Quiz Nine Scores

Hoot like a you know what!

AM19 - 13/12
daddyzlittleangel - 13/12

dreams - 13/12

Flossy - 12/12

Jillian - Absent

maviecestmusique - 13/12

potato splat - 9/12

Shoedeedoodoo - 12/12

Thedairyqueen - 11/12

Alicia, good work! planted, secure in your vignette, and got us working the body. Running in place is a good idea. Good eye contact. I would say that you can use your voice even more effectively by calling past us. There was good head resonance in the speaking voice. I just thought I like for you to speak beyond us [not look beyond us] a bit more. Next time I'd like you to sing and have us imitate you based on your singing voice. Keep the vignettes short. Remember, we only have 5 to 6 minutes for the warm-up.

The big idea -- well whoood want to really say!

Quiz Chapter 11

1. My question was confusing. You all got credit for it. My point is that we all use far too much chest resonance in our speaking voices. In other words, we speak lower than we should. The ideal is to mix head voice into the speaking voice.

2-3. You must equalize the registers by a correct and varied use of the Head Tones, and by diligent practice of Solfeggio. [82]

Voice Calling
Repertoire
Turkey Calling
Solfeggio
Upper Voice
Scales
Head Tones
Vocalises
Falsetto Tone
Placement Exercises

4. Which register[s] are more frequently used and therefore more frequently abused.
A. Upper
B. Middle
C. Lower
D. A and C
E. B and C
F. None of These [83]

5-8. Circle the examples [mentioned in your text on p. 84] of vocal abuse in young singers.

Cheerleading
Oversinging while learning a new worship song
Children asked to sing in low keys
Poor posture when playing an instrument
Young baritones who want to sing soprano arias
Boys who want to feel “macho” using excess chest voice
Imitating radio and television recordings of popular music
Singing Show Music
Singing Operatic roles too soon [84]

9. [T or F] A voice that is cultivated from the bottom up will be unlikely to develop large breaks. [85]

10. Many times amateur singers attempt to carry the chest voice higher and higher until they reach the point at which they can say:
A. Nothing due to severe hoarseness
B. “It hurts. I’m hoarse. I hope I don’t have to speak to my voice teacher after the rehearsal.
C. “Wow! I can sing high”
D. “I can’t sing that high”
E. “God reigns on high!” [85]

11. The point of transition can be referred to as the:
A. The place where “it hurts” B. The yodel C. The break D. The change [85]

12. [T or F] As the pitch comes down, the singing generally should be lighter and softer. [86]

Bonus 1: What is the best question a vocal pedagogue can ask his student?
How did that feel?
Bonus 2: What is the best question a student can ask a vocal pedagogue?
How did that sound?

Quiz Eight Scores

AM19 - 13/11
daddzylittleangel - 12/11
dreams - 12/11
Flossy - 11/11
Jillian - 11/11
maviecestmusique - Absent
potato splat - 12/11
shoedeedoodoo - 14/11
Thedairyqueen - Absent

David, good work with your life-activity exercise. Fine contextualization to a physically active time of day for students of BBC. The echo created from Jackon Hall was a nice touch. Yes, very clear and, as I think Melody mentioned, asking for an intense piano was helpful. My only suggestion is to stay planted. Perhaps uncomfortable for you; however very confidence-inspiring for the student who is watching you.

The two big ideas today:

1. Dynamic levels will be relative to the size of the instrument that is producing them. Remember that a forte for Concert Choir is different from the forte of Chamber Singers.

2. The best question for the vocal pedagogue to ask his sudent is: "How did that feel?"
The best question for the student to ask the vocal pedagogue is: "How did that sound?" The implications concerning these questions are enormous. We're on very important ground here.

Our prayer today [Happiness] taught us that the pleasures of God are meant for our pleasure. "Teach me that if I do not live a life that satisfies thee, I shall not live a life that will satisfy myself."

It was a lively class! Good work.

