Talk:Complete Vocal Technique


 * Comment - I'm new to Wikipedia and the articles on Complete Vocal Institute and Complete Vocal Technique are the first I have written/edited. Even though singing technique is an international subject I also did them in Danish because the Institute lies in Copenhagen. The articles was deleted with pure majority voting without looking at the references and the facts. I hope that the english administrators are more professional.

Complete Vocal Technique are used by hundreds of singers in mainly Europe. More than hundred singing teachers all over Europe use the technique in their teaching today. Do the math on the number of singers that are familiarly with the technique. Complete Vocal Technique is an official teaching method for the danish Ministry of Education (search for Cathrine Sadolin - founder of the Institute) and teachers from the Institute are used as part of the colloquium in the danish College system. The article on Complete Vocal Technique was started by someone unknown to me last summer. I added details on the singing technique as the originally edited article recommended and suddenly the article doesn't meet the guidelines for notability. The original Complete Vocal Institute was first rejected fairly because of lack of references - I added them and the article was accepted.

The Economist magazine noted in its november 5th 2011 issue that the month-on-month article growth on Wikipedia have fallen to 1%. Having used a lot of time on collecting the facts and the references for the articles, and then just have them deleted by majority vote and not based on facts, I understand why the flow of articles have fallen. Besobnb (talk) 14:36, 21 February 2012 (UTC)

Classical singing technique
"Complete Vocal Technique", as advocated by Cathrine Sandolin, may very well be excellent for various genres of popular singing, none of which are my areas of expertise. For classical ("operatic") technique, however, Ms. Sandolin's techniques could be disastrous.

First,my name is Solomon Epstein, and following are my credentials to discuss this subject:

EDUCATION: 2001: Doctorate (D.M.A.) in Composition/Orchestration at the Hartt Music School, University of Hartford, Connecticut 1970: Master of Music in Voice/Opera, Yale University School of Music 1965: B. Sacred Mus.,Cantors Institute of Jewish Theological Seminary, New York City

EMPLOYMENT: 1966 -2008: Cantor and Music Director of Synagogues in Connecticut,Pennsylvania and Massachusetts (This position requires operatic singing technique) The fundamental misconception of virtually all Western singing teachers (and many singers also) is that it is an act of WILL. The root of the problem lies in Western languages themselves. This is the profoundly Western notion that every problem or challenge must be CONQUERED.The very structure of Western languages reflect this: the template SUBJECT - VERB - OBJECT. Example: "The boy HITS the ball"; "The people EAT dinner". Nobody would think to formulate these ideas in the PASSIVE VOICE: "the ball IS HIT by the boy"; "the dinner IS EATEN by the people".

Yet this PASSIVE mindset is PRECISELY what operatic singing technique demands. The physiological reason is simple: Classical Western vocal technique HIJACKS the respiratory system in order to function without any strain.

It is common sense to recognize that BREATHING is INVOLUNTARY. It is something we do constantly from birth to death. If we don't breathe, we die---period. This point is not true for any other basic function; we satisfy other basic needs AT INTERVALS, often on a schedule. Nobody EATS constantly; generally, we have breakfast, lunch and dinner (with some variations). Nobody SLEEPS constantly; generally, we sleep 8 hours of 24. Nobody ELIMINATES constantly; generally we do that on a daily schedule (with some variations). And so on; I think I have made my point.

But Classical singing technique is an EXCEPTION to the fundamental assumption that you DO SOMETHING. Classical singing technique is the very opposite of EXERCISING VOLITION. Instead proper, healthy classical singing can ONLY occur through a radical "LETTING GO" of "DOING" something. It is therefore a technique which is COUNTER-INTUITIVE to the most basic Western assumptions. The foundation of Classical singing technique is CORRECT BREATHING. It is NOT the "high-chest" breathing of everyday life and everyday conversation. Instead, it is identical to a MEDITATION BREATH.

The singer must HABITUATE a profound "allowing" of the breath to effortlessly fill the LOWER LUNGS, which is the same as meditation breathing. This breath requires that the singer be profoundly calm both physically and mentally. Just as in meditation, focussing mentally on a VOWEL (such as "OH")prevents the habitual self-induced tension of "racing thoughts".

This random "chatter" in the mind is as involuntary as the blood coursing through our circulatory system. But for a singer, a profoundly calm breath (which feels as if it is being ALLOWED to flow in effortlessly from BELOW the torso), and a profoundly calm mind (focussing on "OH" or "AW" in order to silence the constant stream of random thoughts) are THE ESSENTIAL PRE-CONDITIONS for operatic singing technique.

The least interference with this "ABANDONMENT OF WILLING" will immediately introduce tensions which will interfere with singing freely. ANY such tension will instantl6y be felt as discomfort by the singer.

[ I will add to this post later when I have time. What I have wqritten so far is only an indispensable introduction to proper and comfortable Classical vocal technique]. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bagelsnlox (talk • contribs) 18:29, 11 May 2014 (UTC)