 | There is no doubt that Johan Sundberg's "The Science Of The Singing Voice" stands out as among vocology texts. Sundberg brought us, in a particularly important moment in the development of the field, new clarity, a greater collection of studies, cunning insights, and a litany of new and newly-phrased questions that opened doors for countless explorations, many of which have played out over the thirty years since its publication. Reading it again recently I was struck by how this text did what a science text wants to do, in that it gave us the best understanding at the time, inspired new questions, and eventually became less current due to new discoveries that answered the questions it asks. In the decades since its publication, institutional bias has begun to shift, opening our imagination to the great wealth of vocal opportunities available to us. More and more people have taken up the vocology challenge, and put Sundberg's ideas to the test. Some of his assertions have stood up, and others haven't, but with his good natured approach and curiosity-focused book, he created a catalyst that inspired a new generation of vocalists to want to know more. |
