What Happens in Singing? Higher, Second Formant, Being Controlled by the Size and Shape of the Mouth

Home , Formant

cern ourselves here with only the first two, the lower or first formant being controlled by the throat space, and the What Happens In Singing? higher, second formant, being controlled by the size and shape of the mouth. Learning to control the formants which provide us with NUMBER 3 - RESONANCE many different vowels begins during our infancy. By the time one is about a year old he has learned to produce most J. LOREN JONES of the vowels with fairly good discrimination. In fact, we have learned the skill of manipulating the spaces of our Music Department vocal tract at such an early age that we do not recall ever Michigan State University having learned it. The disciplines of the singing voice, with a much wider range than speech and much more specific There are some who believe that a beautifully resonant and more sustained pitches, demand a much greater degree voice is a pure gift from God and that there is little a teacher of proficiency in controlling the spaces of the vocal tract or choral director can do for the student who does not sing and the resulting formants. well. While it may be true that some are better endowed Fonnants and Overtones with vocal abilities and musical aptitudes than others, it is In spoken English we will use 12 or 13 different vowels, also true that our vocal mechanisms are more nearly the each with its own unique set of overtones or formants. If some than they are different and that poor singers can, and a male singer were to sing a series of vowels on the pitch do, learn to sing well. The great difference between a good C 128 Hz., the C below middle C, he would be able to use singer and a poor singer is not in the basic equipment. It any of the overtones for C 128 Hz. as vowels formants. The is in the way the equipment is used. Almost anyone (any first overtone would be an octave above the fundamental at normal person) can master the skills necessary for good sing- 256 Hz., which is middle C. The second would be G 384 Hz. ing if they are willing to devote enough time and energy to The third would be C 512 Hz., and so on up the series of the project. Resonance in the voice is perhaps the single overtones. quality contributing most to vocal beauty. It is the result of skillful handling of the vocal equipment. It is a skill that CHART I is, can be, and must be learned. There are teachers and choral directors who refer to a 2176 resonant voice as one which is "well focused", "properly ..... ~ ~ I- • I-- -I-- placed", "in the masque", or one which has "proper nasal 2048 -- -HJ.':l -r--- -I-- I-- "':11920 I-- ~ l- I--I- .1-- -I-- -I-- resonance". Most of these terms are descriptive of certain o -- - a. - 10- 1- Q I-- physical sensations or certain concepts experienced either ~ 1792 -- - -- I-- -- by the listener or the singer. Such terms are sometimes ~1664 I-- I--- ~ I-- I-- -- - ~a -- - given as specific teaching directives. The student may be ~1536 -I-- I--- I-- I-- I--- told to "place the tone in the masque", or to "focus the tone". ------~ -I-- ~ -I-- I-- I--- Such instruction may, indirectly, bring about a change in 1408 -- ~ - ~ 1280 -I- I--- -I-- ~ .1-- I-- I-- the vocal quality; however, there is no relationship between .-< -- these directives and the actual cause of vocal resonance. 1152 -- -I- 1- -I-- I--- ~a.I-- I--- -- Resonance is brought about by specific physical and acousti- 1024 -- -I-- 1- -I-- I---- ~ -I-- -- cal functions and the directors and teachers who understand -I- -I-- ~ these functions are in a better position to help students dis- 896 ------r- -I- I-- -~ ,- 768 - - - cover and use more beautiful and more efficient voices. ~ .Jt a - The Vocal Instrument at Work 640 y""T 'it 512:::11 tI ""X '" ;;pr ~ ~ R .,. Before there can be resonance of any kind there must 384 be something to generate a tone and something to vibrate ... r in sympathy with that tone. With the voice the vocal folds 256 '* .~* are the generator, creating the fundamental pitch, and the A' .. . air mass in the oral and pharyngeal cavities (mouth and ... . I II I 128 7 a ,. ,. ,., n ,. n "J rJ '7 t' throat> vibrate, "in resonance" sympathetically. The oral and '" pharyngeal cavities make excellent resonators, despite the L:t e E.~a et r:>, OVLA. soft tissue of the walls, because they are variable in size and lee lid laid led lad lamb lot law lord load look loot can thus be "tuned" to many different frequencies. The posi- )( PRODUCED BY RESONANCE IN THE PHARYNX (THROAT) tion of the tongue and its point of division between the two a PRODUCED BY RESONANCE IN THE ORAL CAVITY (MOUTH) cavities, along with the motion of the jaw and lips, deter- mines the size and shape of the vocal tract. When a person is enunciating an Ii! vowel, as in lee, Chart I illustrates how a male singer would be able to the base of the tongue moves forward creating a large space produce some 12 different vowels while singing the same in the pharyngeal cavity. This degree of space makes it pitch. The phonetic symbols below the bass clef are from possible for a frequency as low as perhaps 200 Hz. to be the international phonetic alphabet and there are key words initiated through sympathetic resonance. During the enuncia- to illustrate the vowel sound of each symbol. The lower line tion of an Ial vowel, as in lot, the base of the tongue moves of formants, represented by an x, are attributed to changes back toward the phraynx, reducing the space of the throat. in the size of the throat cavity. As the singer moves from Ii! In this position a resonant frequency of about 800 Hz. will to III to Ie! to lEI and la! the first formant moves higher be resonanted. and higher, and with each new vowel the formant is related The mouth is a bit more variable in size and shape and to the next overtone. When the singer moves from the /a! is capable of tuning in frequencies from about 2200 Hz., in toward the lUi, the lips begin to round more and more. This its most diminished size, to about 400 Hz. when the jaw is closing of the mouth aperture lowers the frequency of the lowered and the lips rounded. For those who are interested resonating space and we see the formant return to its ori- in a thorough presentation of specific alterations of the mouth ginal location, the first overtone, utilizing each of the over- and throat cavities for the several vowels, see The Science tones in the series as it steps back down. of Vocal Pedagogy by D. Ralph Appelman, Indiana Univer- The second formant region lies, for the most part, above sity Press, 1965, pges 297-348. the treble clef. There are fourteen overtones which the singer The Ingredients of Vowels may select as formants, the highest being 2176 Hz., which The quality of a vowel may be compared to the mixing is the 16th overtone of C 128 Hz. As the mouth space begins of certain colors in order to attain different shades. A mix- to grow larger, moving from the ;iI to the III to the lei ture of yellow with blue will result in some shade of green, to the IE/ and finally to the la/, the second formant gradually for example. A small amount of yellow and a large amount moves down through the overtone series. As the singer con- of blue would produce a dark green. If one would reverse tinues from the la/ toward the lu/ and lip rounding begins, the proportions a rather light green would emerge. we see the formant continue to assume the lower overtones In addition to the fundamental pitch, a vowel has cer- of the series until it arrives at ,u/, the lowest formant used. tain "tuned in" overtones or partials which are called for- Vocal Resonance mants. Vowels will vary in their quality and recognition as When the singer has his vowel formants absolutely tuned different formants are selected and tuned in to the cavities in to the proper overtone, by the careful manipulation of of the mouth and throat. While there are a number of for- the spaces of mouth and throat, he will have attained his mants present in the spectrum of a sung vowel, we will con- maximum resonance. Under these conditions the singer will

