Statement on Teaching:
with my students Timur Bekbosunov and Jon Harrison
What does it mean to teach singing?
Vocal pedagogy involves teaching technique, first and foremost. The voice teacher helps the student to be able to do what he wants with his voice, free from the constraints of technical limitations. Just as classical ballet is the basis of dance training in our culture, so is “bel canto” technique the starting point for singers.
What is “bel canto”?
“Bel canto” means “beautiful singing.” A literal interpretation of the exact terminology that has been passed down for centuries in the Italian School of Singing is revealing and highly useful. For example, “passaggio di registro” is a passage, not a pitch. The term “bel canto” is used in all languages and Italy is its homeland. It has been used and abused by countless singing enthusiasts. Fundamentally, it means the pursuit of vocal beauty as the aesthetic goal of singing. Such judgements are, of course, culture specific. For example, in Western Art Music, singing that has unity of timbre from the highest to the lowest notes of the range, a periodic and consistent vibrato rate (“bel canto vibrato” makes most non Western singers laugh, just as Westerners often find Beijing opera amusing) and a seamless legato (Italian for “joined”) line is generally considered to be beautiful. For the second half of the 20th century, this style of singing was personified by the Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti, the most popular art music singer of his era. It is no coincidence that “bel canto” also refers to an historical style: Italian opera composed at the beginning of the 19th century by masters such as Rossini, Donizetti and Bellini. This music had as a supreme goal to show off the beauty and possibilities of the human voice, placing a higher priority on this than on the development of melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamics and timbre. Of these five basic elements of music, melody was the first and foremost, because it is the most helpful for showing off the beauty of the voice.
How do I teach “bel canto” technique?
The methodical approach of Richard Miller is precious. During the course of weekly lessons for a period of four years, he taught me the fundamentals of breathing, onset, agility, resonance balance, vowel differentiation, sostenuto, registration and timbre. Each student is different and this method should be adapted to the individual needs of the singer. The guidance of other teachers, such as Roberto Benaglio, a musician who was active when Puccini was still alive, and the experience of working with my own voice since I began my career as a boy treble in 1971, has modified and enriched this method.
Beyond “bel canto” technique:
Just as baroque, modern and contemporary dancers must go beyond the confines of classical ballet in order to meet the challenges of their art, the singers of the 21st century must go beyond “bel canto” technique, especially if they wish to sing early music, 20th century music and/or contemporary music. Most careers involve some of this repertory, as the trajectory of singers such as baritone Dietrich Fischer Diskau, tenors Robert Gambill (the beginning of this career) and Chris Merritt (his recent career), mezzo soprano Cathy Berberian or sopranos Martina Arroyo and Ana Prohaska demonstrate. My book "The Techniques of Singing, " (Bärenreiter, 2013) serves as a compliment to The Structure of Singing. It not only analyzes vocal techniques for contemporary music, but puts them in an historical context. It is important for young singers to learn to sing all of the repertory that is appropriate for their instruments, and not limit themselves to the period from 1750-1900. Only in this way can they both become versatile artists, an absolute necessity for having a career these days, and discover their vocal identities, learning the distinct things about their voices that make them special in the music world ("what can I do better than most other singers?"), a requirement for success and vocal health.
Repertory:
Learning the techniques necessary to sing a varied repertory. I have sung as a soloist and in consorts in the early music field, given recitals, performed standard operatic repertory, sung romantic music with orchestra, become a leading interpreter of 20th century music and contemporary works and explored the world of jazz and improvised music. Vocal technique is only useful if the voice is at the service of the music, and not the other way around. This requires intensive work on interpretation. Expressive singing and good technique go hand in hand and the more a singer learns to express the emotions inherent in the music, the more his technique will improve. Similarly, the more proficient the singer becomes, the greater ease of delivery he will have. Singers who look and sound worried and in difficulty communicate this to the audience, rather than the emotional content of the music. Being a great interpreter today means being a fine actor and mover, learning historical performance practice, mastering the oral traditions of romantic music, being able to decipher the complexity of the notation of the past hundred years and much more.
The voice teacher as guide:
No voice teacher can give his student a vocal technique or make him a great singer. Just as a guide who is very familiar with a forest can lead someone from one place to another, gradually teaching him to discover the trees and land so that he can eventually make the journey himself, so a voice teacher much train the singer to be independent and autonomous. One day he will be on stage alone, without his guide. A good teacher prepares his student for that day, rather than making him dependant.
Sensitivity:
Singers work with their emotions and psychology. The instrument and the instrumentalist are the same person. Criticizing a singer’s voice is similar to attacking his physical appearance. Being sensitive to the human being behind the voice is essential for effective teaching.
Learning by teaching:
Experience is the greatest teacher. 36 years of being a professional singer have taught me a great deal. 6 years of full time teaching in American universities, 2 years of teaching at the Ecole Normale de Musique, countless master classes and many private students from around the world have provided an education in “how to teach” for which I am grateful. Observing which methods are successful with students and which are not has made me a better teacher. The great pedagogue and composer György Kurtág believes that there is no better way to learn a score than by teaching it and I agree. Teaching makes the singer a better musician. I am a proud member of the group of "those who can do AND teach."
