Sometimes people ask me to do certain songs, but the point of the blog isn't just to do covers people like. I try to do things that are either new or difficult, so I studied an art song by Beethoven that he wrote when he was 25. The
title means 'tender love', so I thought it fit in nicely amongst all
the folk hits of the 60's and 70's that I throw up on here.
Singing in the classical style is to me insanely difficult. Back in the
old days when there were no microphones, singers had to:
- be loud: optimize resonance within their own bodies in order to send their voices into massive concert halls
- be musical: for example suggest moments of softness / quiet (but you're
still pretty loud though) AND also even greater loudness / intensity
- be coherent: manage all the different words by choreographing your
tongue and lips into shapes that wont disrupt the column of air you're
blasting thru your vocal chords.
And thats the complete list of how to be a singer - just kidding. I
mean singers today still need to be musical and coherent, but the
loudness factor really I think sets the operatic / classical genre apart
from all the others.
I took voice lessons in college, but singing is so personal I don't
really think voice lessons are really the same as guitar lessons. A
guitar teacher can literally see what you're doing wrong, show you how
to do it, or physically manipulate your hands into the right position.
Because neither of you can see whats happening under your skin, a voice
teacher can show you and give a variety of tips to try at home hoping
that one of them will generate a sensation of 'naturalness' that you
will then adopt and continue to use. I always went to voice lessons
thinking that amazing breakthrus would happen in the lesson itself, but
this is not the right mindset - breakthrus happen when you're
experimenting alone and then you show your voice teacher later. A voice
teacher is kinda like a psychologist - they give you advice and then you
try it outside.
Anyway, my favorite singer possibly of all time is Fritz Wunderlich who just every single recording of him is absolutely flawless - theres not much more to say on it.
Ishida
The piano accompaniment was created for rehearsal by thekingjacob1 on Youtube