OCTOBER 1975 13 RESONANCE ... only when every singer in the choral group is producing the same exact vowel formants. Since different sections are have greater volume with less effort, soft ones will have assigned different pitches (at least a good bit of the time) greater carrying power, less breath will be required to pro- perfect blend becomes next to impossible. On the other hand duce the same amount of tone, and he will have a tone since most parts of a given piece are harmonically related: which has beauty, brilliance and "ring". Conversely, the it should follow that the overtones of each part being sung singer who does not know how to tune in his formants to will be closely related and that many of the overtones will overtones will produce a weak, dull, uninteresting tone, will be on the same frequency. When such is not the case then need to use much effort to attain the "forte" volume level we must compromise and take the nearest formant tuning will become physically tired while singing, will not be easil; possible. No compromise should be necessary within a given heard without effort, and he will utilize much breath in choral section, however. Perfect blend within each section producing his tone. is not only possible, it is essential. If there are 12 singers Voice teachers and choral directors have developed a in a given section, and eleven of them are perfectly unified good many methods of helping the singer produce better as to pitch and vowel formation, one voice producing a dif- tone, much of which is designed to help the singer discovel' ferent formant will easily be heard and the blend is dis- the "resonance" of the voice. There are those who depend torted. The consistent work and demand of the director can on "imagery" as an indirect method of controlling the vocal do wonders for the blend of the choir. The unified vowel is tract, those who are more direct, using physical suggestions, the necessary tool. those who try to use a more natural approach or "sing as Beauty of tone is not exactly the same as blend or you speak", while others prefer a "placement" or "focus" resonance. The beautiful tone is one which is being produced concept. In more recent years, perhaps partly due to the with the most desirable formants being formed in the spaces influence of Dr. Ralph Appelman's lectures and writings, of the mouth and throat. If we sing as we speak, for example, teachers are adopting a "phonetic" approach to control the the vowels may be resonant and quite natural, but not configuration of the singers vocal tract. These are a few of necessarily beautiful. Formants for singing need to be a bit the methods currently used by teachers and choral directors. lower than those of our speech. Few directors would admit These and others not mentioned can be valuable aids in to wanting an overly dark or overly mature tone from their bringing about necessary changes in the student. Most of choir, featuring the criticism of judges, local voice teachers, the methods fall under the heading of "Crutch Stimuli", or other colleagues. On the other hand there are many choral intended for temporary use at a given moment in the stu- directors whose concept of "natural" quality is uninteresting dent's learning. William Vennard advised all teachers to and even un-beautiful. To produce the slightly lower for- become familiar with as many methods as possible and use mants, and thus a more beautiful tone, the singer must the method which seems best at any given moment. What- form his vowels with a slightly enlarged throat cavity (in ever the method, however, the teacher and director will be comparison to speech) and with a slightly exaggerated more efficient in training his singers if he keeps in mind that mouth cavity. Choral quality is largely a matter of taste, most of his work is that of helping the student learn to however, and in determining what is the most beautiful tone tune in his formants to specific overtones. for a given piece, the artistic ear of the director is all- Blend and Beauty important. There are but two requirements for a perfect choral Pure Vowels and Modified Vowels blend. The first is that of attaining an absolutely unified At the turn of the century and for several decades fol- fundmental pitch, and the second is that of attaining a lowing, the Italian singer reigned supreme. They flooded not. perfectly unified vowel. The second requirement will occur only the American opera houses but all opera houses in the world. It was a common practice for the striving American singers to migrate to Italy and study with an Italian teacher. A further common practice was the changing of American names to sound Italian. During these years the Italian style of singing, as well as the Italian diction, became well em- bedded into the fibers of American singing. One of the Italian traditions which lingers on, although somewhat distorted and Americanized, is the idea that Italians were, perhaps still are, great singers because their tone is always produced with the "pure singing vowels". It is not BE READY TO CATCH THE uncommon to hear the statement, "The Italian language is the singer's language because it uses only the pure vowels, BIG FISH! ANYTIME! ANYWHERE! ee, ay, ah, oh, and 00". Some who hold this belief will admit to a slil;ht degree of vowel alteration as the singer moves NEW FISHING RODFITS IN YOUR POCKET! either higher in the range or has need of more volume. Care- TELESCOPES TO A FULL 6 FEET! ful listening to any of the great Italian singers, either past or present, will reveal not only a very definite system of You'll never miss a chance to fish again! 6 foot Fishing Rod vowel modification but also the fact that the Italian language telescopes down to only 15'/2'. Stows away in glove compart- utilizes most of the same vowels in the English language. ment. back pack. travel bag or pocket. Great for casting, spin- The whole idea that Italians utilize only five pure vowels ning or spin-cast use. Tubular glass rod, rugged. Positive grip is naive. Yet, it is not uncommon to hear some choral directors suggest to their choir that all words using the vowel III cork handle. Complete with it's own vinyl case. You would ex- (lid) must be shaped toward the Iii (lee), words using the pect to pay more than $25.00 for this fantastic Rod-Yours for lUI (look) must be shaped toward the lu/ (loot), and so on. only Another point of view which has the support of a number of people in the profession is that of keeping the vowel "pure" from the top of the vocal range to the very bottom. In opposition to this view are those who insist that the vowel on can only be preserved by modification of it. They believe introductory that if a singer attempts to sing a pure vowel from bottom offer! to top of the range, it will become tight, pinchy, distorted. The conflict, when reduced to its fundamentals, is a question of whether the singer must conform to the spoken lan- Mail orders Approved by add $2.00 guage discipline or whether he must "accommodate the Dr. Trikie- voice" and modify the spoken language. While the argument for tax and Used on his may continue for many years, the answer to the question postage lies in examining the acoustical properties of the singing big fishing voice. expedition! Chart I, presented earlier in this article, offered infor- L.D. PARSONS A~ mation concerning male voices singing a fairly low pitch. At that vocal range there are an abundance of overtones 18592 MADISON AVENU E which lie in the desirable formant region for the several CASTRO VALLEY, CALIF. vowels. If the singer were to move higher in his range and attempt the same series of vowels on the pitch E 330 Hz. 94546 (just above middle C) many of the original formant possi- bilities would be unavailable.

