Talk:Oversinging

Needs Encyclopedic Tone and Content
This article is in bad need of adjustments. "Oversinging" is more or less a slur invented by music critics to write spicy editorials, and the article ought to reflect that and avoid citing those completely unacademic sources. It ought to stop defining "oversinging" in circular terminology: overdoing, overproducing, pushing too much, breathing too much, etc. "over" and "too much" are completely subjective terms and the article should respect that when trying to convey the meaning of the term to the reader. I have made some edits but the editors of this article should bear in mind that to explain "oversinging" is to explain that some people don't enjoy some types of singing, and to characterize that singing, NOT to explain or even slightly imply that some people are singing wrong, as that is a meaningless point and does not belong on Wikipedia. Tkondrashov (talk) 13:58, 10 May 2020 (UTC)


 * Oversinging is by definition "too much", so removing that descriptions makes no sense. I find that the article is quite clear, especially considering the quote from Melinda Imthurn that it is a subjective term without a clear definition. I also find the article to be clear about what the prominent artists are criticized for, and use the sources to document that they have been critized. Should the article not include any examples of artists that have been criticized?
 * However, when talking about oversinging in the form of straining and pushing the voice too much, there is no debate about the negative effects, and that it is the wrong way to use the voice.
 * With that said, I absolutely agree that the meaning of oversinging by too much vocal gymnastics is completely subjective, and the article should not judge some singers as bad singers. But I don't find the article to do that in it's current state... Bro4 (talk) 11:38, 30 July 2020 (UTC)

This article cites Urban Dictionary. Even worse, the citation implies its a statement from Robert Burnley.
 * Urban Dictionary has been removed as a reference. What is the problem with citing Robert Burnley? Bro4 (talk) 12:51, 2 February 2013 (UTC)

List of famous oversingers
The list of singers in Oversinging is constantly changed. Singers are added that aren't mention in the sources, and most names on the list were removed because "The sources not cited this singers.", which is incorrect. Please do not remove names without good reason, and do not add singers without references.

List of sources and the singers they mention:
 * "The Scourge Of 'American Idol': Oversingers"
 * Whitney Houston
 * Mariah Carey
 * Celine Dion
 * Christina Aguilera
 * "You're no Mariah"
 * Mariah Carey
 * Christina Aguilera
 * "Technical Virtuosity confused with Quality"
 * Mariah Carey
 * Beyoncé Knowles
 * "Screeching With The Stars"
 * Whitney Houston
 * Mariah Carey
 * Mary J. Blige
 * Josh Groban
 * Meat Loaf
 * Celine Dion — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bro4 (talk • contribs) 14:50, 2 February 2013 (UTC)

Nodules and Vocal Damage
I'm concerned about lumping Pavarotti together with the others in the list of famous people who have had nodules, because when you're an opera singer and you're starting your studies it's natural to over-exhert and at some point develop a nodule. This is something that will go away with time and rest, and it's nothing but an indication that you are over-exherting; straining; indeed, oversinging. When you perfect your technique, or if you have a teacher that's good enough to keep you from straining, the nodule doesn't form, unless you're in a very tight situation where because of circumstances beyond your control you simply have to go that little bit extra which you really shouldn't.

My point is, a nodule that forms in the beginning formative years of an opera singer learning their technique (and which doesn't come back again after the singer perfects the technique) is very common and not at all like the types of nodules that singers with different vocal techniques acquire through the stress and exhertion of multiple tours, multiple concerts, multiple contractual obligations, possibly even multiple vices likes smoking and drinking, and even having a preference for a raspier voice. I feel that including Pavarotti in that list is very, very misleading, particularly because Pavarotti did soon achieve a sublime technique which put not strain on his voice and allowed him to sing well into his later years. This is even more misleading because of the preceding sentence in the preceding paragraph: "Professional singers on extended tours with tight schedules run a substantial risk of damaging their voices unless they make sure to rest the vocal cords and get enough sleep and proper diet."

I would suggest the article would greatly increase from accuracy if this were revised. It doesn't have to be removed; he DID get a nodule, and it WAS from oversinging. But circumstances were not the same, and I feel the article would benefit from this clarification.

The following links may also be of use.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534635/ --> "These small, benign (non-cancerous) nodules usually go away again if you rest your voice or do voice therapy."

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12501772/ --> "Vocal nodules (singer's nodules) are a typical professional disease of the vocal apparatus. This disease occurs more frequently in 20- to 50-year-old singers. The nodules form because of vascular disorders secondary to overstrain of the vocal apparatus in phonation and disorders of vegetative innervation. 43 opera singers were treated whose age and singing history ranged from 22 to 57 years and 3 to 26 years, respectively. The treatment combined psychotherapy, medicines with phlogenzym as a basic drug, physiotherapy and phonopedia. Phlogenzym allows to avoid "silence regimen", surgical intervention. This improves treatment efficacy, shortens the time of disability for singers."

Finally, I would remind the reader that the article begins with "Oversinging is a term, sometimes derogatory, aimed at vocal styles that dominate the music they are performed in, including melisma and belting, and overuse of embellishments on one sound." With these sources, it possibly becomes increasingly clear that, unless the definition of oversinging gets revised as well, this sub-article about vocal nodules possibly has no place in this article at all.2001:8A0:7C19:2801:8803:6070:6E30:CD92 (talk) 13:59, 13 May 2022 (UTC)