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Canadian Idol Vocal Master Class: The Top Threeby Rosanne Simunovic -- 09/11/2003
View Printable version of this article Last week, we said goodbye and au revoir to Canadian Idol finalist Audrey de Montigny – for now. Anyone who thinks this young lady does not have a musical career ahead of her needs to reevaluate his or her sense of objectivity when assessing the star potential of any of our Idols. At the age of 18, she is a wonderful role model for our young adults and is gifted with a beautiful and lyrical soprano voice that is soothing and refreshingly natural in quality. Her sensitivity and artistry is exceptional and I applaud her hard efforts to develop her stage and vocal skills before a live audience each week. She is a consummate professional, a genuine and sincere performer, and an extremely talented young artist. Merci, Audrey, for giving all of the viewers, especially me, some of the most cherished musical moments on Canadian Idol. So now we turn to Gary, Billy and Ryan – and what a night this was! These three guys really pulled out all the stops to create a very lasting musical impression in the minds of the viewers. Here is my Master Class take on this evening’s performances. Gary Beals Strengths: Gary – I really felt that tonight’s performances were really your best to date. Let’s start with the Judges Choice: “Wildflower”! You really sang this song with sensitivity and technical assurance. I felt that you were resonating your vocal sound in your facial masque – there was a wonderful ring and forward focus to your voice throughout your range, but particularly in your upper range. The head tone quality that is so essential in every part of your voice was very evident in your mid- and upper range and as a result, your vocal sound acquired a richness that has been lacking in some of your previous performances. You mouth was round on all your vowels and you had very little problem with the diphthongs, always maintaining a beautiful bel canto line within your melodic structure. I felt that you were utilizing your diaphragmatic muscles to maximum effect this evening as well. The result – fewer problems with pitch and better control over the dynamics within your vocal range. Once again, you demonstrated your innate ability to phrase your musical and lyrical line with sensitivity; you are so capable of creating just the right mood for each song and you never allow this attribute to falter in any of your performances. Your Idol song, “Overjoyed,” had me worried from the outset, as this song is so difficult because of the numerous key transitions and ascending scale passages throughout the song. However, surprisingly enough, you managed these elements very well, and as in the first number, stayed very true to the bel canto technique and the correct diaphragmatic breath support. Did you practice this song slowly? It appears so, as you had wonderful control on the verbose scale passages. It may not have been a showstopper from an audience and judges’ perspective, but rest assured that I appreciated the work and discipline involved in the performance of this number. You took a risk, Gary, and it worked. As I said last week, “ I have to congratulate Gary on his excellent posture – the rib cage is very high and open and allows for the correct diaphragmatic breath support to take control when he sings. In addition, the correct posture enhances his – or any singer’s - stage presence, as it adds an important dimension of confidence and security during a performance.” Every week, Gary really commands the stage and sings with charisma and sincerity – he is a joy to watch, despite the technical difficulties that he experiences from time to time. This evening, however, the vocal progression of Gary Beals was very evident, and I congratulate him for his hard work and artistic passion. Critique: Technically, Gary, you made significant inroads in your development this week. However, be very careful with your lower range. At times, it was not well supported and it sounded very breathy, lacking focus and sufficient head tone. One possible explanation: you were really utilizing the head tone sensation in your upper and midrange, being very careful not to apply too much chest resonance in these areas of your vocal range. However, in doing so, and in order to maintain consistency in your vocal technique, the bottom range may sound lighter in quality because you are not allowing too much chest resonance to creep into this part of your range as well. That’s OK – the vocal cords, over time, will begin to respond to your bel canto vocal technique in the lower part of your range and you, as well, will continue to work on efficiently resonating this part of your range in your vocal masque. Remember – those breathing muscles have to work just as hard when you sing your lower notes, so don’t allow your technique to slide or falter at this point. Yes, there were some pitch problems in both songs, mainly at the onset and probably due to nerves. However, you really are improving in this respect because technically, you are singing more efficiently. For a male singer, you are still very young – your voice is not firmly established. I don’t think many people realize or appreciate what male singers have to endure because of the obvious voice changes that occur at puberty. It takes quite a while for the voice to settle and correct vocal technique can assist the process more efficiently. However, there will be some pitch problems, vocal quality problems, and subtle voice range shifts as the developing vocal cords decide whether your are going to be a tenor, baritone or bass. Until this happens, there will always be an element of discomfort or unreliability in the male vocal sound – but Gary is almost there. Tonight’s performance provided proof of this. Bravo, Gary! 1 2 3 Next-->View Printable version of this article
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