So You Want to Sing the Blues: A Guide for Performers

by Eli Yamin

Overview

So You Want to Sing the Blues: A Guide for Performers shines a light on the history and vibrant modern life of blues song. Eli Yamin explores those essential elements that make the blues sound authentic and guides readers of all backgrounds and levels through mastering this art form. He provides glimpses into the musical lives of the women and men who created the blues along with a listening tour of seminal recordings in the genre’s history.

The blues presents many unique challenges for singers, who must shout, slide, and serenade around the accompanying music. By offering concrete explanations and exercises of key blues elements, this book guides singers to create authentic self-expressions informed by the style’s rich history and supported by strong technique. Teachers and singers of all levels will find this book a welcome guide to participating in this culturally diverse and uplifting style.

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 the Blues 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:	9781442267039
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	09/21/2018
Series:	So You Want to Sing , #13
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	5.99(w) x 8.91(h) x 0.76(d)

About the Author

Eli Yamin is an internationally presented pianist, composer, educator, and singer. He is the cofounder and managing and artistic director of Jazz Power Initiative, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to ignite the power of jazz arts education to transform lives by fostering self-expression, leadership, collaboration, and diversity. Yamin is also the founding director of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Middle School Jazz Academy, leading its first decade. Yamin has performed in over twenty-five countries and in the United States at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the White House. He teaches jazz and blues history, piano, and voice at Lehman College, City University of New York, and Marymount Manhattan College.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 – Origins of the Blues
Chapter 2 – Singing and Voice Science, Scott McCoy
Chapter 3 – Vocal Health for the Blues Singer, Wendy LeBorgne
Chapter 4 – The Magic and Mechanics of Blues Singing, Darrell Lauer with Eli Yamin
Chapter 5 – Developing Authentic Style Characteristics: Early Blues Women
Chapter 6 – Developing Authentic Style Characteristics: Early Blues Men and Another Woman
Chapter 7 – Developing Authentic Style Characteristics: Chicago Blues and the Modern Blues Vocal Sound
Chapter 8 – Making a Soulful Sound and Writing Your Own Blues
Chapter 9 – Using Audio Enhancement Technology, Matthew Edwards

Editorial Reviews

Those looking to truly embody the blues style will make extensive use of the numerous recordings available on the companion website that accompany these chapters. Yamin has considerable experience as both a blues performer and a blues educator. So You Want to Sing the Blues shows his deep investment in honoring the history of the genre and provides encouragement and a reliable blueprint for carrying the genre forward. — Brian Manternach

Classical Singer Magazine

This wonderful book takes a comprehensive and informative look at the blues, serving as a guide to singing the blues and keeping a healthy voice. And it’s fun to read! Thank you, Eli Yamin, for your love and vast knowledge of this important American art form.

Catherine Russell

This installment of the series So You Want to Sing offers insight into the style, history, and technique of this quintessential American genre.. .. .For singers who are interested in learning the characteristics and style of the blues, this volume provides an accessible avenue.

Journal of Singing

If you want to sing the blues, this is the first book I recommend. Along with detailed notes on technique and vocal health when singing the blues, Eli Yamin’s depth of knowledge and passion brings the rich history of the blues to life for the reader.

Sharon Burch

Blues was born in the United States but many people don’t know how important it is to our musical and cultural heritage. Eli Yamin’s book is a perfect guide for teachers of singing and singers, introducing them to an authentic understanding of blues and of singing it in a healthy way straight from the heart.

Jeanie LoVetri