Paper Presentation: Efficiency as a Unifying Principle in Elite Singing

The elite singer possesses a highly individualized vocal technique that requires accuracy, stamina, and production of a commercially viable sound. Vocal training includes working with breath support, laryngeal posturing, and shaping of the resonance tract. The anatomy that comprises the voice as an instrument cannot be directly visualized, leading vocal instructors to rely on imagery, metaphors, and indirect instruction to supplement anatomical descriptions. This often leads to singers describing a physiological process that is abstract and may be inconsistent with their actual technique (Watson & Hixon, 1985).

Vocal pedagogues have sought to standardize singing technique to improve efficiency and accuracy in their students. Classical singing has evolved the National Schools of Singing, from which bel canto developed, while newer techniques such as Somatic Voicework™, Complete Vocal Technique, and Estill Voice Training® have aimed to formalize singing technique across musical genres (Fantini et al., 2016; Sundberg et al., 2017; White, 2017). This diversity and potentially conflicting pedagogical frameworks present challenges for clinicians working with such elite singers.

This presentation will examine the clinical challenges encountered when working with elite singers across genres and training backgrounds. Emphasis will be placed on identifying universally salient principles of efficient vocal production that transcend stylistic and pedagogical differences.