Quiz Chapter Nine

1. [T or F] No dynamic levels are relative to the size of the instrument that is producing them. [72]

2. [T or F] Beginners should always remember to “let themselves go” while singing. [72]

3. [T or F] The body feels the same for piano singing as it does for piu forte. [75]

4. [T or F] The lower you sing the lighter you sing. [75]

5. [T or F] Alternation of forte and piano singing at fast tempi should teach constant diaphragm and breathing activity between the two extremes. [75]

6. Forte and piano dynamics should be taught so that the body should feel exactly the same. What is the only difference? A. Quality of sound B. Amount of sound C. Placement of sound D. Vowel difference of sound [75]

7. [T or F] The choir should be taught how to produce a correct piano first in order to learn how to produce a correct forte sound. [75]

8. Which is the better question for the vocal pedagogue to ask their student?
A. “How did that feel?” B. “How did that sound?” C. “How ‘bout them Steelers?” [74]

9. Which is the best approach for teaching dynamics? A. Extended periods of pianissimo singing on vowels that will cultivate head tone, especially the “oo” vowel. B. Piu Forte vocalization C. The two in combination D. Neither of the two [74]

10. [T or F] Always sing the full forte so that there is no room for crescendo. [72]

11. Did you read chapter 9 completely for today? Y or N

Bonus: Steps to consider concerning vowel placement: from my blog comments 02/19/07

1. There must be a scale where pure vowels can be heard and sung.
2. There must be an overarching core vowel that builds homogeneity into the scale.
3. There must be a location where pure vowels can be placed

Chamber Singers Relaxation Exercise Vignette February 20

Entering your warm and cozy dorm room and taking off your coat and hanging it up in your closet, you warm your hands by blowing on them. You stomp the remaining snow off your shoes and kick them off accidentally on your roommate’s top bunk. Reaching up to your roommate’s bunk, you take them off the bunk and bending over place them neatly on the floor beside your bunk. Reaching to the top of your book shelf, you take down a large black book you regularly enjoy reading. Reading, you recognize with an affirmative hum that these are sweet words. “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” You nod in recognition. You put the book on your desk. You hum affirmatively with your hands cupped on your face. You point straight upward saying, “Yes, to Him be the glory!”

Quiz Seven Scores

AM19 - 10/10
daddyzlittle angel - 12/10
dreams - 7/10
Flossy - 9/10
Jillian - 13/10
maviecestmusique - 10/10
potato splat - 10/10
Shoedeedoodoo - 10/10
Thedairyqueen - 8/10

Wow! Vocal placement is critical! Remember that it's something I'm passionate about, commonly, because I didn't understand it as an undergraduate student. I heard the pure vowel from some of the great opera singers I sang with; however I swallowed the pure vowel.

3 steps to consider:

1. There must be a scale where the pure vowels can be heard and sung.
solfeggio
2. There must be an overarching core vowel that builds homogeneity into the scale
as in "sought" [do, fa, sol, la]
3. There must be a location where the pure vowels can be placed
the higher palate, unswallowed, closed-mouthed hum.

Quiz Chapter Eight

1. “The term ‘voice placing’ is a misnomer. ‘Voice-_______’ is a more appropriate expression.” A. Fixing B. Placing C. Resonance D. Calling E. Finding [64]

2. “What can prevent the focus of tone?” A. compressed inhaled air B. non-compressed inhaled air C. Failing to inhale air and fainting D. Failing to sing the worship song, “This is the air I breathe!” [64]

3-6. Circle the 4 animal sounds/mouth positions your text associates with “creating a core sound” and placement. [67-69]

Hamster chattering
Fishmouth
Cow mooing
Bumblebee flying
Shark biting
Crows calling
Cats scratching
Elephant trumpeting
Dog sniffing
Chimpanzee belching
Feline yawning
Owl blinking
Camel Spitting
Rabbit teeth

7. [T or F] The sound should be in the nose, but the nose resonance should not be in the sound. [67]

8. [T or F] After the initial concepts of placement have been established, by and large, the refinement of placement rests in the domain of the solo singer. [69]

9.”Ultimate success in the development of proper resonance and placement culminates in a beautiful, blended choral sound, and is directly related to the choir’s grasp of the concept of ____ ____.” A. Vocal sighing B. Head voice C. Voice placing D. Focused tone [70]

10. [T or F] By allowing the voice to sing freely with a relaxed and open tone, the amateur voice will find its proper placement. [69]

Extra Credit: “The beauty of the gospel is that, although we are the means by which God is pleased to diffuse His glory, He is the end. If we are the beam, He is the sun. If we are the echo, He is the shout. If we are the appetizer, He is the meal.”

