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CONCEPTS OF VOCAL PEDAGOGY »9
i. Each singer must discover his own technique by himself. "The teacher only holds the light for him." [Conklin 121, p. 9; Brown 68]
2. The best method is always the one that suits the particular needs of the individual using it. [Stock 589]
3. "There is no such thing as standardizing" a vocal method. [Skiles 561]
4. "Every throat is built differently." Every singer must therefore find his own method, the best one being that which feels easiest. [Feo-dor Chaliapin 95; Stella Roman 475]
5. "I am vigorously opposed to any 'set* method of vocal instruction." [Charles Hackett 219]
6. "No hard and fast rule can apply to everyone." [Paul Althouse 9]
7. Stereotyped vocal methods should be avoided because they limit the singer to only one type of placement. [Witherspoon 676]
8. Even when two voices seem fundamentally alike at first, their development "may work out on quite opposite lines." [Geraldine Farrar 170]
9. "No 'set' method can be given since no two pupils experience the same difficulties." [Elizabeth Schumann 498]
10. "Our voices are just as individual as our features"; each individual therefore has his own distinctive style of expression. [Blather-wick 16; 50]
Methods of Vocal Pedagogy
psychological approach
Importance of the psychological approach. In 65 statements that were gathered in this area the importance of some form of mental training is emphasized. "The education of the mind . . . comes first in the exploitation of every art," says Marafioti. This includes the consideration of such factors as intellectual training, inspirational and emotional effects and those intangible aesthetic features of singing "which do not belong to the voice in its simple form of physical sound." [368, pp. 55 and 56] Toren discusses this point as follows: "If we believe that good singing must have a spiritual and mental, as well as a physical basis, then it becomes a part of the teacher's task to help in the development of those aspects** of singing which are purely psychological. [618] Shaw declares that a better understanding of this relationship between spiritual and physical factors in singing will "sound the key note of future progress , . . in vocal art." |
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