Unleashing the Expressive Resonant Voice

Kim Mattice Wanat, Unleashing the Expressive Resonant Voice. Edmonton, AB: Elite Lithographic, 2007. Paper, 140 pp., $44.95; DVD with demonstrations $25.00; package with both book and DVD, $65.00. ISBN 978-0-97282779-0-1 www.operanuova@shaw.ca A truism of pedagogy is that teachers are the products of both formal training and life experiences. Kim Mattice Wanat, author of Unleashing the Expressive Resonant Voice, is no exception. Wanat is a singer and actor who melded the two disciplines in her teaching after attending intensive summer programs taught by Wesley Balk and Richard Miller. Her own experiences as a performer and director, coupled with speech training in her childhood, combine to form a pedagogic approach with a unique and useful perspective. Wanat explains her methodology in a single sentence: Every element of this vocal method is based upon communicating with a clear intention. This clarity of purpose directs the breath, the onset, and the release; gives freedom and resonance to the tone; and imbues the singer's stance with confidence. The intention encompasses the use of the voice, the face, and the body. Emphasis upon communication, however, does not preclude an understanding of the physiology and function of the voice. The author identifies three pillars of vocal technique: breath, onset/release, and resonance. She explains each component, and then identifies common problems and their solutions. The goal of communication is where Wanat begins her explanation of breath. She draws upon her training in theater and summarizes it thus: We think a thought; we breathe to fuel that thought, and then we communicate. In lessons, it is important to emphasize communication, for it will foster effective breathing. It is one of the reasons that Wanat advocates introducing the expressive mode early in vocal training. Similarly, the onset and release of the tone-the second pillar of technique identified by Wanat-is firmly rooted in the impetus of communication. Many difficulties can be addressed through the correlation between speech and singing. If students speak with the correct onset and release, they should use speech as a model for their singing; if their speaking habits are interfering with free production, those behaviors must be modified. The final component of technique is resonance. Wanat disagrees with the practice of having young singers focus entirely on their head voice; instead, she believes that novice vocalists must know that low, middle, and high resonance are a part of every note they sing. She argues singers must balance their resonance (she eschews the use of the term register), and avoidance of the issue with beginning singers is merely postponing the inevitable. She also maintains that beginning singers should be encouraged to explore their instruments, even if that includes some less than beautiful sounds. …

Récupéré en direct depuis OpenAlex et désinversé. Les résumés ne sont pas conservés dans cette base de données : les index inversés représentent 8,6 Go des 9,3 Go de texte de la base, et le serveur dispose de 13 Go libres.