THE FIVE “C’s!”
(REVISITED AND MARGINALLY UPDATED)
Often I have a
run of sessions wherein I find it necessary
to restate some of my axioms that have lost
some of their resonance with my long-time
students, a “pop star” with whom I’ve been
working for thirteen years, for instance.
Technique might be described as “a
consistent routine, from which you stray …
at your vocal peril.” The “Five C’s” is one
such part of the concepts that all very good
singers, of every genre perform at one level
or another, religiously—secular
meaning—every time they walk on stage.
Natural singers aren’t bothered with the
details, they just do it because “that’s
what it takes and they have never taken it
apart to examine what it is that they are
actually doing; the various parts. But for
the novice, college level, semi-pro singer,
professional singer in trouble, who is
looking for “the one element” that might
possibly raise their vocal presence, volume
and control … working with the Five C’s is
probably just the ticket. (Read my Tip on
Energy, as it is related.)
APRIL 2010
Somewhere
in the seventy’s, I think it was, a student
of mine was really having major problems
understanding exactly what was the meaning
of “support.” “Support”... you know, is that
word that voice teachers throw out into the
ether, in the direction of their
students--in a multitude of languages
throughout the world—that is just a word,
unless it can be physically and mentally
coordinated and demonstrated. It’s “just a
word,” in most cases because, while most
teachers who have had professional careers
of some consequence–those blessed with all
the necessary requirements to be paid for a
performance–and who have some understanding
that their job is to “get the voice out
there” to the audience ... most have no idea
what support actually entails ... actually!
They just do it and it works … most of the
time. But predictably, in later years
when the voice begins to fail them, they
immediately blame the specter of advancing
age ... and they pull off their normal
support even further, from the flexible
breath pressure necessary to keep their
voices hummin’ at their accustomed,
respective level of professional sound. (You
might find my Testimonial page of interest
for a couple of examples of voices that had
failed, that I brought back … one in twenty
minutes.)
All of my
students learn the “breathing/support
technique,”™ I developed for myself, through
my many performances at the Metropolitan
Opera, the New York City Opera and elsewhere
... and by working with my many students
throughout those years ... the technique of
“flexible breath-pressure, on demand!”™ They
all learn this in the first 15-20 minutes of
the first lesson. However, not unlike
learning how to hit a topspin back hand
cross-court put-away shot into the Let court
... it takes a bit of time and practice to
master the coordination of the technique!
Remember that on which I keep harping ...
“the voice is a wind-instrument” and it
takes a strong, flexible body to fully
support the many and changing vocal demands
of challenging repertoire, from Hard Rock
... to Grand Opera. You must train just like
an athlete and do it the same way, every
time. Then … what do you have to remember?
To do it the same …
Think on this
... just because you have a mike in your
hand, for the former category ... beside the
given talent of the individual ... it is the
energy output that makes the
star!
Meanwhile, back
to my “‘70's” student, I spontaneously drew
a circle of about a six-inch diameter and,
within it, drew a box on point! At each of
the four points, I put a “C.” The first C
was for the action, “Commit!” the second C,
in a clockwise direction was to describe how
you should Commit ... “Crisply.” (a kick in
with the belly-button to Instantaneously
start first tone of the phrase, with
“impulse air,” in the center of the pure
vowel … growing!) The third C answered the
question “to what are you Committing Crisply
... “to the Coordination!” When that is done
properly ... it gives you “Confidence” ...
to Commit Crisply to the Coordination
...etcetera ... Thus was born my Four C
concept!
While affective, it had
always nagged at me as being incomplete; it
was never completely satisfying, those Four
“C’s.”
Providentially,
one day the missing “C” magically manifested
itself ... Commit, Crisply, to the
Coordination and you will gain
“CONSISTENCY” ... which will give you
Confidence ... ad infinitum. “Consistency”
... the magical, missing ingredient had been
found ... which the begged the question:
“Can you sing a phrase
with-every-single-vowel-spinning-effortlessly
into the next, seamlessly, without the Ah,
Oh–or any derivative of either–falling out
line, falling out of the honk?”
While I have
written about this before ... this concept
is of such major consequence, that of
putting the various elements of the voice
together, in balance, to make the sound
you’ve always wanted! My tenor, Florian
Stollmayer, who moved here from Germany to
study with me has completely stopped singing
by grabbing his throat and is now
comfortable with a whole new voice, one that
he despaired he would never have. Florian
Stollmayer … remember the name, high C’s,
D’s and E’s on demand! And … he’s singing
beautiful Mozart as well.
Next month ...
I will once again give you the concept of
how all this comes together ... and why it
prompted Cynthia Munzer to jump up at the
Voice Juries at the Thornton School,
USC–after my nineteen year old student had
sung a full out “Avant de quitter ” from
Faust, with all of the high G’s–to ask ...
“Richard …how ... uh ... how do you get your
students so physically involved in
their singing?” What she was actually asking
is, ”What is support?” You must always
remember that the body is a strong, flexible
platform of energy, which allows you to sing
in a seemingly effortless manner, through
all the ranges and challenges of the
voice! (I put her tape of my concept
in her box two days later.)
Having been writing this Tip
for over four years now, I have virtually
covered all aspects of the voice in the
fifty-some Tips. I you have an area of vocal
concern that you have not found covered in
these writings, please feel free to send me
an email … and I will do my best to
accommodate you. RF
