Table of Contents
1. FIRST THINGS 1
The Motive 3
Modi Operandi 4
My Peculiar Path 5
The Two Big Questions 19
2. TRAINING 21
Why Bother? 23
Your Team 25
Teacher or Coach? 26
Finding a Qualified Teacher 28
Dealing with a Bad Fit 31
Cults 33
Teacher, Not Therapist 35
Authenticity and Uniqueness 37
Talent Shmalent 40
Corporate Singing 41
Schools 44
Not Schools 47
Roll Your Own? 49
A Degree in Something 51
Video Instruction 54
Distance Learning 55
Trademarked Methods Aplenty 56
How Long? 58
3. THE CONFUSIONS 61
Paradoxes 63
Eclecticism or a Hot Mess? 65
Breathing 67
Support! 70
The Sad Lesson 74
Squabbling Teachers 76
The Black Box 79
Is the Voice an Instrument? 82
New Teacher, New Concepts 84
Melting Mysteries 87
Something to Hang on to 89
Imagery and Mirages 91
Mechanistic Directives: of the Devil? 97
Sensation and Sound 99
Fighting Words 101
Verbs and Bad Teaching 104
You Can't Cover Everybody 106
Health versus Your Sound 107
Voice Science, Academic Religion 108
4. WHERE AM I? 113
Self-Assessment Is Crucial 116
Contents of the SAPS 118
Daily Technical Check-In 123
The Advice of Other Humans 127
Feedback from the Arena 129
5. THE SINGER'S LIFE 131
Practicing Better 133
A New Voice Every Day 136
When to Cancel 137
Consistency 138
Pre-Performance Performance 140
Age 142
Health 145
Retooling 148
Money 150
Midlife and the Artist's Soul 153
Action > Attitude 156
Big Questions Again 158
Openness 160
Remember Fun? 161
Love Yourself, Love Your Voice 162
REFERENCES 163
APPENDIX 167
Potential in Every Note 170
Lamperti and the Evolution of Appoggio (Support!) 172
Authors Who Pushed Me 181
Downloads 185
Recommended Reading and Media 186
INDEX 189
ABOUT THE AUTHOR 193