Q: What is distinctive about your teaching?
A: The core of my teaching is the Bel Canto tradition that emphasizes vocal freedom and coordination.
Therefore, I avoid concepts that emphasize physical manipulation: "sing from the diaphragm," "squeeze the abdominal muscles," "place the voice well forward," "open the throat," "raise the soft palate," "lift the cheeks," "position the tongue," "raise the corners of the mouth," "spread the rib cage," etc.
Good training reveals the coordination that makes singing simple.
Q: What is the best approach to singing well?
A: As originally conceived by the Bel Canto masters, the basic rule, "Si canta come si parla" - "One sings as one speaks," - shows a singer how to adopt a natural approach to vocal production.
For classical singing, this approach includes the necessary roundness and intensity required by the art form. Therefore, classical singing resembles refined declamation. For non-classical singing, this approach emphasizes a more natural, conversational approach to vocal production.
Q: How do I determine my vocal style?
A: Your vocal style is the overall result of your natural tone production, your innate vocal behavior, the kind of song material towards which you gravitate, your musicianship, your personality - and your physical, intellectual and emotional talent.
Q: How do I prepare for a vocal audition?
A: Preparation means maximizing all talents prior to the audition. What you bring to an audition is the sum total of your vocal, intellectual, physical and emotional talent. You should have a ready repertoire of songs in all styles that communicate you at your best.
Q: How can I improve my breath control?
A: Use the breath more economically. It is widely believed that inhaling as large a breath as possible improves breath control. But, in fact, this act produces a persistent sensation of suffocation. A better method is to inhale a naturally complete, yet sensible, amount of breath - and then sing on that breath as judiciously as possible. In other words, breath control improves as laryngeal efficiency improves. It is impossible to achieve good breath control with a breathy tone for the simple reason that the breath is spent too quickly.