GET YOUR OWN VOICE! An Analysis of Vocal Health and Copycat Vocalism

Copycat Vocalism What is it? Is it a bad thing? Factors include Means of Perception Psychological Self Awareness Knowledge of the Singing Process Production Technique of the Duplicated Artist

Means of Perception Five Senses Which is most important while producing sound? Which should be? When there is a disconnect, it can lead to Vocal Identity Crisis…these are commonly featured on American Idol.

Vocal Identity and Self Awareness Perceived Voice vs. Actual Voice Creation of Vocal Self Image What the individual listens to What is perceived as good Factors add or detract from natural endowment How do you find an appropriate self image?

Knowledge of the Singing Process Most people have little knowledge toward the process of Vocal Production: You open your mouth and push something inside you, which lets our a nice noise, your lungs are involved as well. The bag I think it’s called, squeezes and lets out noise. You take a breath—your stomach goes in. Your body filters it and you breathe out (Monks 2003). What is good technique? Basic Rules

Popular Technique “Pop song does not require particular vocal gifts, whilst rock song requires a notable extension towards high notes, and phonetically a highly accentuated vocal mask…practice tends towards an operatic model. What are the important aspects to be taken away from this quote?

Popular Technique Pop music and rock and roll are two different but closely related genres. True pop music is derived from the musical theater tradition and the standards of the pre-1950s era, the music of Gershwin and Porter and their ilk. Rock music, on the other hand is born of the rhythm and blues tradition and is more raw and gritty than its more cultured pop cousins. The two styles are interrelated, however, with most of today’s pop having a rock and roll beat, and much current rock music having definite pop sensibilities. Singing either type of music, of course requires similar technique. What’s important here? What can we tie in from the last reading?

Popular Artists as Models Basic technique should not change much Alterations can include Diction—verbal phrasing or skill in the choice of words, but used in context of singing to denote clear and correct enunciation (Grove 2008). Scooping Some popular singers are known for good technique. However, in most cases: Because it makes economic sense to cater to the greater public taste, the pop vocal artist—sometimes trained, more often not—is totally committed to doing whatever is necessary to gain notoriety, which includes vocal misuse and abuse (Ware 1998).

Pop Artists and Technology Poor Technique=Vocal Editing Reverb Auto-tune Believe Effect Examples Without Auto-tune

Conclusion Individuals should: Focus on how singing feels and not just how it sounds. Discover and accept their own voice and use it, even while singing with recordings. Learn how their voice work. Know that most of the voices they are mimicking are untrained and incredibly altered. In other words….

Remember, many of the popular and rock vocalists you hear on the radio are untrained. That means they’ll often do things with their voices that aren’t quite Hoyle (natural)— things that can actually damage their voices over time. If it hurts when you try to imitate a specific singer, don’t do it! (Fulford & Miller 2003)

GET and USE YOUR OWN VOICE!

Preventative Measures of Vocal Health If you smoke, quit. Avoid agents that dehydrate the body, such as alcohol and caffeine. Avoid secondhand smoke. Drink plenty of water. Humidify your home. Watch your diet—avoid spicy foods. Try not to use your voice too long or too loudly. Seek professional voice training. Avoid speaking or singing when your voice is injured or hoarse (Vocal Health Care 2007) BasicsPop