14 THE CHORAL JOURNAL CHART II d 1980 --a ~ r,l 1650 j [;j 1320 --- ~ 0-< 990 a new choral festival to be held 330 in Washington, D.C. December 27 - 30,1975 between Christmas & New Years )( PRODUCED BY RESONANCE IN THE PHARYNX (THROAT) a PRODUCED BY RESONANCE IN THE ORAL CAVITY (MOUTH) Non-profeSSional choral groups are invited to audition for participation. Chart II is based on a fundamental pitch of 330 Hz. The overtones are, 660, 990, 1320, and 1980. The singer is now limited to only five available formant frequencies, as opposed to his original sixteen. It becomes obvious that many of the original individual formants are missing. There may be some singers who will attempt to produce the same original 12 vowel qualities, despite the loss of the formant selection, but, when we apply the singing criteria of "beauty", "resonance", "volume", "physical effort", and perhaps, in the choral section, "blend", singers would do better to accept the fact that the vowel must be altered. Another way of saying it might be, that some of the vowels must now share the overtones that remain. Intelligibility will now depend on something other than individual vowel formants. Excellent singers have the skill of singing up and down the scale, modify- ing the vowel at just the correct moment, so that the listener seldom is aware that the vowel has ever been alteread. In fact, it is just this kind of skill that voice teachers spend a goodly portion of time training. Concerning the female voices, some may ask what occurs Alexander Dashnaw in the higher portion of the range when the singer attempts Artistic Director to produce a series of vowels similar to those illustrated in Chart 1. Chart III is designed to show the overtone structure and formant selection which ,..'ould occur if a female voice Alexander Dashnaw will direct the massed performance attempted such. The fundamental pitch being sung is G 792 of all participants at Washington National Cathedral and Hz., or, G, the first space above the treble clef. Kennedy Center. Mr. Dashnaw is presently Choral Di· rector at C.W. Post College, Long Island. His choirs have

