The Singers Thread

[Voronwen]

Why replace it? I mean who's your audience? Most people only know of opera, even Magic Flute, in a very vague sort of way. They barely know snatches of the arias and certainly have no idea who the characters are. Unless you make a huge point out of it, or you have someone who's an opera lover, they'll have no idea.

Haha, this is true! And i'm one of those voices that can do both roles - if the director wants a lighter-voiced Queen or a more soubrette-like Pamina. And, we never know, maybe there'll be someone in that audience who could give me an opportunity. I love singing both arias, they're like two sides of who i am as a singer. Pamina is all about the lyrical, controlled, heartbreaking pathos, and the Queen is all about the movement and the stratosphere and the glittery drama All kinds of fun!

Mini-rant: I just have to say that it stinks sharing a house with other family members. People are coming and going at all times, different schedules, needing sleep at weird times, etc that it leaves me precious few hours a week to fit in practice Ah, this too shall pass!

Re. your tension, pitch issue, etc (it's all related, imho) --- My instinct is telling me that your problem is coming from 'thinking too much'. I feel from what you've written that it'll all fall into place when you stop this kind of thinking:

I think it's really a mental thing. The tension comes from that gigantic ball of worry that I hold in the back of my head that says, "What if my voice cracks? What if the person standing next to me hates my singing? What if the director decides he doesn't like my voice any more? What if I think I'm singing well and I really sound horrible?

And it sounds like you know this already Sometimes, especially since we singers are often perfectionists (i'm guilty!!! ), we can sabotage ourselves by being our own worst enemy. We tend to get in our own way sometimes. Yes, there *is* a lot to think about, i won't pretend there isn't. But i can speak from experience and say that i've done some of my best singing when i have just let go of obsessing over technique. That's not to say that we don't have to, because we do. But we need to keep it in its place, and we can't let it become more important than expression. Once your technique is in place (ie. becomes habit), there does come a time when you need to just feel the music, and soar on its wings. Your body knows what to do.

There comes a point in time when there is a time and place for working on technique (ie. obsessing ), and a time and place for just making music.