# data[].attributes.body
What is the challenge?

An extremely fast paced ascending and descending run section at the end of the piece

The SPECIFIC challenges: (what makes this challenging?)

1. Being able to accurately hit each and every note within such a fast speed

2. The execution of how I sing the notes, which requires the maintenance of head voice throughout the entire section.

# data[].attributes.body
Descending on a major scale and then ascending on a arpeggio - second half sung with the constant "do" @120BPM

# data[].attributes.headline
Isolating the skills: What does it work on/ how does it help me overcome my challenge 

# data[].attributes.subject
Isolating the skills: What does it work on/ how does it help me overcome my challenge 

# data[].attributes.body
Pitch, Accuracy, Fluency, Agility

Developing the technique to transition between fast paced ascending and descending notes fluently by singing these quick cycles of scales.

Pitching the first note correctly, I don't want it to be sharp or flat - this allows me to practicing pitching the first note of each "do" cycle in the actual song better.

Breath Control

This exercise requires me to sing cycles of 15 notes.

As such I am strengthening my core muscles (diaphragm) to be able to provide sufficient breath support to be able to sustain the cycle.

And, as a result, this strengths my overall breathing support ability and allows me to sing the entirety of the passage in 2:27-3:16 with sufficient breath control.

Tone/Timbre

- Maintenance of head voice throughout the entire exercise helps me to sing with an even tone in this passage in the song.

Ascending down the scale, even to the lowest note, this exercise is designed to train me to sing that note in a head voice

The key feature of this exercise that helps me achieve an even tone of head voice in this passage in the song (what does success look like?), is the high "do" at the end of each cycle. My starting "do" and this end longer "do" should sound exactly the same if I have been successful in maintaining my tone (head voice). This is exactly the skill I need to execute the passage in O Vertigo the way I desire.

Articulation:

Clear crisp articulation on the "do" in the second half of this exercise reflects how the actual passage is sung. Helps me to work on my ability to strengthen clarity in my constants whilst in a fast passage.

Dynamics:

Aiming for an even dynamics in order for the passage to sound clean, I do not want to fluctuate between loud of sound as this creates an uneven feel in the run.

# data[].attributes.body
What is the challenge?

Issues with clear diction and pronunciation in the first verse of the piece

Specific challenges:

1. Fast tempo. These words have to be sung clearly under a very fast tempo (90 dotted crotchet beats per minute)

2. Issue with common letter phonics. I found that I had trouble specifically with the phonics "ded" and "ti"

do it with a metronome

faster, forces the lightness

# data[].attributes.headline
Isolating the skill - How does it help my challenge? 

# data[].attributes.subject
Isolating the skill - How does it help my challenge? 

# data[].attributes.body
Articulation:

Light articulation

Single tongue movement

Light single tongued

Whilst maintaining a fast tempo

-As the faster I go the more unclear and muddled my pronunciation becomes. Therefore just isolating those syllables itself whilst singing it fast will help with my articulation

Thus, works on the dexterity and fluency of being to navigate through these voiced and unvoiced constants at a fast speed

Tonal qualities/Tone Colour:

All about the position of your tongue

Voiced vs unvoiced

Voiced:

"un-bid-den" - 'b' 'd' like biscuit or dog (raw, dense)

Unvoiced:

"light" "heart" - 't' like root or counter (light, airy, softer)

These need to be clearly executed so I can bring out the respect tonal qualities out.

# data[].attributes.headline
different interpreations of clear articulation 

# data[].attributes.subject
different interpreations of clear articulation 

# data[].attributes.body
Clear and impactful

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Lara Wollington (West End's Matilda) performing "Quiet"

# data[].attributes.body
Vs more dragged out

# data[].attributes.body
I've changed the expressive outcome/character of this piece fr passionate, upbeat and ecstatic to melancholy, raw, vulnerable

In order to achieve this new expressive outcome:

- Changed the time signature from 4/4 to 6/8

- Changed the key

From Gmajor to Eminor

# data[].attributes.body
How clear and fluent it sounds with an even head voice. Especially because this evenness creating that light and joyful character. I do not want it to sound heavy or raw.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
O Vertigo! - Kate Miller-Heidke & The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

# data[].attributes.body
Being able to sing the chorus in a strong head voice, my throat tend to constrict, straining the notes. Notes sung in my head voice range sounded really weak.

The specific challenges:

1. Singing in a high range

2. Being able to sing with a open throat and lowered jaw as I have the tendency to constrict my throat and squeeze my vocal cords.

