This Year's Results

Had a voice lesson tonight and got the results of yesterday's eval. Like last year, I'll type in what each person wrote for each song.

Haha first I have to share that when I went back through the blog so I could link to last year's evaluation, I came across this entry about polka-dot underwear. I also came across this entry about what my teacher said to me immediately after last year's eval. She even posted a comment!

Ok so to get back to yesterday's evaluation:

The Tipsy Waltz:

Evaluator #1:

• Charming performance!
  
• Even in the "tipsy" state sing good , pure French vowels.
  
• Keep your jaw more relaxed on [a].

Evaluator #2:

• I get the sense your registration gets locked into wherever you start in your voice. More exercises going through all sections of your voice may be helpful.

Evaluator #3, aka my teacher:

• The French has really improved!
  
• You need to ground yourself! Connect with the earth!

If Music be the Food of Love:

Evaluator #1:

• Lovely! You are a good musician.
  
• You are very expressive, but sometimes let your head alignment collapse.
• Keep the back of the neck tall so the whole body stays lined up and you can support your tone more
• Keep up the good work!
• Good job!
• Thank you for singing for us!
  

Evaluator #2:

• Larynx sounds high and tight to me.
• You tend to pull your chin up and forward, which will affect your larynx. When it (larynx) is high, the folds can't come together completely which could contribute to the breathiness.
• Good musical instincts.

Evaluator #3, aka my teacher:

• Relax
• You have come a long way with this one - really!
  
• Great phrasing
  
• A few funky embellishments
• Great focus to the very end.

So there you have it. It's interesting that one focused on the purely technical while the other was more performance oriented. And then of course my teacher gave her psychological support. Tonight she told me that she hadn't noticed me doing the neck/chin thing before. I sang to a little statue that was on a filing cabinet across the room - maybe I was sort of stretching out towards it? Who knows. I know some of the problems were due to nerves but I was surprised by the nice comments. She said she was really impressed at how I remained in character in If Music after the piano stopped. I think I've written about that before - it just happens... I become the person singing and believing that song, so when the music ends I'm stuck there for a moment.

Next up we have a studio recital on June 7. I will sing Una Donna a 15 Anni and If Music be the Food of Love. Today we went over Una Donna. She made up some exercises for one of the parts that's giving me trouble near the end. My teacher insists that I watch myself in the mirror while singing to see where I'm not opening my mouth enough. There's a mirror in the room and she made me watch myself. I really don't like to. Why? I don't know. I just felt weird. I'll get over it.