Kurt Robinson - Full-Voice NYC 2010
Teaching Philosophy
An aspiring singer at any level must challenge themselves to develop certain skills for vocalizing and nurturing his or her own voice on a regular basis, and independently without the presence of a teacher or coach.
In evaluating new students, I find that some students are gifted with a well-placed natural voice, possessing a free, full, and open quality, while others experience limitations, strain, and fatigue resulting from any number of technical and/or psychological problems. As a result, some students will make fast progress, while others will take many months of careful study before much progress is evident. In all situations, it is the exercises and vocalizes, which play such an important part in building the voice and developing good vocal technique.
Private study within my studio lends insight into, and provides routine for a healthy, intelligent approach to practice and development of the vocal instrument.
Students acquire knowledge about methods of self-practice and when practicing, are encouraged to consider if the voice works freely, naturally, relaxed, or do they experience vocal strain and fatigue? Also, is there a present sense of joy and confidence or do feelings of fear, intimidation, or inconsistency limit the musical expression?
Healthy, correct singing technique will always come from a natural relaxation of the vocal musculature. A degree of understanding and control of this anatomy will lead to freedom of movement and interpretation from the voice. The technique acquired is then gradually transferred to songs. Several short periods of practice a day are recommended in the beginning weeks of study rather than one long period.
Exercises that include:
1. Physical warm up; using yoga and stretch exercises that awaken, relax, and lengthen the body before singing and also help to establish a correct, elongated singing posture.
2. Breathing and breath management exercises; learning to breathe deeply and how to best utilize a consistent air flow and use of appoggio in singing.
3. Articulation and vowel production exercises; Italian syllables which teach the jaw and tongue to relax, work separately from one another, and achieve optimum sound production on every pure vowel sound.
4. Placement exercises; working with facial posture and becoming associated with the relaxations of the facial muscles as well as the different resonators located in the face and head. These exercises will also relate to relieving throat tension in singing.
5. Daily coloratura and scale exercises, which develop flexibility and agility and balance of the vocal registrations.
6. Staccato exercises; softly stretch and inspire the vocal chords physically and leave the voice feeling more full and round before moving into the singing of musical repertoire.
My studio also addresses many tools that will help singers to practice independently and to become more confident and objective about their own voice and talent:
1. Auditory feedback; the use of recordings, in and out of class is important for singers to become associated with the true sound quality of their voice and will help to reinforce the techniques and concepts covered in class.
2. Visual feedback; the use of mirrors and video recording, in studio and at home, to visualize correct body, facial, and mouth postures. Gaining further confidence by visualizing yourself and becoming familiar with the physical act of singing.
3. Issues facing many struggling vocalists such as over singing (trying to sound to big), under singing (letting fear limit your sound), yelling and tense throat traps, breathy sound production, etc.
4. May provide students with weekly articles, readings, video, and sound recordings on healthy singing, or examples of successful vocalists, and let them address any technical issues that they may be experiencing. This encourages that singing is a learned, achievable technique, as opposed to a mysterious talent.
Confidence in singing comes from experienced successes in practice and performance. My studio strives to offer a public performance setting for singers. Singing publicly, within the constructive studio environment, singers are challenged to evaluate and encourage their personal level of talent and professionalism. I provide positive and professional coaching in musicality, communication, song interpretation, character development and intention, and overall performance skills.
When students can learn to practice successfully and productively on their own, they can develop self-esteem in singing and move forward to further interpretation of the music and their performances. My studio focuses on providing students with methods and exercises that will allow them to progress as healthy, intelligent, dynamic vocalists.
Kurt Robinson
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