Something about voice lessons

This evening I had my first voice studio class, and per Dr. Smith's policy/tradition/whatever you wanna call it, all the first-timers to the studio had to sing. And I was one of them. It was kind of a fun experience, getting up and trying out my solo, post-changed voice in front of a crowd of about 25. But not just in the studio class; in the lessons I got to experience voice as an instrument instead of "something I simply sing with." I'm taking Instrumentation as a class this semester, so I have been learning about the different instruments and how they can and cannot function, especially the woodwinds and brass. With those instruments, one must push more air through the tubing system to get a higher sound, per se. Well, I discovered that's the same thing with voice, and in the process I found I had a higher range than previously believed. It's a cool feeling, although I wish I still had my lower notes that I've had pretty much the last 6-7 years (it's been that long already?).

Anyway my range is about the same (2 octaves) but I found some notes different from what I thought I had. I remember in high school Mr. Querio would audition us at the beginning of each school year so to figure out which section we would sing in. Oftentimes I'd look over at the evaluation sheet, particularly his range markings, and noticed that I went from a low bass F to roughly a B-flat in the mid-baritone/tenor range. Of course my voice was still developing, since the vocal cords themselves were still expanding/contracting/going whichever way. It's kind of like looking at a clarinet and pushing/pulling on the neck to adjust the pitch. So anyway, my range now (at least solid notes) goes from a G (whole-step above the F) to a high tenor F. And I'm thinking, wow, I didn't know I had that note before. So I just might be a baritone now.

But it's not really (only) about finding my range, but discovering all sorts of neat ways to make singing easier. As many of you (my posting fans/brethren/whatever you want to be called) might know, I'm a choir lifer, so I've been more or less "trained" to sing more for the group, sacrificing my solo voice so to make the section sound better. But at the same time (and I've made these discoveries over only the recent years) I'd find it kind of hard to get a good solid breath to support the phrase, and oftentimes if I hit the higher part of my range, I'd either stress it out or (more often) sing falsetto, which must be like playing harmonics on a wind instrument. Oh, and I've yawned quite often in choir rehearsals, partly due to my general fatigue, but partly due to the fact that we're pretty much always sitting down and I can't quite get the adequate breath that I need.

I guess the coolest thing about taking voice lessons is I can express more (both facially and musically) while singing rather than playing piano, and I can actually communicate with the audience by singing directly to them as opposed to for them.

And I guess the second coolest thing about just starting voice lessons is, I've got a bunch of friends actually in my studio who didn't know I was actually singing tonight, rather than accompanying someone who was singing tonight.

I guess I've done it. I'm finally taking voice lessons at St. Olaf. I'm the stereotypical Ole right there.

:-D