Learning by performing:
Performing with students and helping to build a bridge between being a student and a professional singer is essential. I have had the fortune to be able to help many of my students to find professional engagements, sometimes working in productions with me, so that I could show them the ropes, facilitating the moment when they will have to go it alone.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating:
Any teacher is only as good as his students. The success of former students such as Benoît Pitre, Lorena Gullén, Christie Finn, Timur Bekbosunov, Angela Ahiskal, Ljuba Bergamelli, Takashi Matsudaira, Wu Jingchao, Natasha Salles and Felicita Brusoni, just to name a few, has been highly gratifying.
The teacher’s teachers:
In addition to Richard Miller and Roberto Benaglio, I have been blessed to know inspirational figures who crossed my path more briefly, such as Nicola Rossi Lemeni (a great artist, intellectual and true gentleman), Bonaldo Giaiotti (a generous, honest man with a voice of gold) and countless others. Historical figures such as master treatise writers Michel Pignolet de Montéclair and Pier Francesco Tosi and what little is known of the methods of revolutionary voice therapist Lionel Logue are sources of rich inspiration. I am indebted to the “Ureinwohner” of countless lands that I have had the privilege of visiting for showing me how they sing, notably Tamil Nadu, Flores, the Darién, Papua and PNG, the Achuar in the Amazon, Tuva and beyond. Mongun-ool Ondar is my master teacher of xöömej and khagyraa. The great composers I have had the good fortune to work with expanded my vocal technique by guiding me to sing their music as they intended it. Iannis Xenakis pushed my voice beyond all limits of “bel canto,” the greatest aesthete of our time, Sylvano Bussotti, showed me that the avant garde can also be expressive “bel canto,” Olivier Messiaen taught me nobility of spirit and the spiritual side of music, George Crumb incarnates the beauty of simplicity and taught me to stay out of the way of the music, Luigi Nono demonstrated the beauty of the infinitely small in singing as well as the strength of the truth, György Kurtág gave me a lesson in interpretation that was second to none, Elliott Carter was a grandfather to me and gave me confidence when I most needed it, Mauricio Kagel brought about convincing musical theater by dissection and Karlheinz Stockhausen was my true musical father, turning an impetuous young man with a bit of talent into a diligent musician, self-demanding performer and spiritual being. Ultimately, no matter what period of music we sing, our masters are the composers and our bibles are their scores.
Vocal pedagogy involves teaching technique, first and foremost. The voice teacher helps the student to be able to do what he wants with his voice, free from the constraints of technical limitations. Just as classical ballet is the basis of dance training in our culture, so is “bel canto” technique the starting point for singers.
What is “bel canto”?
“Bel canto” means “beautiful singing.” A literal interpretation of the exact terminology that has been passed down for centuries in the Italian School of Singing is revealing and highly useful. For example, “passaggio di registro” is a passage, not a pitch. The term “bel canto” is used in all languages and Italy is its homeland. It has been used and abused by countless singing enthusiasts. Fundamentally, it means the pursuit of vocal beauty as the aesthetic goal of singing. Such judgements are, of course, culture specific. For example, in Western Art Music, singing that has unity of timbre from the highest to the lowest notes of the range, a periodic and consistent vibrato rate (“bel canto vibrato” makes most non Western singers laugh, just as Westerners often find Beijing opera amusing) and a seamless legato (Italian for “joined”) line is generally considered to be beautiful. For the second half of the 20th century, this style of singing was personified by the Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti, the most popular art music singer of his era. It is no coincidence that “bel canto” also refers to an historical style: Italian opera composed at the beginning of the 19th century by masters such as Rossini, Donizetti and Bellini. This music had as a supreme goal to show off the beauty and possibilities of the human voice, placing a higher priority on this than on the development of melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamics and timbre. Of these five basic elements of music, melody was the first and foremost, because it is the most helpful for showing off the beauty of the voice.
How do I teach “bel canto” technique?
The methodical approach of Richard Miller is precious. During the course of weekly lessons for a period of four years, he taught me the fundamentals of breathing, onset, agility, resonance balance, vowel differentiation, sostenuto, registration and timbre. Each student is different and this method should be adapted to the individual needs of the singer. The guidance of other teachers, such as Roberto Benaglio, a musician who was active when Puccini was still alive, and the experience of working with my own voice since I began my career as a boy treble in 1971, has modified and enriched this method.
