Vocal Technique

This book is intended for teaching the college or university level singer, but would also be appropriate for teaching younger students who wish to learn a healthy vocal technique. At the university level, Vocal Technique: A Physiologic Approach is currently used to teach vocal pedagogy courses as well as voice classes and studio lessons for voice majors and minors. From the outset, the reader will discover clear and careful explanations of the physiologic singing process, including detailed information regarding anatomy, posture, breath support, phonation, resonance production and articulation. Having this knowledge will enable singers to maintain optimum technical skill and vocal health throughout a long singing or teaching career. The reader will find extensive information on voice classifications, with appropriate ranges, and a description of appropriate stage characters for each category. Within the chapter on articulation, the author provides extensive information on using the International Phonetic Alphabet, as applied to the English and Italian languages. The final chapters are dedicated to health concerns for singers and becoming an artistic performer. Here the young singer will find suggestions regarding nutrition, physical conditioning, preventing stage fright, appropriate performance attire, stage deportment, interpretation, and relating to the audience. Throughout the book, the reader will find abundant resources including clear illustrations, a specific process for learning and memorizing vocal repertoire, diction worksheets, vocal exercises, appendices of musical terms and music reading skills, as well as important terms and references at the back of each chapter. There is a full bibliography, and an index.