CHART III performed at the National Convention of the ACDA.

>:j o PRICE: $76.00 per person ~ .... Four days - three nights at Marriott Twin Bridges Motor 1584 -...... "\ Hotel. Two meals daily, all concerts arranged at such sites j as Kennedy Center, S1. Matthews' Cathedral and c:: ~...... s'I ~ e~ er::::::! ~~ t:J 792 "11 1'!!t'(J{ ~. ~IIS ,Jill ~1lII11f I- (ir- Washington National Cathedral. Adjudication concert, ~ I ...... -. -. I T T T ...... massed rehearsals and performance, sightseeing and .. J much more. (Transportation not included). NEUTRALS- (led) NEUTRAL 1\ (love) . For more information on JUBILEE please contact: J. l.o I f'" lfiio CII"" t"'I a D ""] rJ -u r.4. Performing Arts Abroad ;tJ\02 East Michigan Ave. )( PRODUCED BY RESONANCE IN THE PHARYNX (THROAT) lJ PRODUCED BY RESONANCE IN THE ORAL CAVITY (MOUTH) Kalamazoo, Michigan 49006 Tel. 616-381-0200 Only one overtone lies within the desirable formant range. The Iii, III, lei and lEI are produced with the same formants. The remaining vowels are being sung with a unique acoustical arrangement where the fundamental, the first formant and the second formant are all being produced on Director's Name . the same frequency. The quality of the first four vowels will be rather a neutral III (lid) or lEI (led) vowel quality, while the remaining vowels will have the sound of a rather Name of School or Institution . neutra 1,\ I (love) quality. Vowel discrimination in this range of the female voice is not an acoustical possibility. Vowel Modification and Resonance For the greatest vocal resonance and beauty, each vowel will have a slightly different "set" in the position of the Address · ··············· . tongue, jaw, lips, etc., for each degree of ascension in the scale. Each vowel has its own unique pattern of change Phone No. Office Home . simply because each vowel is trying to maintain its own identity. Certain of the vowels maintain a rather stable position from the lower range to the higher, while others must

