Training the Singing Voice - online book

An exploration of the theories, methods & techniques of Voice training.

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	CONCEPTS OF VOCAL PEDAGOGY	27
	dynamic factor. "Not only must the proper degree of muscular contrac­tion be present, but it must be present at the proper moment." Experi­mental measurements indicate "the remarkable fineness" with which these muscular coordinations take place. [Ortmann 437] Another princi­ple of vocal action is reported by Stevens and Miles: "The contributing sets of muscles [e.g., in respiration and phonation] act synchronously rather than consecutively." [583] Furthermore, muscles in the body always act in antagonistic interrelationships; that is, "no muscle acts by itself, it is always acting against an opponent." [Shakespeare 517, p. xiv] Thus, the contraction of one muscle always involves the corresponding stretching of another muscle and vice versa. [Orton 439, p. 54] The term coordination is used to describe "the action of the controlling principle in the brain whereby the different parts [muscles] of the body are made to work harmoniously" and in constant equilibrium. [Macken­zie $64] Vocal muscular coordinations cannot yet be measured accurately. But their contributing or component muscular actions can be minutely described and thus group coordinations can be approximately and syn­thetically inferred from separate investigations of subordinate parts. [Stanley 577, p. 304] According to Swain, "balanced coordinative coopera­tion" o£ all the vocal muscles and their related parts should be the foun­dational objective of any system of training the singing voice. [598j (See also Chapter in.) Finally, Herbert-Gaesari finds that singing involves the coordination of many variables, such as vowel shape, attack, pitch, vol­ume, breath control, resonance and relaxation- He therefore maintains that coordination is the keynote of all systems of vocal training. [269, p. xiv] IS STANDAIIDIZATION OF VOCAL TRAINING POSSIBLE? The term standardization refers to the common acceptance of certain general teaching objectives by all teachers of singing, and also the adop­tion and use of commonly accepted teaching methods and procedures. Method is defined as a definite system or procedure followed by a teacher in pursuing a given objective; it is a means to an end. (W) Out of 31 opinions gathered on this controversial topic, 13 support the belief that certain basic vocal training procedures and techniques can be standard­ized and 18 are opposed to standardization. Supporting standardization. Shaw claims that "the only thing that can be standardized in voice production is that part which can be measured," Insofar as voice training involves laws that govern the exact sciences (e.g., anatomy, physiology, physics, acoustics) standard teaching procedures can