by Michael Mayer | Mar 3, 2010 | Coup de Glotte, Glottis, Larynx, Perfect Attack
I was reading Richard Miller’s Structure of Singing, and he’s down on the phonation style Swedish-Italian uses. Are you familiar with what he says on it? I’m not trashing it, but curious. I was reading about types of onset, and there...
by Michael Mayer | Feb 26, 2010 | Uncategorized
I had a question about something that we discussed during the last lesson. We’ve been talking about allowing the emotional content of the music inform our performance, with the chief example of that being the slight smile which also opens up the nasal...
by Michael Mayer | Feb 24, 2010 | Uncategorized
This is the follow up email exchange from my last blog post. I thought it might be worthwhile to post because I explain these concepts more in...
by Michael Mayer | Feb 9, 2010 | Breathing, Facial Resonance
I would like to ask your advice about something. I’m already back at my homestate, and I have recently returned to my old job. I have a light schedule (9 hours a week) but even so I’m experiencing a greater degree of vocal fatigue than I’m used to....
by Michael Mayer | Feb 3, 2010 | Uncategorized
I am professional musician in the Ann Arbor area (in that I blessed to make a living doing music); and though my training is principally in keyboard instruments, my current job as a music director at a church requires me to sing frequently as well. I had voice lessons...
by Michael Mayer | Feb 2, 2010 | Uncategorized
The discussion about castrati and their supposed physical advantage made me think. There is one issue about singing ability that has worried me for some time now – I don’t believe it is addressed by many teachers, and I would really like to hear your...
by Michael Mayer | Feb 1, 2010 | Uncategorized
Here are several responses by the individual who originally brought up the Farinelli Exercise. I will insert my...
by Michael Mayer | Dec 16, 2009 | Articles, breath, Breathing
A reader of this blog wrote in response to the posts about breathing exercises. She gave a wonderful explanation of the exercise referenced as the “Farinelli Exercise”. I asked her if I could post it and she agreed. So hear it is....
by Michael Mayer | Dec 4, 2009 | breath, Breathing
I would like to know how much emphasis is put on silent breathing exercises by this school. I’m eagerly waiting for Mr. Jones’ book, but it was not published yet.I came up with another doubt. I perceive that somehow many singers take the admonition of...
by Michael Mayer | Nov 13, 2009 | breath, Breathing
I think that at least 50% of singing is knowing how to breath and how to spare the breath. When one reads the old masters of bel canto (Mancini, Tosi, Garcia, Francesco e Giovanni Lamperti), they all agree with that, and always emphasize the importance of breathing...
by Michael Mayer | Nov 4, 2009 | Big Voice, Glottis
I have a question. I was reading the article in Classical Singer about Dolora Zajick and the Institute for Young Dramatic Voices. With the Swedish-Italian method, are there changes made for voices that are large? Is it healthy vocally for voices of...
by Michael Mayer | Oct 12, 2009 | Uncategorized
Recently I have been to a masterclass with a very competent Italian soprano and voice teacher, Ms. [Name Deleted]. What she said to me was quite shocking. She said that my voice came out tiny (even for a soprano leggero) and that the kind of sound emission I...
by Michael Mayer | Oct 7, 2009 | Facial Resonance, Mask
Sometimes when I am working in this new way I feel the voice becomes nasal… but then again, it might be that I am still not very familiar with the correct feeling. How can I tell the difference?The feeling of being nasal is probably a good one. Most of...
by Michael Mayer | Oct 4, 2009 | Connection, Dark Resonance
When I feel like I get things right, I feel very “connected” to my body, and there is no pain of any kind. I have done some recordings of me studying, and I was surprised to hear that the voice sounds much richer in tone, and very dark. In...
by Michael Mayer | Oct 2, 2009 | Larynx, Vibrato
I have a question about something I have just started experiencing. When there is vibrato in the voice, the larynx starts moving slightly up and down – it has never happened to me before, what is that? The bobbing of your larynx is a sign of release. That...
