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The Glory of the Human Voice!

8/24/2016

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Subject matter aside, “Florence Foster Jenkins” is one of the best film of the year, if not the decade.  Meryl Streep closes the book on what it means to be an amazing actor, and the others around her provide incredible performances to as well a written biopic script  as I’ve seen.  Not to mention that she performed all of the songs live on the set!  But let’s get back to the subject, Mrs. Jenkins.

No one that has attended a voice lesson in a college in America has missed hearing Florence Foster Jenkins’ album, “The Glory of the Human Voice.”  In all of the schools that I attended or at which I've taught, it was only a matter of time before her Queen of the Night would come wafting down the hallways followed by a gaggle of laughter and sheer looks of surprise from the uninitiated.  Perhaps it’s her regularly out of tune singing, her verbose and active resonant strategy changes, the way her phrasing sheers lines of their intended character through random slides, glottal stops, tempo changes, and smears, and there is so much more to love to hate, if only to show that you know what “good singing” sounds like…and that ain’t it.  

The film depicts her as an avid music supporter whose syphilis had taken a toll on her body and whose husband (though not lover) had created a sealed world around her with her money, allowing her frequent enough performances in closed venues with paid-for reviews from willing columnists.  The kindness with which the film portrayed her was matched by its clear depiction of her eccentricity and the possibilities that money gave her to isolate herself from reality.  Yet, it doesn’t delve into why she has been the favorite punching bag of the American vocal institution for as long as anyone can remember.  That’s a topic that we get to live with. 

August 10th "Fresh Air" interview with Meryl Streep
In Lady Florence’s last line of the film she says “People may say that I can’t sing, but no one can ever say that I didn’t sing.”  That line, energized by the striking blows of reality, a bad reviews after her first truly public concert (in Carnegie Hall no less), and jeers from audience members brings the intention of voice habilitation into full focus.  What is our goal, after all?  Are we interested in only a narrow definition of perfection, or can we create a world wherein everyone can enjoy, explore, and present their voices for others to share without judgement?  


Maybe most people are upset by the fact that her wealth afforded her opportunities reserved for the artistic elite, and that she seemingly brazenly dismissed quality for her own sense of public aggrandisement.  I can play the 99% card as well as anyone, but I think this story holds up a bigger mirror, one where the jeers of a judgmental industry regularly shuts people and their voices down before it thinks to build them up. 

The scene where the renowned conductor and vocal coach gives her a lesson is both fantastic comedy and an eye opening vision into the voice world’s mythic past, a world where only those rare few who could make their voices function could make something out of the randomness of vocal instruction.  A major question that the film seems to pose is:

Do we want a world where only a few will sing due to significant social pressures, or one where we all understand that our voices have enormous potential, should we seek to find it? 

Though her central nervous system may have been tragically altered by her disease causing her to never make substantial progress as a coloratura, one can imagine a narrative where supportive and fruitful opportunities existed for a determined, dedicated music enthusiast who wanted to perform for her friends.  . .

Not to say that it isn’t funny.  I’ve laughed along to her album many times, simply because of the profound contrast between Lady Florence’s and others depictions of popular songs.  Still, even from the first time my voice teacher put the needle on his worn copy of “The Glory of the Human Voice”, I found myself wanting to defend her, her right to sing, to be out of tune if that’s what she found herself doing, and to live in a world that didn’t seek to ridicule voice users just for trying.  For all of the people out there who love their voices the way they are, and regularly strive to find new avenues to explore their vocal potential, perhaps Florence Foster Jenkins can now ascend to become your patron, if not your patron saint.  And if we're lucky enough, we'll all get more chances to experience the beauty of people who sing because they love it first and foremost.

~David
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Turning a New Page…Voice Science Works sets up shop in Los Angeles

8/22/2016

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 We spent the summer teaching, researching, and performing across the country, starting in Boston, and stopping in Sharpsburg, Nashville, Birmingham, Iowa City, Salt Lake City, Denver, Boulder, Crested Butte, Grand Junction, Ashland, Eugene, Portland, Seattle, and finally San Francisco.  As we spent our last night before arriving in Southern California, and looked out over the Pacific from near Big Sur, we felt the rush of renewal.

 We’ve been looking forward to starting our L.A. life for months, and now it’s under way.  A place to live and livelihoods have been secured, networking has begun,  our new workshop layout will be unveiled soon, and website updates that we’ve been working on all summer will be uploaded over the next few months.  We love Los Angeles already for the weather, the people, and the possibilities.  We hope you’ll enjoy the opportunities that L.A. is able to provide for us, as we share them with you in the coming year!
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Out West: Portland, Seattle, and SanFancisco Workshops

8/22/2016

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As the summer wound its way toward July, we found ourselves on the West Coast, traveling north before we ultimately headed south to Los Angeles.  Three workshops in two weeks started in Portland, OR, at Portland State University.  The gathering of college professors and graduate students from several of Oregon’s higher education institutions made for a knowledgeable, and engaged group.  We particularly enjoyed the vocal analyzer sessions at the end, with world-class operatic voices.

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Two days later we were presenting at Fremont Abbey in Seattle.  This workshop was tooled specifically for people from the Contemporary Commercial Music side of the voice world, and included a range of voice users from actors and spoken word poets, to death metal, jazz, and pop musicians, and even a choral representative.  The conversations illuminated the varied vocal needs in the CCM community, and we were able to work with professional actors and jazz singers on the voice analyzer, which revealed some interesting information.  The after-workshop was especially fun.  These two workshops back-to-back demonstrated how a vocological approach to singing allows for people of all styles to find healthy, meaningful choices with their instrument, and shows how excited they become about their options.

See what some of the participants thought about the workshops!
"I really enjoyed the information, and most of all the conversation about method, how a student learns, and empowering students.  I really thought it was a great seminar, and I would definitely recommend it! "
Harry Baechtel
Assistant Professor in Voice, Singer
Portland, OR


"I loved putting into practice what I learned, and started warming up with the straw right away…I learned how to sing without getting as tired, and how to get better sound with less work."
AnnieScott Rogers
Actor, San Francisco, CA



 "I thought it was an stellar experience and I learned a lot to help me improve my singing." 
Alvin Huie 
Retired, choir member, San Francisco, CA



"Excellent teaching, blending art and science."
Charles Seagrave
Inventor retired, choir member
San Rafael, CA




"What was my favorite part?  Straw phonation!  It was a great experience learning the inner workings of the voice musculature, breathing, the way sound hits the ear, and the newest groundbreaking information on sound waves."
Fawn Ledesma
Actor, Seattle, WA



" Very positive, interesting and educational."
Steven Moore
Volunteer Coordinator, Seattle, WA





"Intensely interesting, a great deal to absorb but fun…Voice warmups and health, singing with the choir, learning anatomy, and singing examples by instructors."
Liz Nolan
Retired newspaperwoman
San Francisco, CA



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A week passed before we worked with the Calvary Presbyterian Church choir.  Being a choir-focused workshop, we trimmed a little information, and amped up the participation.  The results were wonderful.  A multi-generational group of singers regularly applied voice science concepts quickly and with predictable, noticeable, measurable results.  They were also incredibly generous, and loads of fun to spend the day with.


Special thanks to our hosts Richard Poppino (Portland State), Fremont Abbey (Seattle), and Michael Connelly (Calvary Presbyterian).  We really appreciate your interest in supporting VoiceScienceWorks!
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