ANATS Vic Newsletter February 2010
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A review of Dr Scott McCoy’s recent Melbourne Masterclass by Jenny Caire
‘An Inside View’ Dr Scott McCoy
Melbourne Girls’ Grammar Sunday 25 October 2009
Scott McCoy is Professor of Voice and Pedagogy, Director of the Presser Music Center Voice
Laboratory, and Director of Graduate Studies at Westminster Choir College of Rider University.
He is the current President of NATS, ANATS’ counterpart in the United States. Dr McCoy’s
multimedia voice science and pedagogy textbook, Your Voice: An Inside View, is used
extensively by universities and colleges in the United States.
This workshop provided a wonderful opportunity to catch up with other ANATS
members, particularly those who had come from interstate – Marilyn Smith from
Tasmania, Rowena Cowley our new National President from NSW and Liz
Pascoe from WA. This workshop was well attended – almost 40 participants and
the venue was excellent
Dr Scott McCoy proved to be an engaging speaker with an appealing sense of
humour. Early in the day he convincingly asserted that the uvula is responsible
for vibrato, thus demonstrating that a so-called ‘expert’ can spout incorrect
information that is likely to be believed by listeners! (We, of course, all knew the
statement to be false … didn’t we!)
Dr McCoy’s first 2 hour session, ‘Establishing a Fact-Based Pedagogy’ discussed
the important contribution of both Art & Science in Voice Teaching – they are not
incompatible, as each informs and complements the other. I did feel, however,
that he could have made his point in much less time without a detailed excursion
into car mechanics. (Full points, though to our Vice-President Carole who was
correctly able to identify a piston -maybe she moonlights as a mechanic…)
Dr McCoy encouraged us not to abandon time honoured methods such as
metaphor/imagery and to have a foundation of reality to undergird what we do
with our students. He emphasised the importance of talking to students in a
language they can individually relate to, while remaining grounded in reality.
Discussion on learning and skills acquisition identified analytic vs kinaesthetic
learners and the importance of tailoring our instructions to the needs of our
students. Dr McCoy made the point that 2 – 4 repetitions of an exercise at
different pitch levels is more effective than many repetitions of the same exercise
at different pitches. The process of mastering a skill is more successful when the
tasks are varied and students learn more when they are ‘told’ less. It is good to
be reminded of this – as teachers we may eagerly ‘impart’ information which may
be more successfully learned if our students are encouraged to discover it for
themselves.
Dr McCoy’s examples and discussions of acoustics and spectrograms provided a
basic introduction for those who are unclear in this area. His use of different
shaped tubes and also hand signals were a helpful way to develop understanding
of this complex subject. In such a group with a wide range of knowledge it is
difficult to know where to pitch information but I am sure that we all felt
challenged to develop our understanding in this area.
The amazing capabilities of some of the software he presented were very
interesting and there were several brave souls among us who were prepared to
demonstrate! Dr McCoy played recordings of Pavarotti and Domingo singing the
same excerpt and it was most enlightening to observe the acoustic display on the
spectrogram. Despite the fact that the Phonetogram (voice range profile) and
Linear Predictive Coding (estimating formant frequencies and intensities) are
probably not going to be utilised in the studios of most teachers, it was interesting
to see their capabilities.
Voice Science is still in its infancy and there are various ways of describing voice
qualities and registers within the profession. Awareness of chest/head
resonance is a way of defining registers used by many voice teachers. There are
also bio-mechanical characteristics which can be used to identify voice quality
and I find these are more useful in my own singing and teaching.
Dr McCoy stated that we cannot voluntarily engage the Cricothyroid (CT) muscle.
While independent CT action may not be possible as muscles rarely work in
isolation, voice science is in agreement that CT is responsible for lengthening
and thinning the vocal folds in pitch raising. This is accomplished through thyroid
cartilage tilting, which is facilitated by CT contraction. It is possible to have a
kinaesthetic awareness of the thyroid cartilage tilting and therefore to voluntarily
engage CT – and it is also observable on endoscopy when the anterior aspect of
the vocal folds is seen to lengthen and stretch.