by Michael Mayer | Sep 25, 2009 | Uncategorized
I’m a 58yr old spinto tenor, studied voice part time for 25 yrs I sang in weddings, funerals, and at senior living places, but I always had a problem singing in front of people or an audience, my voice is never up to par when I sing in public, but when I’m...
by Michael Mayer | Sep 12, 2009 | Uncategorized
My frustration is that I can vocalize on vowels well, but not when I apply them to a song. I know my throat needs to stay open, however I can’t seem to coordinate it. Do you have to be concious of raising the soft palate and stretching the throat by imagining an...
by Michael Mayer | Sep 1, 2009 | Uncategorized
In the exercise for the laryngeal tilt, David Jones speaks of using a slightly deeper vowel on the second, higher note. What does he mean by “a slightly deeper vowel” – does one achieve a slightly deeper vowel by lowering the larynx slightly, by imagining the larynx...
by Michael Mayer | Aug 31, 2009 | Uncategorized
It is sad that operatic singers mistake the craft of singing for the more popular form of self-expression which is pop music. In Opera, the singer must train his vocal function into an instrument, whereas in pop music, the performer is basically expressing himself,...
by Michael Mayer | Jul 29, 2009 | Uncategorized
How can l lower my larynx using appoggio instead of my throat muscles, l know the second one can be damaging to the voice, but I don’t quite get it.The main thing I emphasize is not so much the lowering of the larynx as the stabilizing of the larynx. We want to...
by Michael Mayer | Jun 14, 2009 | Uncategorized
I don’t get this support from the diaphragm stuff. All it does is put an excess of pressure on the vocal chords so that I cannot sustain like I use to. As a Operatic Dramatic Baritone I use to be able to sing the two big baritone arias from Pagliacci and Un...
by Michael Mayer | May 4, 2009 | Uncategorized
It was announced last week that Rolando Villazon will have surgery to remove a cyst from his vocal cords. This is sad news, indeed. But we went over this a month or two back. There really is no such thing as singing too much, the problem comes from not being...
by Michael Mayer | Apr 23, 2009 | Uncategorized
Michael,WOW! This advice was so absolutely SPOT ON! This is working beautifully for me. Thank God for you, because I rehearsed with my son several days ago and he said my voice sounded great! I’m amazed. The advice about my throat staying open was so valuable...
by Michael Mayer | Apr 8, 2009 | Uncategorized
I used to sing weekly and practice daily in my job. But I resigned and for about 5 years haven’t used my voice much. I’m trying to get it back in shape to sing 2 songs at a friend’s wedding. I’m a soprano and I’m 54 years old. In one of...
by Michael Mayer | Mar 6, 2009 | Uncategorized
I am a very dedicated 17 year old vocalist living in Westchester, NY. Some background info- I’ve been singing seriously for about a year and a half now. I sing classically and r&b style. I’ve performed at many venues, mainly pro bono, to increase my...
by Michael Mayer | Mar 2, 2009 | Uncategorized
I am from Argentina and have a technical question, How can I achieve the “ng” position for the tongue? I don’t understand the position for the word hang or sing. Is it the position for the tongue in the “n” consonant? In the “n” consonant I can’t see the...
by Michael Mayer | Feb 24, 2009 | Breathing, Singing
Wondering if you could help me with my understanding of how the breath works? In the last lesson when I had some vocal co-ordination success by thinking of replicating the feeling of playing sax with the mouthpiece being at the base of the neck, would it be right to...
by Michael Mayer | Feb 20, 2009 | Uncategorized
My question is: why is this sort of “non-singing” taking the place of real singing? One hears maybe a few “pretty voices” but not a real voice, not a voice filled with real emotion (most have no emotion to their singing at all, this singer you...
by Michael Mayer | Feb 19, 2009 | Allan Lindquest
by Michael Mayer | Feb 16, 2009 | Uncategorized
I watched a YouTube clip of Elina Garanca, a mezzo gaining in popularity, that was shared with me by a colleague. My feeling is she makes an accepted sound, which is to say a modern approach to imitating the sound of the great singers rather than a true vocal tone. To...