OCTOBER 1975 15 will need to open gradually, with each new pitch level, until RESONANCE the lu/ has migrated into its neighbor's territory and be- obviously migrate into its neighbors territory. Again we cite comes an IVI as in look. From this position the shift into Dr. Ralph Appelman's The Science of Vocal Pedagogy (see head voice is a very smooth transition. a previous citation) for more information concerning the The /a/ Vowel Modification and Voice Classification modification of vowels. The following suggestions will be ra- For many years the Westminster School has used a ther general. A thorough presentation almost demands vocal method of voice classification based on the pattern of vowel demonstration. modification of the lal vowel. It is referred to as the "lift" iii, when sung in the lower pitch range is a very stable or "breath lift" in the voice. The system is based on the vowel position for the singer. As the singer moves upward assumption that the larger instruments, such as the basses, in the pitch range, however, the mouth will need to open baritones, contraltos and mezzos, have different acoustical slightly for each new pitch in the scale. At some point, per- properties than do those of the smaller instruments, such haps an octave above the original starting point on chart I as the tenors and sopranos. The routine of classification (middle C for male singers and third space C, treble clef for begins by having the singer move up a five tone scale on females) iii will have migrated into the III territory. The a very natural fal vowel. The lift for the basso profundo gradual opening of the mouth and jaw is done to allow the would occur, lower than all other voices, on G, top space of proper formant to be tuned in and thus maintain vocal reson- the bass clef. The female counterpart for this would be the ance. heavy contralto whose lift would occur one octave above, on lei is the next vowel requiring modification. As the G, the second line of the treble clef. A lift on the next step singer begins to ascend the scale, the mouth will open gradu- upward, A, would indicate for the male, a basso cantante ally until the vowel being produced is recognized as an lEI or heavy baritone, and for the female, a heavy mezzo. A (led>' In this pitch range, should the singer need to discri- B-flat lift would indicate baritones and regular mezzos. A minate between the I el and the lEI as for example, laid C lift indicates dramatic (or 2nd) tenor for the males and and led, the diphthong is usually added, giving the listener a dramatic (or 2nd) soprano. The lift occuring on aDindi- enough advantage to determine a difference in word intent. cates a lyric tenor or lyric soprano. Lifts higher than the The substitute lEI is useful only up to a certain pitch level, D would be for the very light counter tenor and the very after which it becomes rather "shout-like". At that point the light coloratura soprano. singer will need to expand the throat space a bit and lower The lift in the voices is also called "upper middle voice" the first formant. This action brings about the shift into by some teachers and choral directors. Dr. Appelman refers head voice. The singer may find it helpful to re-establish to this as the first vowel modification, or first quality al- some of the original lei vowel. ternate for the lal vowel. 101 is a vowel that has the disadvantage of being a From the standpoint of vocal acoustics, the lift is a "closed" quality, and it will need to migrate toward the shifting of formants from one overtone to another. Speci- more open I? I as in lord, when the singer moves up the fically, in the female voices the lift may be described as scale. In a very similar pattern to the lei, the 101 can be that point in the range where the second formant has gone opened only up to a certain pitch level, at which time a as far as it can without causing the vowel to become overly head voice shift will be necessary. Again, it is the opening strident, tense, or edgy. The second formant then drops from of the throat which will lower the first formant and bring the third partial to the second, where it becomes unified about the head voice shift. with the first formant which is now related to the second lui is also a very closed vowel which becomes lost with- partial (first overtone). An examination of Chart IV may out modification as a singer ascends the scale. The mouth help to reveal the several "shifts" made by formants. Although the same phenomenon occurs a number of times in the as- cending scale, bringing the formant back to a closer relationship to the proper region (around 750 Hz. for the first formant and around 1250 Hz. for t1;le second formant) it is Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church only when the first and second formants form a single formant that the ear will clearly detect a change in quality. Going a bit further up the scale, we see again the fundamental, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida the first formant and the second formant all being produced on the fundamental pitch. The amplitude of such a wave is presents its so great that females often feel as though the resonance is being produced in the "head". This is, no doubt, the origin SECOND ANNUAL of the term. SACRED MUSIC WORKSHOP Chart IV

