An Existentialist Frame for Singing and Singing Teaching a Thesis

An Existentialist Frame for Singing and Singing Teaching A Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Sara Clethero Music department: Brunel University 2019 2 Dedications For Zoe, Clara and Seren and for, Samuel, Simon and Christina Mebrahtu, wishing them well for creating a better world. Many, many thanks to Prof Christopher Fox and the music staff at Brunel University, and to David Lambourn and Robert Mrozek for all their support. 3 Abstract An exploration of an existential frame for singing and singing teaching. The concept of a philosophical frame (as opposed to a theory) is described and defended, and an existential philosophical approach is explored in relation to other possible philosophies, and modified in the light of post-modern insights. This is followed by a practice-based analysis of the implementation of this approach. This frame is used to examine the application of the Alexander Technique to singing, and its implementation in a conservatoire context and to the other groups of singers described in the thesis. This analysis is based on the experience of specific groups of singers in the UK. The fundamental, underlying model of vocal use is that of bel canto singing (arising, of course, from a classical, opera-based context), but the point is made that this approach is also embraced by other genres besides that of opera singing. This frame is then applied to different singing constituencies, of different ethnic and neurophysiological backgrounds with an emphasis on detailed accounts of personal experiences of respondents and members of groups, since it is this detail which forms the fabric of this enquiry. The implementation of this approach is described and defended in relation to a singers’ summer school in Italy, to a group of singers with an autistic spectrum “disorder”, to a Jamaican jazz singer, and to another student of Gujarati origin from Kenya. It is also explored in relation to the present opera landscape, with particular focus on two contemporary opera groups, with an interview with the music director of one of them, and first-hand accounts of performances. 4 Contents Introduction 8 Chapter 1: Singing: An Existential Approach 11 Singing in Choirs - An Existential View! 12 A Personal Contextualisation 16 Searching for a Philosophical Frame – A Practical Way Through the Maze 18 A Frame for Discussion 20 Further Reflections on “Framing” the Argument 21 The Continental Philosophy/Analytical Philosophy Conflict 24 Existentialism in Relation to “Systematic” Philosophy – Concrete vs Abstract Thought 26 Voice Studies in the Present Day 27 Research Methods 29 Other Existential Approaches to Singing 32 Overall Approach 37 Chapter 2: Alexander Technique: The grain of the voice 38 Alexander Technique: Definition and Literature 38 The implications of the Alexander Technique for an Existential Frame for Singing Teaching – A Personal Overview. 45 Towards an existential understanding of the Alexander technique 46 Introduction of the AT to a singing group 51 The self-description of the AT professional organisations in the UK: Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique (STAT) 51 The Integrated teaching method (ITM) 55 Professional association of Alexander Teachers (PAAT) 56 Alexander Technique International (ATI) 59 The AT in Conservatoire training 60 AT in Conservatoire Training 60 Rachel Zahn - A Philosophical and Scientific Contextualization 5 of Alexander Technique 61 Relation of Alexander Technique to Buddhist Practice 66 Chapter 3: Autism and Authenticity 67 Background literature 67 Music and Autism 69 The Context for this study 70 History of Groups for Service Users with an asd 71 An Approach of Exploration - rather than prescription 73 Singing and the Process of Becoming: A Study of the Use of Alexander Technique in Voice Classes for People with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (Clethero, 2014 - unpublished) 74 Retrospective of the History of the Groups 77 An exploration into Creativity (1) (published work) 78 An exploration into Creativity (2) (published work) 86 The Story of a Journey: 20 Years of Self-Discovery in the Performing Arts (published work) 95 Session Nov 2015 105 What Has Changed Since 2013? 110 Further Sessions: 18th December, 2015 113 Further Session 4 November, 2016 116 Relation to the Theme of the Thesis 116 Concluding Philosophical Reflection 117 Chapter 4: The Voice in Opera 119 What is the real philosophical issue? 