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Vocal Technique vs.
Style, and How to Develop a Unique Sound
by Anne Ricci
Classical Singing and R&B Singing: More Similar
Than Different
It’s fascinating to compare classical singing
and R&B singing. One could argue that they have more similarities than
differences: Both styles require that their best artists be able to perform
vocal gymnastics and at the same time maintain lyricism and good musical
phrasing. And both worlds tend to make idols out of their great singers. To
my knowledge the term “diva”, on a mass-market level, has only been applied
to these two particular styles.
Why does this idolization phenomenon occur? My best guess is that it has to
do with the thrill factor of virtuoso singing. Who doesn’t get chills down
the spine when they hear a glorious high note? If you were a singer
specializing in classical or R&B, why wouldn’t you want to be able to
produce such glorious notes yourself? For the last four centuries classical
teachers and singers have worked to develop vocal methods that facilitate
great virtuoso singing. Speaking from experience as both a singer and
teacher, the pursuit can become an obsession. When I sing a great high
note, I feel amazing; in general, when my instrument is working properly and
I am singing well, I quite literally get a high! Singing, divorced from
artistry, personal expression, and stylistic adherence, is an entirely
physical experience--and vocal technique is closer to engineering than art.
Vocal Virtuosity vs. Emotion, and How Vocal Training
Affects Your Artistry
Just like the classical world, the pop world is developing vocal methods
that facilitate virtuoso singing. Speech-level singing, fundamentally
developed by Seth Riggs, is perhaps the most renowned. As methods such as
these evolve and improve, more and more singers are finding it “easier” to
sing. From a teacher's standpoint, this is a wonderful thing. But singers
must understand that the work doesn’t stop there.
There is an opinion circulating in the R&B industry that soulful singing has
been forsaken for thrilling, emotionless, virtuoso singing and that young
singers are starting to sound disturbingly the same. It is an opinion that
I definitely agree with. The same problem persists (and has for centuries)
in the classical singing industry. Why does it occur? Let’s start with the
‘forsaking of soulful singing for thrilling, emotionless, virtuoso singing’
part.
The moment you decide to begin the journey of technically
training your voice, you immediately make yourself vulnerable to becoming
emotionally disconnected from your singing. You are suddenly sending
messages to your brain that vocal production takes a lot more brain activity
than it used to; in other words, you are becoming consciously aware while
you sing. You may suddenly hear a little voice in your head that likes to
tell you when you are singing correctly and when you’re not. Part of your
training will be how to deal with that voice. Ideally, as your technique
improves and your instrument begins to believe the new habits you are
reinforcing are worth holding on to, that voice will grow fainter and you
will be able to concentrate more fully again on what is most
important: singing with an emotional connection.
Unfortunately, many singers never get back to what is most
important. Why? Well, vocal training is hard, but being emotionally involved
in front of an audience or say, a panel of judges who are critiquing you, is
way harder. Overly obsessing about vocal technique can become a defense
mechanism, protecting your true feelings from the listener. At the same
time, it can become obstructive to singing with any sense of
musicality; it’s hard to keep a consistent beat and sing on pitch with that
silly little voice constantly jabbering and interrupting your
concentration! At some point in your career as a vocally trained singer,
you have to decide whether you want to be an artist, or just a craftsman.
Speaking from personal experience, it is without question more satisfying to
take the leap of faith and return to your heart.
Why So Many Young R&B Singers Sound Alike in Today's Music
Industry, and How to Develop a Unique Sound
Why is it that so many young singers in the R&B industry are
sounding so alike these days? Part of it, I believe, is that they have
spent too much time listening to other singers and not enough time listening
to themselves. Stop saying to yourself that you want
to sound like Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston. An artist does not pretend
to be someone else. It may be remarkable if a singer can mimic a well-known
artist, but it’s not moving. An artist believes that his or her emotional
life warrants expression to the outside world.
So how do you develop a unique sound? You can start by
listening to yourself sing. Tape-record yourself singing in the raw,
without the benefits of excessive reverb and a studio engineer. Nothing is
more humbling! At first you’ll probably only hear the flaws (or what you
think your flaws are…), but if you can handle subjecting yourself to further
humiliation, listen again and again. You may begin to hear colors in your
voice you never noticed before. You may realize that your middle voice has
a sweet tender quality, or that you have a really steely, grainy chest
voice. If there are qualities that you come to love in your sound, hold on
to them!
How to Work with a Voice Teacher
If you’re working with a teacher, be honest about what you do or don’t want
fixed. One of my favorite students recently told me he’d like to keep a
breathy quality to his tone on a particular song. I couldn’t come up with
an argument against it after hearing him add the breathy quality. It was
very effective. We just worked on having him support the sound with better
breath control. It’s so important that the student and teacher have an open
line of communication at all times. It is especially important if a student
truly wants to nurture a unique sound.
If you are in the market for a teacher, make sure you shop
around. Take trial lessons with more than one person. The teacher/student
relationship is very intimate, and if you want to get the most out of it
make sure you align yourself with someone you feel comfortable with. Once
you’ve found someone to help you with technique, go out there and work with
as many musical coaches as you can. Style is both strict and subjective.
Everyone you work with will have something unique to offer you. Be open to
hearing it all and take what you want from it. Taking what you want is your
prerogative as a student. You’re the one shelling out the money after all.
How our Culture Affects the Type of Singers Consumers Want
to Hear, and The Music Industry's Role
For all this talk about choosing artistry over craftsmanship, it is
important to recognize just how high the odds are stacked against unique
sounding singers. We live in an era where virtuosity is valued over intimacy
in singers. Most likely there are great cultural implications as to why this
is happening. I would argue that with the evolution of convenience culture
we are becoming less and less tolerant of art that challenges us to
self-reflect; it’s just so much easier to zone out and be wowed by the vocal
fireworks display rather than allow a song to really penetrate our souls and
ignite feelings we might not be entirely comfortable with. Due to the fact
that they are faced with such a self-satisfied consumer population, the
record companies are less willing to take risks on unique artists. The same
recycled formula for a singer seems to be selling just fine. In such a
harsh environment it is hard to argue for the life of an artist.
Regardless of what you decide about your level of commitment to artistry,
the life of a singer is difficult with few rewards for the majority of
singers out there. Your passion, oftentimes, is your only tangible asset.
My advice is: Nurture it and make it grow. Your soul will thank you for it.
Anne Ricci is a
professional classical singer and voice teacher who resides in New York
City. She received her Masters’ degree in Vocal Performance at the
prestigious Manhattan School of Music and has been singing regionally and
internationally ever since. She has a diverse and thriving voice studio
that includes classical, country, pop, musical theatre, and rock musicians.
Feel free to contact Anne Ricci via email at
aericci@hotmail.com if you live in the New York area and are looking for
someone to help you figure out your vocal instrument and all of its
possibilities.
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