I assume that we are all aware of vocal health issues as listed below, but it
doesn’t hurt to be reminded…
Dr McCoy’s 12 steps for Vocal Health are, in a nutshell:
1. Maintain good speaking habits
2. Sing well with healthy technique
3. Moderation – rest if vocally tired
4. Hydration
5. Rest
6. Good hygiene
7. Avoid unnecessary drug use and know the consequences (including
alcohol, caffeine, antihistamines etc)
8. Stay physically fit
9. Practise safe sex (STDs especially unprotected oral sex can affect the
larynx)
10. Wear your seat belt – it protects your larynx from the steering wheel in a
crash
11.Don’t sing if your voice is impaired by a cold/flu etc
12.Know a good ENT
Dr Mc Coy complimented Australian teachers on how up-to-date and interested
he has found his audiences to be. It was gratifying to be reminded that the
‘tyranny of distance’ doesn’t stop Australian teachers from keeping up with the
latest developments in voice research and pedagogy. We are indeed fortunate to
have some highly knowledgeable and qualified voice scientists and teachers in
this country.
I would encourage ANATS members to support all professional development
offered by our chapter and to spread the word to colleagues in order to continue
the information sharing and knowledge building that occurs at such events.
Many thanks to the hard working Victorian Committee, Robyn Cooper-Bugg, and
President Wendy Todd for their organisation of this workshop.
Accompanists List - An ANATS Vic Resource
Do you or your students need an Accompanist? Your ANATS Vic committee is pleased to provide the following list of talented accompanists to assist with lessons, exams and recitals across a variety of styles.
Review - VCE Masterclass for Students and Teachers!
VCE Singing Masterclass for Students and Teachers - New Classical and Contemporary Popular Syllabus.
Mentone Grammar School
Sunday May 20th, 2007.
In front of an audience of 25, Kathryn Sadler and Wendy Todd presented an educational and informative session introduced by Carole McKenzie,Vice President of ANATS(Vic).
Pianists Susan Crawshaw and Lewis Plumridge accompanied VCE students.
Erin, Lucinda, Kate, Taya, Ellen, Laura, Chantelle, Ann Marie, Spencer and Lucy who presented a wide variety of songs from Mozart (Un Moto Di Gioa), Sullivan(A Simple Sailor) Faure (En Priere), Bononcini(Per la Gloria), Rodger(What’s the Use of Wond’ring) and Grever(What a Difference a Day Makes).
Kate and Wendy skilfully honed in on specific areas to improve each performance. Suggestions made included:
- Each person will have an optimum number of performances they must present before feeling comfortable singing in front of an audience. Use each one - take as many opportunities to perform as possible to get your quota!
- Pitch begins in your head – prepare before you make sound!
- Strong consonants
- Strong posture
- Silent intake of breath
- Breathe early
- When executing semiquaver runs, remove the ‘h’ from each note
- If you make a mistake don’t give yourself away – keep acting!
- Dress for the occasion
- Practise ornaments as staccato on a vowel to secure pitches, then join them on a single vowel before adding words
- Exaggerate dynamics
- Only use nasal twang for character voices in music theatre
- Don’t be afraid to use speech quality in contemporary repertoire
Wendy Todd (Victorian ANATS President) prepared a handout on the differences between the old and new contemporary voice syllabus. Any ANATS members who would like a copy of this, please email jcaire@alphalink.com.au and one will be forwarded to you.
Review - AMEB Singing for Leisure
On Sunday August 27th the Victorian Chapter of ANATS and the Victorian Music Teachers’ Association in conjunction with the AMEB presented an afternoon on ‘Singing for Leisure’. Professor Lyn Casey-Brereton discussed the new pilot syllabus and answered many questions from teachers. She made the point that singing for other people’s pleasure demands certain standards of excellence, stressing the importance of participation in music making. For many, particularly young students, the broad popular repertoire listed provided a relevant and comfortable starting point for their vocal studies.
