VocalQuarters
… with renowned voice coach Diana Yampolsky
Intriguing analogies to computers and martial arts abound in this latest VocalQuarters column, as the Toronto-based specialist introduces the theory behind her own trademarked vocal instruction method, Vocal Science.
As a world-renowned vocal coach, voice repair specialist, and author, there are few things Diana Yampolsky doesn’t know about the human voice and how to get it to perform at its peak.
Having helped a myriad of stars achieve their vocal potential, including Our Lady Peace singer Raine Maida (US Top 10, Canada No.1), Canadian Idol winner Brian Melo (Canada Gold), singer-songwriter Anjulie (US Dance No.1), and recent Interscope signee Cindy Gomez, she is on hand to help you too whatever your ability! According to Ms. Yampolsky, while 25% of a singer’s performance is grounded in talent, 75% relies on coaching.
by Diana Yampolsky
”A singer with incorrect technique cannot give a truly special performance because their spirit – their voice - is inhibited by the ‘bugs’ or ‘viruses’ in their software.”
Whenever I conduct one of my educational seminars, I always start by saying to the audience that I did not come here to prove anybody wrong or to prove myself right - I came to offer something different, and you can choose to accept it or reject it.
What I offer is a vastly different approach to vocals that will hopefully help you to learn how to reach your full potential as a singer.
My theory embraces two things that at first may seem conflicting in nature, namely science and spirituality.
Your response might be something along the lines of, "I hated science in high school," or, "I sing rock music not gospel." However, I would invite you to open your mind and entertain the possibility of seeing yourself and your voice in a completely different way.
I call my method of vocal instruction ‘Vocal Science™’ because I believe I have developed a proven scientific method for producing sound, and producing the best possible vocal performance.
The first point to understand is that sound is a physical material body and as such travels in accordance with the laws of physics and geometry.
Secondly, your body can be compared to a very complex, high-level computer, with your anatomy and physiology representing the hardware. As you probably know, software is essentially a set of instructions, and hardware is useless unless you have the proper software running on it.
Your brain is like a computer's CPU and everything you do – walking, talking, eating - is essentially the process of running software.
The act of singing works the same way and your voice is the output resulting from both your physical hardware and your software, namely your training or lack thereof. Unfortunately, we cannot simply drive to Best Buy and buy the software that will make us a great singer - or painter, athlete or doctor. We acquire our software through learning.
There are two ways you can learn - through your own experience or by having someone teach you. When I start instructing students, I not only have to give them the proper programme, but I have to debug or uninstall the previous software or deal with a ‘virus’ on their system that they have somehow caught.
Then through the method of visualisation and special exercises we can access the cell in the speech centre of the brain that is responsible for the voice – both singing and speaking - and then input the instructions for it so we can get it to do exactly what we want it to.
In 34 years of teaching, I have discovered that there are four components that make up the mechanism which allows your voice to reach its fullest capacity - physical support of your body, structure, placement of the sound and, as a final outcome, the projection of the sound to its aimed destination. Complying with these components will guarantee that there is no pain or strain on your vocal anatomy whatsoever.
There is of course one thing that sets human beings apart from complex machines running algorithms - our spirits.
In many ways, singing is a lot like the martial arts. Most martial arts are not only techniques for fighting or self-defence, but are also philosophies of how to live your life. They consist of good technique and a spiritual component. I approach singing the same way.
Good technique is the basis upon which a singer's spirit is free to soar. It is your spirit - along with your totally individual physical body - that makes you different from anyone else. Why try to sound like Celine Dion or Mick Jagger - the world already has one of each?
Only when you sing with proper technique are you able to project a voice that is purely yours and reflects your individual self. It is your spirit that separates a technically good performance from one that is truly authentic.
Many of my past and present students have not only developed good technique but have improved in all aspects of their life, or have even changed their lifestyle completely. They are healthier, more positive, and more fulfilled.
The process of learning proper balance for singing will reflect in more balance in your life. Conversely, a singer with incorrect technique cannot give a truly special performance because their spirit – their voice - is inhibited by the ‘bugs’ or ‘viruses’ in their software.
From experience, many people are coming to me dying to express their emotions and release their voice. I help them to discover and uncover it and allow it to soar. The congruency of the physical sound and the emotional rapport with the audience produces the desired total performance, namely a combination of technical skill and artistic merit.
At its most basic Vocal Science is an alignment of the subconscious mind, conscious mind, and physical body, which are then put into total integration and synergy with each other.
This is the formula for the ideal vocal performance. By adopting specially designed exercises with the appropriate repetition, you can programme your mind so that when you sing you will perform many of the technical aspects of singing subconsciously.
Thus, 75 per cent of your performance will come out on automatic pilot and you will need only a small amount of conscious effort to put your performance in place.
Your physical body is the condition of your hardware, with your spirit the individual intangible that will make your voice and performance something unique and reflective of your state of being. The release of your spirit into the performance of a song is dependent upon using the correct technique.
The act of singing is then a combination of good technique and your individual self. I titled my book ‘Vocal Science: Flight to the Universe’ to reflect my belief that a scientific approach to vocal technique is what will allow your voice, your spirit, to take flight and soar.
Besides writing a regular column for HitQuarters, Diana Yampolsky is available for a special Q&A session to answer any specialist questions you might have about vocal performance, technique, care etc. Please send any questions to Diana here
Read On ...
* Vocal Insurance – Secure Your Investment!
* The Technical Elements of Vocal Style
* Psychology of Performance - Pavlovian Conditioning
* Vocal Speaking - The Cutting Edge
* Introductory Interview with Diana Yampolsky
