Today I’d just like to say a view words about the singer and singer’s technique as an introduction to the lullaby.  It seems appropriate that we start with the lullaby, probably our first out of womb experience of song.

The use of the vocal apparatus in a particular or even peculiar way  when singing, the adjustments  necessary to create different sounds and voice qualities is technique. The requirements to control the voice are physical. The subtle manipulation of the mechanisms of voice production, the vocal cords, larynx, breath, (the engine and fuel), along with the jaw, tongue, chest, back, palate and other innumerable adjustments contribute to the panoply of vocal sounds.  Technical terms such as chord adduction, contraction and stretching are just some of the ways experts have of describing what happens inside the body; there is no consensus though on how this works. Timbre, tessitura, covered tone, head voice, middle voice, chest voice, heavy, light, airy, dark, melancholic are just some of the many terms used to analyze the voice and to describe what the ear hears.

LIGHT & SHADE 

A singer can be a prophet, healer, historian, poet, shaman, lover, mystic. The human voice is the most poignant and flexible of instruments, intricate and seductive. It is the means by which we not only communicate our ideas, needs, feelings, it is used to soothe, as a mother soothes her baby in lullaby, to heal, to invoke the gods in toning  and chanting, to arouse a lover, it is used as a cry to battle and cry of mourning, to welcome an infant into the world and to send a departed soul home.  The voice of everyday life and the transporter of our profoundest dreams. It will be interesting to examine these two different styles, the voice of life and death, birth and departing. 

And that brings us to purpose. 

This blog celebrates the voice in all its myriad, joyous manifestations. Singing or reciting, chanting or extemporizing, poetry or song, stories old and new, this is the place where I hope we can share our love of the voice.

I have trawled and crawled and mauled the internet in search of something like this, but without success. (If I’m wrong, please be so kind as to let me know, and I will duly and dutifully, apologize.)  There are indeed sites devoted to or, that refer to, different vocal traditions, be it classical, in all it’s various forms, popular traditional, church song and contemporary pop, hip hop, Tibetan chants and Xhosa overtone singing, low and rich, but …

What I want is a celebration of all voices, all styles whether in song or in narration.  

What I want is to discover new ways and old traditions. 

What I want is an open unprejudiced discussion about style, technique, timbre, resonance, beauty, cultural precepts, physical possibilities. 

What I want is to share the excitement I feel when listening to Sarah Vaughan or Jussi Bjorling, or Savina Giannatou, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan or Ami Koita. You get my point.

Some voices are special, gifts for which we should be thankful. For instance, Sarah. There are singers and, there is Sarah, the Divine One. What made her voice so special?  Do you remember where you were or what you were doing when the sound of her voice first grabbed you? Let us know.  

Some voices might seem unusual or strange, depending on your background and cultural orientation. I remember the first time I heard Tuva throat singing, I was stunned. I wondered why they even bothered. There was no joy nor beauty in what I heard.  Soon though, roused by a healthy dose of curiosity, I found myself trying to imitate, trying to unlock the key to those bizarre sounds. I’m glad I left myself open to that experience, I discovered something about my own capabilities, I unlocked a part of my body and my spirit.

There is the one precious thing that links all of these-our vocal cords. If you add culture,  aesthetics, capacity, need, religion, money, and other variables, which I’m sure you’ll remind me of, we have before us a kaleidoscope world of sound.

A few things should be noted from the beginning: 

1. Although technique (what’s that anyway) is germane to any discussion of the voice, here is not the place to come for advice. There are many sites that deal with vocal technique and, ultimately, you should find a teacher, a guide. And remember, there are different ways to learn and many ways to ruin a voice, listen, be attentive, and practice. I know that it is difficult to find teachers of styles other than classical, soul or pop, but if you try I’m sure you can hunt them down. Me, well I have finally decided to go to Mali and work with a teacher there so that I can better understand the nuances of jeli styles. I’m sure it will be worth the effort.
2. Even though there are fantastic examples of the electronically modified voice, this is not a board for that discussion. We would be obliged to enter a discussion about equipment, and different brands, foot pedals, microphones, wires, programs and a whole array of extra-body accessories. Not that I’m agin it, but I feel that exchange deserves  a separate board. 
3. I am not here to judge whether one style of song or vocalizing is better than another, more beautiful than another.  That is a matter of taste.

Well, that was lift off and what a joy to be airborne. 

Until next time.

Oh yes, comments welcome, more than.

Gwen