119 Alice Coote 121 Opera in the Present – Birmingham opera Company 123 The Devil Inside by Music Theatre Wales 128 Music Theatre Wales: Background Information 128 The Devil Inside 129 A Conversation with Michael Rafferty, of Music Theatre Wales 133 Conversation with young tenor (February 2017) 139 6 Conclusion 142 Chapter 5: Summer School Case Study 143 The context 143 The participants 144 The staff 144 Dane Preece Masterclass 147 Music Theatre/Opera Conceptual Context 153 David Miller Masterclass 156 Robert Lada Masterclass 161 Ingrid Surgenor Masterclass 171 Reflections From Members of the Course 177 The Further Philosophical Context of this Approach 185 Implications for Continuing Education 187 Chapter 6: Case Study: Jamaican Jazz Singer 189 Conversation Birmingham 30.5.16 193 Conversation Birmingham 1.6.16 202 Chapter 7: Case Study: East African AsianStudent 209 Interview Birmingham, 13.6.16 210 Interview, Birmingham 4.7.16 214 Pre-lesson discussion Birmingham 27.6.16 218 Further lesson/interview 220 Birmingham 20.6.16 221 Interview Birmingham 27.6.16 224 Interview, Birmingham, 15.8.16 226 Postscript 228 Six months later 228 Conclusion 230 7 References 240 Appendix 1: PAAT class, MAC, 30th April 2012 260 Appendix 2: Paul Newham: The Psychology of Voice and the Founding of the Roy Hart Theatre 264 Appendix 3: The Killing Flower by Salvatore Sciarrino: Music Theatre Wales 269 Appendix 4: Performance History of Dido and Aeneas 273 Appendix 5: Music Theatre Wales 275 Appendix 6: Michael Rafferty 276 Appendix 7: Ingber 277 Appendix 8: Song by Duncan Fielden 278 8 Introduction Reframing our conceptions of singing and music is a task of peculiar urgency. There is very widespread agreement that we are entering a time when educational needs and possibilities will be revolutionised by the possibilities of the internet and new media (reflected, for instance, in 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, by Yuval Noah Harari (2018)). It is becoming increasingly clear that many traditional educational preoccupations will rapidly become obsolete or irrelevant, and that what is needed is a radically creative development of our ability to respond to new situations and to the unknown. In this landscape, the importance of a creative approach to the human voice can hardly be over-stated. Of equal importance, I suggest, is the clarity and precision of the language we use to express this. Although philosophy is often associated by non-specialists with pedantic and inaccessible language, it has a crucial function in making meaning and underlying assumptions precise and open to discussion and criticism. I have tried to keep the language here direct and non-technical to address this issue. All of us have a voice (with a small number of medical exceptions) and have to make choices, considered or not, about how we use it. We can fill a 2000- seater opera house with the unaided human voice, and we can make visceral sounds in more extreme pop music, or avant-garde classical music, or scat creatively with other players and singers in a jazz context. Every time we speak or sing, we make decisions, often at a pre-conscious level, of course, about what we do with our larynx and the breathing and the resonating spaces which make up the human voice. Given the urgency of this issue, to rely on a discourse beset with class- based assumptions about “good’ and “bad” music and voices is, at best, old- fashioned. We urgently need a philosophical and linguistic clarification and precision in the way we discuss these issues which acknowledges the fundamental importance of direct engagement with sounds in music for human beings: “as human creatures, we’re sort of excited and turned on by sounds , and the physicality of sound” (Richter, 2018). For too long, the singing of children and adults in the west has been inhibited and judged by inadequate and ill-thought-out standards. This thesis is an attempt to address that issue. In addition, the traditional distinction between “classical” music and other genres of sung music is changing very rapidly, as is clear from the discussion 9 between Tom Service and Max Richter referred to above. This being the case, I make no apology for including examples in this thesis from jazz and music theatre, for example. There is a unity of concern here, possibly unexpected, between “community” singers and singers such as those with an autistic spectrum disorder (asd) and with singers from other cultures. To demonstrate this, I have included here a chapter on singing work with groups of people with an asd as well as studies of a Jamaican jazz singer and a singer of Gujarati origin from Kenya. The same issues need clarification in a professional, opera singing context. For this reason, I have included case studies of a singers’ summer school in (German speaking!) Italy and of the operation of two smaller opera companies in the UK. Definitions I have made a working assumption that concepts such as autism and the Alexander Technique (AT) need to be defined, since much of the confusion in discussion of these subjects may derive from unclear conceptions of the original meaning of these ideas. In order to refine this clarity further, I have also included Greek, Hebrew and Latin original meanings, where relevant. We can never be sure that our ideas, expressed in language, are the same as someone else’s idea of the same verbal concept.

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