Beyond “bel canto” technique:
Just as baroque, modern and contemporary dancers must go beyond the confines of classical ballet in order to meet the challenges of their art, the singers of the 21st century must go beyond “bel canto” technique, especially if they wish to sing early music, 20th century music and/or contemporary music. Most careers involve some of this repertory, as the trajectory of singers such as baritone Dietrich Fischer Diskau, tenors Robert Gambill (the beginning of this career) and Chris Merritt (his recent career), mezzo soprano Cathy Berberian or sopranos Martina Arroyo and Ana Prohaska demonstrate. My book "The Techniques of Singing, " (Bärenreiter, 2013) serves as a compliment to The Structure of Singing. It not only analyzes vocal techniques for contemporary music, but puts them in an historical context. It is important for young singers to learn to sing all of the repertory that is appropriate for their instruments, and not limit themselves to the period from 1750-1900. Only in this way can they both become versatile artists, an absolute necessity for having a career these days, and discover their vocal identities, learning the distinct things about their voices that make them special in the music world ("what can I do better than most other singers?"), a requirement for success and vocal health.
Repertory:
Learning the techniques necessary to sing a varied repertory. I have sung as a soloist and in consorts in the early music field, given recitals, performed standard operatic repertory, sung romantic music with orchestra, become a leading interpreter of 20th century music and contemporary works and explored the world of jazz and improvised music. Vocal technique is only useful if the voice is at the service of the music, and not the other way around. This requires intensive work on interpretation. Expressive singing and good technique go hand in hand and the more a singer learns to express the emotions inherent in the music, the more his technique will improve. Similarly, the more proficient the singer becomes, the greater ease of delivery he will have. Singers who look and sound worried and in difficulty communicate this to the audience, rather than the emotional content of the music. Being a great interpreter today means being a fine actor and mover, learning historical performance practice, mastering the oral traditions of romantic music, being able to decipher the complexity of the notation of the past hundred years and much more.
The voice teacher as guide:
No voice teacher can give his student a vocal technique or make him a great singer. Just as a guide who is very familiar with a forest can lead someone from one place to another, gradually teaching him to discover the trees and land so that he can eventually make the journey himself, so a voice teacher much train the singer to be independent and autonomous. One day he will be on stage alone, without his guide. A good teacher prepares his student for that day, rather than making him dependant.
Sensitivity:
Singers work with their emotions and psychology. The instrument and the instrumentalist are the same person. Criticizing a singer’s voice is similar to attacking his physical appearance. Being sensitive to the human being behind the voice is essential for effective teaching.
Learning by teaching:
Experience is the greatest teacher. 36 years of being a professional singer have taught me a great deal. 6 years of full time teaching in American universities, 2 years of teaching at the Ecole Normale de Musique, countless master classes and many private students from around the world have provided an education in “how to teach” for which I am grateful. Observing which methods are successful with students and which are not has made me a better teacher. The great pedagogue and composer György Kurtág believes that there is no better way to learn a score than by teaching it and I agree. Teaching makes the singer a better musician. I am a proud member of the group of "those who can do AND teach."
Learning by performing:
Performing with students and helping to build a bridge between being a student and a professional singer is essential. I have had the fortune to be able to help many of my students to find professional engagements, sometimes working in productions with me, so that I could show them the ropes, facilitating the moment when they will have to go it alone.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating:
Any teacher is only as good as his students. The success of former students such as Benoît Pitre, Lorena Gullén, Christie Finn, Timur Bekbosunov, Angela Ahiskal, Ljuba Bergamelli, Takashi Matsudaira, Wu Jingchao, Natasha Salles and Felicita Brusoni, just to name a few, has been highly gratifying.
The teacher’s teachers:
In addition to Richard Miller and Roberto Benaglio, I have been blessed to know inspirational figures who crossed my path more briefly, such as Nicola Rossi Lemeni (a great artist, intellectual and true gentleman), Bonaldo Giaiotti (a generous, honest man with a voice of gold) and countless others. Historical figures such as master treatise writers Michel Pignolet de Montéclair and Pier Francesco Tosi and what little is known of the methods of revolutionary voice therapist Lionel Logue are sources of rich inspiration. I am indebted to the “Ureinwohner” of countless lands that I have had the privilege of visiting for showing me how they sing, notably Tamil Nadu, Flores, the Darién, Papua and PNG, the Achuar in the Amazon, Tuva and beyond. Mongun-ool Ondar is my master teacher of xöömej and khagyraa. The great composers I have had the good fortune to work with expanded my vocal technique by guiding me to sing their music as they intended it. Iannis Xenakis pushed my voice beyond all limits of “bel canto,” the greatest aesthete of our time, Sylvano Bussotti, showed me that the avant garde can also be expressive “bel canto,” Olivier Messiaen taught me nobility of spirit and the spiritual side of music, George Crumb incarnates the beauty of simplicity and taught me to stay out of the way of the music, Luigi Nono demonstrated the beauty of the infinitely small in singing as well as the strength of the truth, György Kurtág gave me a lesson in interpretation that was second to none, Elliott Carter was a grandfather to me and gave me confidence when I most needed it, Mauricio Kagel brought about convincing musical theater by dissection and Karlheinz Stockhausen was my true musical father, turning an impetuous young man with a bit of talent into a diligent musician, self-demanding performer and spiritual being. Ultimately, no matter what period of music we sing, our masters are the composers and our bibles are their scores.