Lyn discussed the differences between the current classical syllabus and the new syllabus:
- fewer scales and exercises
- memorisation requirements
- broad range of popular repertoire
- free choice item
- appropriate additions to the objectives
- choice between sight reading and aural tests
A useful handout (provided by Melinda Cerisoli) covered the major differences between classical and contemporary singing. This chart provided a basis for further discussion which included
- appropriate accompaniments
- transposition to suitable keys
- use of chest voice and belting
- desirability of individual approach
- improvisation and the importance of characterisation in music theatre
Lyn emphasised the importance of the scales included in the syllabus. These scales are carefully and logically graded. In early vocal studies it is essential to learn how to listen and how to hear. Scales and exercises are absolutely necessary to improve ear, eye, musicianship skills and vocal technique. Lyn was asked to comment upon her approach to examining this syllabus. She outlined this as follows, bearing in mind the criteria in the syllabus:
- a convincing performance in the chosen genre(ie coming across!)
- stylistic awareness linked to appropriate vocal quality
- clear diction (allowing for the particular style)
- imaginative interpretation, including freedom of expressive elements
- ease of vocal delivery (no forced or ‘screamed’ tone)
- personal involvement and individuality
- reliable intonation
- enjoyment
At the beginning of the second section of the workshop Alwyn Mott, State Manager of the AMEB informed the audience about the processes used by the AMEB for the development of a new syllabus.
Jenny Caire (at very short notice due to the unavailability of Melinda Cerisoli) presented three young students - Iona Roy, Laura Seymour and Josh Piterman. These singers performed some works from the syllabus and some from contemporary music theatre. The students spoke about their own approach to the songs – how they felt about each song and how not to sing them! Their performances demonstrated the different stages of development of these young singers and were much appreciated by the audience. Many thanks to Kellie Ryan whose ability to accurately ‘read the notes’ and also to accompany within the style of each piece and with sensitivity to the singer, was in evidence.
This session was attended by VMTA and ANATS members and also by some students and teachers not members of either association.
A Toast to Bettine!
Bettine McCaughan, OAM, one of Australia’s well-known and respected voice teachers, celebrated her 80th birthday on June 13.
The Victorian Chapter of the Australian National Association of Teachers of Singing and the Lieder Society of Victoria combined to co-host a special afternoon in honour of Bettine and her great contribution particularly to opera singing in this country.
Bettine was a founding member of both ANATS and the Lieder Society and was also on the staff of the Ronald Dowd Bathurst Summer School for Singers. She has taught at both the Melbourne University Conservatorium of Music and the Melba Conservatorium. Bettine has trained 7 Herald-Sun Aria winners, the first of whom was Jonathan Summers. Many of the hundreds of students trained by Bettine have gone on to international success and are working overseas.
The afternoon celebration on Sunday June 18th was held at Cameron Close, Burwood, where Bettine and fellow singing teacher Joan Arnold, OBE, reside. It was attended by over 200 guests who were entertained by some of Bettine’s former students including Carole McKenzie, herself a Sun Aria Winner.
Review - Music Theatre Workshop with Queenie van de Zandt
Sunday, May 28th 2006, Carlton, Victoria
Report by Martine Halliday, Frankston
As Contemporary singing teachers, my husband Ron & I are always thrilled when ANATS offer workshops on contemporary themes.
I was delighted to attend Queenie van de Zandt’s afternoon on choosing & preparing an audition song for Musical Theatre. A gifted raconteur, Queenie delighted her eager audience with anecdotes of her own music-theatre experiences whilst providing us with invaluable tips in preparing our singers for a successful audition experience.
Queenie approached the session from an actor’s point of view maintaining that technique should only be there to facilitate the singer being able to do what they want with their voices. Beyond that, any vocal choices the singer makes should stem from the dramatic interpretation of the text (rather than what they think “sounds good”). As part of the song/script analysis the singer needs to look at the song & determine the character’s journey, from the previous moment to the resolution.
Queenie demonstrated this journey herself as she sang from her own repertoire. This was fabulous! She maintains that singers should have an uptempo & slow song from the different genres (including rock, legit, comedy, contemporary etc) to ensure auditioning with the appropriate material.
One of the great points to come out of the session was that we shouldn’t get hung up on trying to make our students always sound “beautiful” in music-theatre repertoire. Contemporary theatre music requires the singer to be able to portray a wide range of characters where they need to be able to access a wide range of vocal qualities to play the character authentically - not all of which are “attractive”!
Queenie finished the session by working with one of her students, however due to time constraints this part was all too brief. It was hard to be disappointed though as Queenie had presented her invaluable information in such an entertaining & accessible manner.
Thanks Queenie!
Thanks ANATS!