# data[].attributes.body
-No weak sound

-Resonance

-Can smoothly sing in head voice without straining or a closed, tight throat. We want a OPEN THROAT

All of these to achieve a strong sounding head voice

'Opening the throat'

raising the soft palate

lowering the larynx

dropping the jaw

The technique of the open throat is intended to promote a type of relaxation or vocal release in the throat that helps avoid constriction and tension that would otherwise cause strain in the tone

# data[].attributes.body
Vowels found in my piece:

"si[ee]nce you've been gone"

" I can bre[ee]athe for the first time"

Particularly, "ee" - Is a very intense vowel and especially when sung in your higher register/head voice as there is a tendency to strain your throat. Therefore if I can train myself to sing this with an open throat always my overall head voice will become much smoother and stronger.

# data[].attributes.headline
EXERCISE #4: Sliding Open Jaw Chromatic Exercise - Technical 

# data[].attributes.subject
EXERCISE #4: Sliding Open Jaw Chromatic Exercise - Technical 

# data[].attributes.body
Starting from C and going down chromatically

The exercise must be sliden as this naturally implies relaxing the jaw and dropping it

# data[].attributes.headline
Isolating the skills: What does it work on/ how does it help me overcome my challenge 

# data[].attributes.subject
Isolating the skills: What does it work on/ how does it help me overcome my challenge 

# data[].attributes.body
Tonal quality:

Practicing singing with an open throat will: produce a pure, balanced tone, as I am no longer constricting my throat and straining the ability of the sound to come out. (dropping the jaw) As such this prevents my head voice from sounding overly bright, thin, or shrill.

Resonance

Gain clarity and power in my head voice, especially when singing in my head voice, as the open jaw technique gets rid of the restraint that makes my voice sound weak.

Pitch

Dropping my jaw and raising the soft palette will allow be to hit high notes more accurately as I am in a more relaxed position, meaning I can reach those notes without strain or struggle.

Dynamics:

-Starting in piano with a gradual crescendo to forte

As in my reimagined my first chorus is a softer and more delicate vs the second chorus which I am to be more powerful. Hence, I need to be able to sing in a strong head voice both at a softer dynamics and louder dynamics which this exercise showcases.

what range is this in - why is it in my head voice

# data[].attributes.body
Hurt, Vulnerable, Longing, Raw

Regretting letting go of this relationship she has been in rather than happy and relieved about it.

# data[].attributes.headline
Isolating the skills: How does it help me overcome my challenges 

# data[].attributes.subject
Isolating the skills: How does it help me overcome my challenges 

# data[].attributes.body
Accuracy:

Immediately switching between onsets is extremely hard as they use different positions of the vocal cords.

Articulation:

Articulation indirectly, as the way a note is initiated can affect its clarity, intensity, and emotional expression. As such, practicing this vocalise with the different types of onsets will allow me to choose if I want the note to be sung clear, breathy etc and this will allow me to bring out my intended expressive outcome.

Range of articulation (staccato, slurring) while maintaining the onset, therefore this skill can be applied to a variety of different contexts and songs, rather than just Since U Been Gone

Tone colour:

Bring out the full tonal qualities to really showcase the character of this piece to the highest ability

glottal - bold, harsh

- emphasis on "I"

breathy - airy, light - used to convey intimacy and ambience into my chorus as singing in a vulnerable state.

balanced - warm, smooth, full

more assertive

Phrasing:

Shorter phrases vs longer phrasing

long phrasing is clearly highlighted in the second part where I am practising not overacccenting the notes into order to achieve a seamless and smooth phrase here.

General skill of practising shorter phrases verses longer phrases

FLUENCY: In the longer phrase (second half) being able to seamlessly sing each note without breaks..

# data[].attributes.headline
EXERCISE #6: Singing a Vocalise with Different Onsets - Expressive 

# data[].attributes.subject
EXERCISE #6: Singing a Vocalise with Different Onsets - Expressive 

# data[].attributes.body
B Flat - "Ah"

Focus on the onset themselves rather than the articulation

# data[].attributes.headline
Example: A strong sounding head voice because of the open throat technique 

# data[].attributes.subject
Example: A strong sounding head voice because of the open throat technique 

# data[].attributes.body
"D" & "T" Diction with a minor chord progression @100BPM

D/TA

D/TEH

D/TI

D/TOH

D/TOO - are they both voiced?

Unvoiced: using more air = harder

minor chord descending from the fifth and singing a minor 3rd

# data[].attributes.body
Purpose/the challenge:

Understanding the different types of vocal onsets and how they can be used to portray/bring out the full expressive tonal qualities in my reimagined piece - vulnerable, raw character.

