MUSICIANSHIP 101

There are so many REQUIREMENTS on being a singer, and one of them is certainly being a musician. Its great to have a voice, particularly a great one, but nothing throws a "wrench at a monkey" (monkey wrench) as not being able to count, or certainly keep a tempo. I find that today's singers can't count and must rely on others to "bring them in". They call themselves singers. For a classical singer, it is death if you do not know how to count a measure. Some of these singers today go by "feel". I have quite a few singers in my studio that are guilty of this disease and the moment I mention "count", one can see panic and the eyes grow big with tension. They think I don't know their "secret". What's worse, they refuse to learn how to count, because "they don't need it", but I'm working on them slowly. Generally, by the time they leave, they have it down. I know that I have to teach them how to count and they eventually do well. Don't get me wrong. I love my students and have a great rapport with them and often I also feel a sense of accomplishment when they stand on their own knowing that they did it "all by themselves." Inside my mind, I'm clapping.

A few years ago my dad and I taught this tenor. He has quite a fine voice and we felt that he needed a lot of training and he worked hard at being a singer. He studied with us a few years and then had a chance to go study in Europe Well, he returned this week for a visit and sang for us. His voice is much better but as usual his musicianship was still lacking. I started playing an aria for him and he took off, expecting me to follow him. Now I have sung this aria hundreds of times, and coached it about as much, but I would not budge on the tempo. I'm sure he was frustrated, since he wanted to do well for us, but I would not give in and made him follow me. Oh, I can be a nasty! As I told him, great singers count, they know when to come in. You should learn this discipline. Those singers who believe that rests do not matter or that the orchestra should follow them is absurd! Vocally he had grown, but his musicianship was a bit disappointing. Since he had always had this great voice, and I had hoped, after 4 years he would conquer counting. Before he left, he couldn't count too well and we tried to help him but it was tough for him to get the concept of time, counting, and rests. Well, he still does not have the concept down perfectly, but bless his heart, he tries very hard.

I remember my dad telling me that "some of my best sounds were the rests", and, of course, I took great umbrage to that comment, but after awhile, I had to concede that point. Sometimes, dads are right. So now I tell my students........and the cycle goes on.

I was fortunate that all through junior high, high school and college I was either in band or the orchestra. Playing a euphonium meant that there would be plenty of rests, and If I lost count, I looked at the conductor to bring me in, and good conductors will do that, but don't rely on them. Take the bull by the horns and learn to count. It will make you a valuable musician.

I remember when I was at the University of Alabama. Each day, I had to walk home after my last class or practice, which was about 25 minutes. I remember counting and keeping rhythm as I walked all the way home. I did that several times a day and with my right had I did the beat patterns. After 4 years that rhythm was so instilled in me that I would never get off the beat. Somehow, it has always been with me all these years, and is still a part of me. I remember practicing with the metronome.......a lot. I used the metronome to practice piano, scales, vocal passages, and some days, I would just put that darned thing on for quite a while and listened to the different tempi and memorized each setting of the metronome. I know, to this day, how fast mm 110 is, or how slow mm 40 is.