Chamber Singers Relaxation Exercise Vignette February 13

The world is under the vast white blanket snow and transparent ice. You’re standing [clothed with a big coat, gloves, and warm cap] in a cornfield of snow untouched by any imprint other than the delicate hoof markings of deer that have wandered across this white sea. Lifting your arms up and down anticipating the angel that you’ll make in the snow, you slowly go to the ground making a snow angel with your hands and feet. Making sure that your angel looks angelic, you make the angel-like motion three times. Slowly getting back into a sitting position, you shiver and stand stretching high to the sky like an angel ascending. You sigh anticipating glorification. You encourage yourself by speaking, “Though my sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow."

Quiz Six Scores

AM19 - Absent
daddyzlittleangel - 11/11
dreams - 11/11
Flossy - 9/11
Jillian - 9/11
maviecestmusique - 11/11
patatosplat - 12/11
shoedeedoodoo - 11/11
Thedairyqueen - 11/11

Yes, be careful with those non-voiced consonant exercises. Warning: Unfortunate combinations can occur.

The big idea of today's class was: The support sensation consists of flexible diaphragmatic pushes. There were 19 life-activity exercises to teach you the flexible diaphragmatic activity; however connecting those pushes with your instrument [without locking your body] is absolute essential.

Wasn't Frauke wonderful? Remember what we observed:

1. Her intensity was large than the room's.
2. Her interaction is generous with the choir.
3. Her flexibility [changing the grab the coffee - towel fell off - put on your pants and shirt - go back and get your coffee] and spontaneity were enjoyable.

Remember, don't lose your choir. Enjoy the laughter that comes from doing the life-activity exercises; however when the laughter peaks, top it with more intensity. The dance of work and play, play and work - This dance is hard to learn.

Abigail, good work! Good head voice with creative contextualization at BBC. The refreshing water and luscious smelling rose outside the Underground Cafe saved us from the anxiety of the smelly giant. A couple of things:

1. Intensify your head voice away from us. Remember, your voice has to "effectually" call us to attention.
2. Try, perhaps, walking the 18 steps [was it?] while we are hissing on exhalation.
3. With a longer vignette, keep the life-activities moving, especially the transitions. The seams in the garment ["No seam in His garment / All else rags to hide"] can easily tear.

Great class! I enjoyed it. Melody, we missed you! I hope all is well.

Doc
"It's amazing, the Church can sing without PowerPoint! Soli Deo Gloria!"

Quiz Chapter Six

1. Only the bright human beings breathe through their A. toes B. heels C. knees D. nose The less intelligent breathe through their throats. [48]

2. [T or F] Finish the tone but not the expiration. [49]

3-10. Underline the life activities or objects mentioned as enhancing diaphragmatic activity:

1. Vigorous Running
2. Canine breathing
3. Feline meowing
4. Hobbit gibberish
5. Honey-tasting
6. Fast breathing from watching 24
7. Exhalation-hissing
8. Canine Barking
9. “Gospelicious” Bible Reading
10. Chapel-snoring [invigorates deep breathing and palate stimulating – also enhances multi-tasking skills]
11. Candle-smelling [preferably a Yankee Sweet Strawberry Tart]
12. Fat man and witchlike laughing
13. Window-puffing
14. Feather-playing
15. Balloon-filling
16. Soup-Cooling

These answers [8 correct] come from the 19 suggested diaphragm activity excercises [pp. 51-54]

11. Did you read chapter six in full for today’s class. "Will it be yes or no?" :/

Extra Credit [2 points]

On my blog comments for February 5, I mentioned “Two big ideas that dominated the atmosphere of the class. Which two:

1. Heavy Jaw
2. Tongue Relaxation
3. What to do with the vignette [jump out or stay in]
4. Diaphragm-pushing
5. Lip-relaxing
6. Head voice calling
7. Soft Palate Massaging

Chamber Singers Relaxation Exercise Vignette February 6

Perambulating in a pine forest near your log cabin, you happen upon the perfect Christmas tree. Overwhelmed with the intoxicating scent of a pine grove and hearing the snow crunch beneath your feet, you approach the tree. With an axe you’ve brought, you cut it down near the roots. You pick up the tree, walk it back to your red Jeep Cherokee, strapping it to the top of your mean red machine. [Now imagine] that you are in your living room of wood walls and red couches. You're looking at your tree. It's lighted now and ornamented; however it's missing one thing. It's missing its star. Reaching high to the tree’s top, you place the lighted angel on the top of the tree. As you feel the warmth of your home, the smell of the pine mingled with the fragrance of a Yankee candle sweet strawberry tart, you sigh with a feeling of domestic tranquility.