There are 3 types of vocal onsets I wish to strengthen:

Glottal - closing the glottis, and then beginning to sing. Glottal tension is eased just enough to cause the vocal folds to vibrate and produce sound.

Breathy - glottis open or partially open.

Balanced - closing the glottis at the same time as exhalation of air

Important: It is extremely crucial for my pieces that I know what onset to use at which time. This is because I don’t want to overuse one, for example the glottal as this will take a toll on my vocal health. Most of the time I also want to stick to a balanced onset as this is the healthiest for the vocal chords.

# data[].attributes.body
-Singing a fast paced passage accurately maintaining an even head voice tone

-Achieving a clean, crisp articulation on the constant "do".

# data[].attributes.headline
Examples of the onsets I wish to use and why

# data[].attributes.subject
Examples of the onsets I wish to use and why

# data[].attributes.headline
EXERCISE #3 PATTER SONG - "Not Getting Married Today" From "Company" - Matilda - Expressive

# data[].attributes.subject
EXERCISE #3 PATTER SONG - "Not Getting Married Today" From "Company" - Matilda - Expressive

# data[].attributes.body
Fast paced passage of a song sang in music theatre, deeply driven by a strong emotional intent/character.

# data[].attributes.body
What is the challenge?

Unable to bring out the desired growth in character/story of the piece in the first verse.

Struggling to use dynamics, and clear articulation and phrasing to be able to convey her mental breakdown.

# data[].attributes.body
Achieve a clearer understanding of how to portray a growingly frantic character through the use of dynamics, and phrasing

Ensuring there is clarity in my articulation throughout a fast passage.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Voiced Consonants:

Voiced consonants are produced with vibration of the vocal cords. They typically have a more resonant sound and add richness to the vocal tone.

2. Unvoiced Consonants:

Unvoiced consonants are produced without vibration of the vocal cords. They often have a sharper, more percussive sound.

# data[].attributes.body
Articulation

Rather focusing on "voiced vs unvoiced", more holistic view on the articulation. Being able to sing the sentences with clarity.

Like Matilda, it features intricate and fast-paced lyrics that demand precise articulation, with quick attacks, whilst This technical work requires a rapid-fire delivery of Amy's inner monologue, which trains my ability to be able to enunciating the words clearly, with the correct articulation

Light tongue articulation

Short, sharp attacks

This exercise will help with me as I was struggling to articulate my words and not being able to portray the full extent of Matilda's frantic breakdown.

Phrasing

The phrasing of the words is a technique used to highlight the characters inner thoughts and anxiety in both songs.

"A wedding. What's a wedding?" - phrasing here is dictated by the punctuation - like Matilda

Dexterity + Control

This exercise demands high vocal dexterity as you have to navigate through these vocal lines at an extremely fast tempo.

Maintaining clarity and coherence (control over my words) while keeping up with the frenetic pace of the song

Many tongue twisters such as "fidelity forever" adding to the level of complexity, further demonstrating dexterity if performed correctly.

Dynamics

Challenge: Not honing in on dynamics to a great extent.

This exercise does - so I can practice utilising dynamics

Crescendos on certain phrases such as "and don't tell Paul but I'm not getting married today" to really showcase the intensity of her not wanting to get married. Similar to crescendos used in Matilda such as "But this noise becomes anger, and the anger is light"

Dynamic contrasts is utilised/showcased in this patter song which reflects the same used to show Matilda's frantic and mental breakdown. (Initial loud first verse, contrasted with the softer second verse)

# data[].attributes.body
Understanding and clearly dictating voiced and unvoiced constants to be able to convey the full character of Matilda's mental breakdown (way you articulate changes the mood of your singing)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kelly Clarkson sustaining a G5 for the first time since 2013 #arianagrande #highnote #vocals #range

# data[].attributes.body
Although I am doing a different character, its the same technique applied

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
"Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson (Cover by First to Eleven)

# data[].attributes.body
Even head voice tone, creates lightness also makes it seem effortless with great agility.

completely different song + feel, but the basic technique is still there. being able to pitch so accurately and sing a fast riff in head voice maintaining that head voice

# data[].attributes.headline
example of voiced constant and how that creates  bold and raw tone in the first verse 

# data[].attributes.subject
example of voiced constant and how that creates  bold and raw tone in the first verse 

# data[].attributes.headline
example of unvoiced constant which creates a lighter tone and character  

# data[].attributes.subject
example of unvoiced constant which creates a lighter tone and character  

# data[].attributes.body
Blue - Breathy Onset

Red - Balanced Onset

Purple - Glottal Onset (The 'I''s)