Sound tapestries:

Developing a spectrum of color

in the women’s voices.

Sandra Snow, Ph.D.

Michigan State University
slsnow@msu.edu
 Overview of session

  Explore relationship of breath to tone

  Vowel color and modifications

  Development of resonance and vitality

  Coloration as contextualized in repertoire

examples
 Breath and the Body
Disconnect
  western culture and institutionalized
singing
  social and developmental challenges
  distinguishing breathing (unconscious)
and breathing for singing (conscious)
  connecting body to breath
 Breath as body: exercises
  physical preparation (ex: open
sternum; establish height and width;
tall hips)
  sirens, sighs: hook to breath/
resonators
  deliberate body breathing
  Body follows voice in endless ways
 Transition to tone
  Choose resonator-friendly vowels
(closed) such as [i] or [e].
  Work mid-range downward
  Marry with kinesthetic rein forcers
  Insist on connection to breath by involving
body in transition
  Conductor/teacher as vocal model
 Listening examples
  Solfege scales: insist on connection to
vowels and breath.
  Unison/open fifth/clusters
  Experiment with coloration
  “sing it caramel, chocolate, icicle,
fairy-dust, etc.
 Vowels: key to developing
color
  Choose closed vowels in initial voice-
building with choirs and transition to
open vowels when singers can:
  Remember sensation of closed, forward,
mask-friendly sounds
  Support tone consistently on breath
  [i], [e] [o]; pair [a],[I], and [E] with closed
sound
 Listening vs. blend
  Singers should use natural instrument, not
aspire to sounding manufactured.
  Encourage listening. Blending implies
subjugating personal sound for single ideal
  Create ongoing opportunities for listening in
warm-up and rehearsal
  Standing placement a key factor
 Building color through
repertoire

  The all-soprano team

  What kind of soprano are you?
  Avoid alto label
  Refer to asﾉ groupsﾉ or upper/middle/lower
sopﾉmezzosﾉ.etc.
 Repertoire examples:
  Mid-range color
  Stroope Lux Aeterna

  Low-range color
  “alto sandwich” Basler/Adorable Flujo
  High range
  Adorable Flujo/Basler
 Vocal Color as Expressive
Device
  Cadences and coloration:meno/full
  Text coloration:specific words
  Stylistic coloration
  Have a sound ideal for each piece
 coloration
  Walk in Jerusalem/Dilworth
 Key principles:
  Singers have distinct voiceprints that can be
cultivated for a multidimensional color
tapestry
  Consistency is developed through conductor/
teacher as model; variety of repertoire;
“tonal umbrella” focus during all skill-
building
  If focus on voice-building and breath,
intonation is rarely an issue.
 Powerpoint available:

http://web.me.com/slsnow