JANUARY 21-25, 1976 PaHer':"ls of FOl'mant Behavior

the /0.1 vowel t mezzo soprano featuring:

• Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony rmddl va with Diane Bish, organist (opening concert) • Charles Hirt • Robert Noehren

592 REGISTRATION fEE: $55.00 512 C 468 b 440 .- PRE·REGISTRATION fEE: $45.00 (includes lunches 396 g. and banquet and ticket for Robert Shaw Concert) 352 f- :53 e:' Checks must be received by December 1, 1975. 298 d' 256 C' h NAME 220 • 198 f ADDRESS PHONE _ 165 • 148 ,1 12B C CITY STATE __ ZIP _"__ ll? PLEASE PROVIDE HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS o SINGLE· $14 0 DOUBLE· $18 Checks Payable To: / IMPORTANT! In addition to the information concerning the singer's lift, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church MAKE AIR it is advisable to also listen to the timbre of the voice, espe- 5555 North Federal Highway Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33308 RESERVATIONS cally the timbre of the chest voice in female singers, and, Atten. Carolyn HealdlMusic Office IMMEDIATELY if possible, for the optimum moment in the scale for the transition into head voice. With these several bits of information one is in a better position to make a decision concerning which choral part to assign a given voice. In

16 THE CHORAL JOURNAL instrumental conducting, the ability to establish a good rapport with instrumen- INQU ST OF ANS ERS talists as well as singers, pianistic ability, and a real curiosity for what other people are doing in the field are all of CAROLE GLENN It depends on where you are· conducting, importance. too. A choral conductor has to be a first- 1640 "C" West Rumble rate musician. He's got to know his in- Margaret Hillis - Chicago Symphony Modesto, California 95350 strument that means he's got to know Chorus, Northwestern University, what to do with voices. He's got to know Evanston, Illinois his scores and he's got to know conduc- THE CONDUCTOR'S QUALIfiCATION ting techniques. That's all taken for The field of conducting has some pho- granted. Keyboard is important, but I nies, some semi-phonies, and some honest Because of the natural and delightful wouldn't want to exclude somebody just people. And then there is a lot of people diversity of human kind, no two conduc- because he wasn't the sharpest piano who try hard to be honest. Charisma tors are exactly alike. They must be player. Personally a conductor must be helps; it also can be a major drawback. themselves, first of all, if communication If a person has it, he may begin to rely a benevolent despot. He must be able to is to begin. Is it possible to find similar maintain control of his group, and at on it rather than to become a servant qualities of personality and musicality? of it. I feel about a musician the way the same time he must be able to help In the responses of our conductors one anyone who needs help. There's an under- I feel about a doctor. The doctor's first can learn of their individual concern loyalty is to his patient. A conductor's lying quality of love (if I can use that as revealed by the emphasis given to first duty is to his composer, and his overworked word) which must be there. certain characteristics. composer's welfare. After that comes the However, I would not want to write a chorus and orchestra, and long, long after In your opinion, what are the most decription for somebody else. We all these comes the conductor. I don't think important personal and musical qualifi- have our own ideas. cations for a conductor? Szell had a great deal of charisma in Jane Skinner Hardester - EI Camino the "beautiful people" sense of the word, Elaine Brown - Singing City, Temple College, Los Angeles, California but he had an incredible mind and University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania First, I suppose, he must have an enormous intellectual energy. That has That question covers a lot of territory. absolute love and enthusiasm for all kinds to be there. There has to be curiosity. A conductor has to be a good musician. of music. If he's a choral conductor he The conductor's equipment should be This requires strength, a good ear, good should love choral music, and that's the the same for both instrumental and rhythmic equipment, and knowledge very beginning. He must be musical. choral conductors when it comes to the about and experience in voice if he is Surely sensitivity to knowledge of, or ability to grasp the sense of the music. conducting singers. I don't know of a talent for music is absolutely imperative. He must be able to analyze a score, to single conductor who doesn't have a good But it's a never-ending process; the art hear it, to know how the piece is put keyboard background, although there form demands continual growth on the together. These are all of first impor- must be some; possibly these conductors part of the conductor personally .and tance. I have