Quiz Five Scores

AM19 - 14/13
daddyzlittleangel - 10/13
dreams - 14/13
Flossy - 11/13
Jillian - 14/13
maviecestmusique - 10/13
potato splat - 14/13
shoedeedoodoo - 11/13
Thedairyqueen - 10/13

I thought we had a fine time this afternoon. There are two big ideas that dominated the atmosphere of the class. "Abiding" in these ideas will be our goal.

1. The head voice call. Jillian did a great job in her life activity exercise of using snatches of dialogue that we could all call back in the head voice. "Oh no! My tire is flat! Oh Well, I guess I'll go back to sleep!" Remember that head voice is high palate. It's up space created with the palate, not back and down space created with the tongue.

Remember that when you are calling, "the blinds can't be down." I opened the blinds so that we could see the mountain and call to that far away distance. If there's not a window, create one in the singer's imagination so that they can call somewhere. ["Hallelujah" and "Hosianna"] Don't forget the head voice call.

2. Diaphragm pushes in the upper voice. We'll work more on this later; however suffice it to say that bel canto singing is impossible without flexible pushes. Singing in the upper voice is impossible without this connection. Breath pressurization is impossible without it.

I love you. I am praying for you. Jillian, the energy and life you brought to your exercise was wonderful. We were with you. You stayed with your vignette. As was mentioned your exercise had a good shape. You took us from sleep to sleep. Now if I have a flat tire, I'll have a new attitude. I'll know that I can crawl back into my bed and sleep. I'm not sure what to tell you about the neck stretches you did:

1. Stay within the vignette and demonstrate
2. Jump out of the vignette for a moment and describe what you want them to
3. Find a body movement that correpsonds with the life activity you are describing.

I think 3 is the best if you can do it.

Doc

"None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God." Romans 3:11

Quiz Chapter Five

1. Vocal pedagogy could make a major step forward by using “exact” language. Which of the following expressions properly illustrate this “precise” language?
A. “Support the voice” B. “Sing on the breath” C. “Place the voice” D. None of these E. All of these [43]

2-3. Choose from the following list below and put them in the blanks to complete the following sentence. The correct word must be placed in the correct blank. In other words, if one of the correct words is chosen and put in the wrong place, the answer will be wrong.

The greater volume employed by the singer, the more the vowel will be modified from the basic word concept. [43]

1. consonant 2. vowel 3. equalized 4. modified 5. placement 6. supported 7. distorted 8. dynamics 9. line

4. Which comes first: A. Expanding the vocal tract B. Vowel modification [44]

5. Which of the following was not one of the three areas “that frequently carry tension and consequently affect vocal sound? A. jaw B. neck C. tongue D. shoulder E. A and C F. B and D [44]

6. Using the words “hallelujah” and “hosianna” your authors build resonance, support, and energy by teaching the: A. Yawn B. Relaxed Tongue C. Call D. Relaxed lips [45-46]

7. [T or F] Diaphragm “pushes” create tension in the singer and should be avoided on the ascending note as the leap occurs. [46]

8. On the upward leap, the choir simultaneously needs to A. Increase B. Decrease C. Maintain their support [46]

9. Which life activity was associated with “massaging” the soft palate? A. Cough B. Sneeze C. Snore D. Yawn [45]

10. With heavy jaw, what did your text ask you to imagine your jaw was full of? A. Heavy bone B. Heavy metal C. “He aint heavy, he’s my brother” D. Heavy brick [44]

11. Which [life -- oops, sorry about putting "animal"] activity exercise was not associated with tongue relaxation? A. Frogs catching flies B. licking whipped cream from the top of a Sundae C. drinking a glass of water D. None of these [45]

12. Which of the following were associated with the relaxation of the lips? A. A goldfish in a fishbowl at feeding time B. A cow eating grass C. The lips forming a tube and then relaxing C. Massaging the cheeks and lips forward as if kneading dough D. All of these E. A and B [45]

13. Did you read chapter 5 completely and fully for today? Yes

Bonus 1: On the blog I mentioned [Quiz 4 scores] that I thought the biggest idea from the class was: A. The conductor should continually create new vignettes for each relaxation exercise B. Think about the way you walk to the place from which you will conduct. C. Stay planted D. Eye contact with your students is vital E. Throw your speaking voice beyond the students F.Give singers more opportunity to inhale before asking them to exhale.

Bonus 2: Identify which of the above was Sarah’s critique of herself. [also referenced on the blog after-class comments] F. Give singers more opportunity to inhale before asking them to exhale