So You Want to Sing for a Lifetime: A Guide for Performers

by Brenda Smith

Overview

Singing can be a healthy, invigorating activity for people of every age, and participating in this fully athletic exercise remains enjoyable through each season of life if the singer and singing teacher adjust expectations regarding tone quality, range, agility, and stamina. Brenda Smith systematically presents methods by which anyone can enjoy a long, healthy life of singing in So You Want to Sing for a Lifetime.

This book contains chapters on the basics of singing (relaxation, posture, breathing, and resonance), practical examples of exercises and lists of repertoire suited to each age group, and suggestions for negotiating individual musical obstacles related to aging. Featuring guest-authored chapters on voice science, vocal health, and how age affects the physiology of the human voice, the book serves as a useful guide to amateur and professional singers, music educators, choral conductors, church musicians, and private voice teachers.

The So You Want to Sing series is produced in partnership with the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Like all books in the series, So You Want to Sing for aLifetime features online supplemental material on the NATS website. Please visit www.nats.org to access style-specific exercises, audio and video files, and additional resources.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538104002
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	04/11/2018
Series:	So You Want to Sing , #12
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Brenda Smith, lyric soprano, teaches studio voice, singer’s diction, and vocal pedagogy at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. She works regularly as a consultant, clinician, and conductor of amateur and professional choirs. In recognition of demonstrated excellence in teaching and her interest in voice science, Smith received the Van Lawrence Fellowship in 2000, presented by the Voice Foundation and the National Association of Teachers of Singing.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 – What It Means to Sing for a Lifetime
Chapter 2 – Singing and Voice Science, Scott McCoy
Chapter 3 – Vocal Health for the Lifetime of a Singer, Wendy LeBorgne
Chapter 4 – Skills You Need for a Lifetime of Singing
Chapter 5 – The Effects of Age on the Voice, Robert T. Sataloff, Karen Kost, and Sue Ellen Linville
Chapter 6 – What Is “Bel Canto,” or What Makes Singing “Beautiful”?
Chapter 7 – Repertoire: What to Sing, When, and Where
Chapter 8 – Singing with Others for a Lifetime
Chapter 9 – Singing for a Lifetime: A Life Well Lived

Editorial Reviews

With over forty years of experience as a singer and teacher of voice and particular interest in and knowledge of the aging voice, Brenda Smith offers practical advice and vocal wisdom on a variety of topics relevant to singing through every season of life. This important perspective about lifelong singing is a resource for teachers, conductors, and singers of all ages.

David L. Brunner

Representing a deviation from the previous genre-specific titles in the series, So You Want to Sing for a Lifetime digs into a topic that deserves continued attention. Singers who understand what to expect from the natural effects of aging on the voice need not be surprised or disheartened by these changes. Rather, they are empowered and better equipped to work within the bounds of their changing instruments. Smith’s volume offers hope and encouragement for singers of all ages. —Brian Manternach

Classical Singer Magazine

So You Want to Sing for a Lifetime offers a plethora of information for singers of any age. It identifies basic tenets of singing technique, and serves as an introduction to voice science and vocal health. The volume touches upon the whole gamut of voice related topics, from posture to performance anxiety, in clear prose and a well organized structure. The book is well researched.

Journal of Singing

This book has several uses. It is particularly valuable as a text for vocal techniques, choral methods, and the like, as either a main or supplemental work. It is also useful for the choral teacher’s reference shelf—many choral teachers have a minimum of vocal and pedagogical study, especially as undergraduates. Finally, it is a great read for singers and choral conductors who are looking for refreshment or renewal of their vocal concepts for the long term.

Choral Journal