A Critical Comment
Today I got a comment from an anonymous reader criticizing
my analysis of Christina Aguilera's rendition of "The Voice Within" live in London.
The commenter said,
You know Christina has not had any singing lessons right [sic] so she doesnt [sic] follow any "singing techniques" she does what she feels, so where you say "fatigue" those points are her 'technique". Really, what is "proper vocal technique" and if so who came up with it, probably someone who doesnt sing in the style of Christina, and at the University I am at, does not even teach technique of such. I have read so many books on singing, because i [sic] am writing my thesis, spoken to many teachers of singing and have asked them about "proper vocal techniques" and they all told me something different and the teachers who didnt [sic] like Christina's way couldnt [sic] sing like her, and the ones who loved her had a voice and style similar to her.
I addressed some of the concerns in the comments section of the above post, but I really liked the point made about "proper vocal technique" and wanted to clarify what I think that means.
What Proper Vocal Technique Means to Me
When it comes to singing, and especially when singers seek advice from many professional voice teachers, I can see how it may often be thought there is one right technique for singing, which often times takes the form of learning a classically trained sound. I know many students who come to me frustrated that they want to learn pop or rock singing and their previous teacher only "allowed" classical singing, technique, and repertoire because they thought that was the best, healthiest, and no doubt "proper" way to sing. Over my many years of singing, teaching, and studying the voice - I have found that there is no singular correct way to sing, stylistically, that is. You can sing pop, rock, musical theatre, hardcore death metal, folk, flamenco and opera and sing them correctly.
The problem (and the source of frustration for many singers) is that not every voice is fit to sing every genre, and in each genre each singer must determine his or her strengths as well as limitations to discover what I would consider "proper vocal technique" for each individual. For example, I will never sound like Christina Aguilera, but that does not mean I, or anyone else who does not achieve her considerable level of talent are not good singers, it just means they were endowed with other strengths vocally. Similarly, neither we nor Ms. Aguilera are destined to never have "proper vocal technique" - we just find it in our own way. The challenge is learning to love the voice you have been given, try to stretch to achieve new sounds and styles if you can, but not feel disappointed if you cannot achieve a particular style. This is an important lesson to learn in singing as well as in every area of life.
At its most basic level, "proper vocal technique" is a way of producing whatever sounds you wish to make safely and in a way that brings out the best features of your voice in your chosen repertoire. This may sound rather vague and you might still wonder "Well, how do I get there?"
So, How Do You GET Proper Technique?
How one achieves proper vocal technique is 100% dependent upon their ability to know, either with or without a teacher (studying with a talented teacher can make all the difference), if the sounds they are making are healthy and usable for the long-term viability of their singing career. Achieving proper vocal technique requires daily practice and commitment to careful observation and evaluation of one's voice over time. The voice can change so much over the course of one's life and it is important to recognize those changes and make certain you know what to do if something becomes challenging. The commenter says Christina never had any formal vocal training, and while I cannot confirm or deny this statement, I believe it is misleading.
Formal training or not, to assume that Christina does not take care to know her voice in detail and practice her music and her craft in a dedicated, meticulous way would be a mistake. Every talented person - whether they are a singer, dancer, golfer, or marathon runner - practices and knows their body and their craft at a very deep level - even if it seems to come completely naturally to them. I find when people claim they've had "no training" it is just another way of saying "the training is not difficult, it doesn't feel like training, it comes naturally." Furthermore, no hopeful singer should ever be fooled into thinking you are either born with talent or not, that it cannot be systematically cultivated.
There are singers who are powerhouses in their younger years, only to find the beauty and strength fade too soon. Maria Callas is a famous example of this. Callas was known for always singing full voice and putting massive amounts of effort, energy, and emotion into her singing. She also sang very heavy repertoire, and it seemed her voice could handle it. However, as she aged, she suffered from physical deterioration of her voice and some believe that her tumultuous personal and emotional life added to the stress she encountered. Could something have saved Callas' voice? Perhaps. Perhaps if she did not push her voice into heavier repertoire it would have lasted longer, perhaps if she took better care of herself physically and emotionally there would not have been such a toll on her vocally. I cannot tell for certain, but from my experience with many students in my studio - I know that learning a few healthy vocal habits, learning the correct vocal tessitura, or discovering the best types of songs to sing can provide students with greater joy, ease, and longevity in singing. To me, this means they have found their "proper vocal technique" and it is different with each person.
I hope this post gave you something to think about and perhaps clarified common misconceptions about what is "proper vocal technique."