come to the belief that the have something which is equivalent. Key- musically. If he has a mature philosophy choral conductor must know orchestra- board facility is a great contribution. of life and music, and if he wants to tion thoroughly, not only how different My background is vocal, piano, and or- share himself with others, he can have instruments transpose, but how an oboe gan which stands me in good stead. Not some beautiful experiences. sounds when it's playing high C and only can I sit down and play the scores, when it's playing low C. Also he should Iva Dee Hiatt Smith College, North- but I can appreciate what an accompan- know how the French horns work in ampton, Massachusetts ist can do. Personal qualifications cover terms of sound, and the different instru- a great deal of territory too. A conduc- I would say that he or she must have ment that a trombone is when it's play- tor is, first of all, one who communicates. tremendous and abiding love for the ing fortissimo and when it's playing Therefore, he must have something to medium itself and a real desire to con- pianissimo. It's an entirely different world communicate he must have experienced tinue his or her own development in of sound. He then should know the func- it. He cannot be talking off the top of terms of exploring and mastering the tion of the orchestration when he studies his head. He must reflect who he is art. He must have the ability to proceed the score, and should be able to hear it and what he is. He must be a person from what he knows and courage to try in that timbre. Actually, I think that a who can inspire. The teacher in the con- things that are hard for him as a con- conductor ought to be a composer first. ductor is very important. I throw the ductor. He must also have an abiding He doesn't have to be the greatest com- word "caring" around easily, but I mean patience and faith and a real interest in poser that ever lived, but at the very it in the deepest sense of the word. If the people who make the music and in least he should have respect for how you're excited about what you're sharing himself as a human being. He should much his fingers hurt from having to through music, you need to be articulate have a genuine love for scholarship and write the notes. enough to communicate it. To draw a culture apart from music itself a know- curtain and be a maestro would be a ledge of what the writers and painters Robert Holliday - Hamline University, hellish kind of experience. were doing at the same time as the com- St. Paul, Minnesota poser of the score he's dealing with. I A conductor must have a wide know- Robert Fountain - University of Wiscon- think a knowledge of history and general ledge of the literature. This is imperative. sin, Madison, Wisconsin cultures is tremendously important. Musi- It is important that he has good tonal I've seen so many successful conductors cally speaking, I would say that the imagery. He must have the ability to sit who have had such different profiles ability to sing oneself, the ability to read and study a piece of music and hear it that it's very hard to write out a formula. scores, a knowledge of instruments and in its idealized form. Unless he hears

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RESONANCE from any of these sources. In fact, it appears that any degree of opening at the nasal port will have an adverse effect on the quality and the amplitude of the tone produced.(l) this matter, as in so many others, there is no substitute for the trained, artistic ear of the choral director. FOOTNOTES Other Vocal Resonators Some may question why there has been no discussion 1. Woldridge, Warren B., "The Nasal Resonance Factor of the "masque" placement, "nasal. resonance" or the role in the Sustained Vowel Tone in Singing Voices," Unpublished of the sinuses as resonators. Based on findings from a number doctoral dissertation, Indiana University Graduate School, of investigations specifically designed to determine the value Bloomington, 1954. of such resonators, it would seem that a good many voice Vennard, William, "An experiment to Evaluate the Im- teachers, and some choral directors, have tended to over- portance of Nasal Resonance in Singing," Folia Phoniatrica emphasize the importance of such. The conclusions of each 16:146-153, 1964. of the investigations concerned with the effect of opening the nasal port to allow the tone to utilize the nasal space as Jones, J. Loren, "A Cinefluorographic and Spectrographic a resonator, the sinuses, or the transmission of tone through Analysis of the Effect of Velum Positions on Sung Vowels," the hard palate into the nasal chambers are in full agreement Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Indiana University Gradu- that there is no resonance contributed to the singing voice ate School, Bloomington, 1970. :.:

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