 1983. I remember that I had seen examples of video tapes
of Ms. Henderson and students demonstrating the techniques. and there was much clucking about this being, somehow, manipulation in someway different that any other teacher or technique does. Susinctly put: POO!
S
on January 22, 2010 9:13am
www.vocalcoach.com
I use them frequently - and though it has taken a long time - his products work.
Especially favorite are the work out CD's and Expanding Your Range.
Singing is an individual thing - and honestly - the breakthoughs I have happen on my own.
Make sure you mention the ambient noise in the car - and suggest extreme caution to sing carefully in the car.
In Harmony
Sean
on January 22, 2010 11:31am
As said above, singing in the car is strongly discouraged, unless you have a hybrid car and it's running on electrical power when you sing. Otherwise, you will raise your voice to hear yourself over the noise of the gas motor and will introduce tension into your vocal folds and vocal musculature, which you will then have to work twice as hard after that to get rid of.
Meanwhile, a great CD to do vocal warm-ups with is made by Kathleen Van de Graaff and can be ordered online at http://www.domenicoproducts.com/index.html.
Best of luck,
Lorraine
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