[musictlk] Sandra's Studio - struggling with high notes

Mon Sep 29 20:26:13 UTC 2014

Sandra,

I would be interested in phoning in to Sandra's Studio.  Please supply more
info, including time and phone number.
Annd
-----Original Message-----
From: musictlk [mailto:musictlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Sandra
Gayer via musictlk
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2014 3:56 PM
To: Kaiti Shelton; Music Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [musictlk] struggling with high notes

Hello everyone,
I've had a lot of computer problems recently and have only caught up
with this thread today. It has been fascinating to read all the
different advice, technique suggestions and interactions. Sometimes, I
get frustrated to read about and hear from a number of blind and
partially sighted singers around the world who need and want the same
things. As an experienced Soprano Singer and part time voice teacher,
I'm thrilled to announce the start of a project that has been growing
in my mind for some time. I want to help other visually impaired
singers get the most out of their instrument with the least amount of
difficulty, be confident performers alongside their sighted peers,
and, cement friendships while doing it!

That's why I'm launching Sandra's Studio; an informative, lively
monthly gathering for VI singers, over the telephone.

Please write an email to sandragayer7 at gmail.com off list if you'd like
to know more about it.

Very best wishes,
Sandra.
PS, for those of you who have heard about Braille Line, the next one
will take place in November.
Sandra.

On 9/17/14, Kaiti Shelton via musictlk <musictlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Kelsey,
>
> To clarify the jumping exercise, it does go up partially by thirds,
> but more correctly it just follows the standard pattern of an
> arpeggio.  If you want to think of it in scale degrees, it starts on
> one, then goes three, five, 1/8, 3/10, (compound or simple intervals
> depending on how you wish to think about them), and then it comes back
> down.  All it requires you to do is sing up and down on pitches do,
> mi, and sol.  Hope either of these explanations helps.
>
> I would really encourage you to try different warm ups on your own
> time to find ones which can help you.  While being mindful of not
> damaging your voice is a good thing, being too timid about expanding
> the range keeps so many people from using what they have.  Just in
> choir today a girl behind me (we were just placed into our final spots
> in soprano and alto sections for the semester), was freaking out
> because she said it was "impossible" for her to sing over a B4.  When
> she complained to the director, he said, "Yes you can, you just don't
> think you can."  I had this same problem a few years ago.  Other
> members of the choir were scoffing at the fact that they were in alto
> land, because they were sopranos.  The director's response is
> something I have mentioned earlier; you are not an alto, and you are
> not a soprano.  These things exist for solo singing as soprano, mezzo,
> and contralto, but in choir, everyone is a female voice.  Unless
> you're singing some really difficult piece with crazy jumps and
> whistle tones, everyone in the women's section of the choir should be
> able to handle both parts relatively well.  Too many people box
> themselves into singing in a particular range and style, and that is
> why so many self-proclaimed sopranos can't harmonize when given
> anything other than a melody to sing, and so many self-proclaimed
> "altos" don't realize they can get almost an octave or more out of
> their voices if they change their mindset and work a little bit on
> proper technique.  Fun fact, I've always been placed in the alto
> section because I was capable of hitting the lower notes and have a
> good ear.  My director told me today that, while I could be in either
> section and blend with both groups, I definitely have a lighter voice
> and can also hold my own on a soprano section's part.  He also backed
> up what several other professionals have had to tell me in order to
> change my mindset about my own voice; that I am not a contralto, but
> am a mezzo soprano with probably still more range I haven't really
> played with yet up top.  2 years ago, I would have never thought this
> guy knew what he was talking about.  It really is proof that a lot of
> the time we don't really know what the quality of our voice is because
> some well-intentioned but lazy choir director put everyone into little
> groups and over-established the alto verses soprano thing.
>
> Hope this helps,
>
>
>
> On 9/16/14, Kelsey Nicolay via musictlk <musictlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Ok.  I'll try that.
>>
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>
>
> --
> Kaiti
>
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-- 
Soprano Singer
 www.sandragayer.com

Broadcast Presenter

www.insightradio.co.uk/music-box.html

Voiceover Artist

www.archangelvoices.co.uk/content/sandra-gayer

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