(no subject)
Oh Dr. McDonald how I LOOOVE thee!!
These are quotes from lessons, master classes, etc. that I recorded this year from my wonderful teacher! Singers, enjoy! I call them...
"McD-isms!"
* "Don't 'do', just 'be'!"
* "Have purposeful movement- gestures have to mean something dramatically"
* "Develop a trust of what your mind and body can do"
* "Stay flabby! Don't resort to the 'toilet technique' "
* "You don't have to resort to 'diction for the deaf and dumb' to be understood. Practice 'inner diction' "
* "When wanting to sing 'softly' sing with the intention of being soft, NOT off the voice"
* "If it feels free when you sing, you know it is supported"
* "When practicing, know what you want to accomplish before you go in the practice room!"
* "If you aren't getting the results you want doing something the same way over and over, try different approaches! Even do the exact opposite of what you intend to bring you back to the middle of the road."
* "When practicing, practice at the optimum time of day for you- don't do it after you have done EVERYTHING else!"
* "Practice just until you get tired- this is how you build the muscle."
* "If it feels better, it SOUNDS better!"
* "Don't try to sound older or younger than you are- don't 'create' or 'manufacture' sound- sing with the natural, 'primal' voice God gave you!"
* "When singing, the spine should stay unswayed"
* "Remember what you learn, and then put it into practice! 'Remember and do!' "
* "When you repeat a phrase, make it different each time."
* "Why can't easy be right? It CAN... and it IS!"
* "Expression doesn't come solely from the face, but also the body and voice"
* "What is the golden rule of singing? Know what you want before you do it!! To KNOW the result BEFORE we act!"
* "Don't compete with yourself!"
* "Don't listen to yourself too much- be IN the moment! Get OUT of yourself so you can get INTO your character!"
* "Never dig into notes- spring off of them"
* "Breathe from the top down- DON’T try to lift a hippo when you sing!"
* "Singing softly is not giving LESS of something- it is merely giving MORE of something else."
* "Sing freely, as if you have no throat"
* "Good singing is simple. Aim for simplicity"
* "Know exactly what you are singing and why you are singing it so you can be engaging to your audience"
* "A deaf man and a blind man should know what you are singing about"
* "When the voice is living where it wants to live, the voice is live and using optimum resonance. Singing becomes free, primal, and alive!"
* "In an audition setting, even if you FEEL tentative, don't LOOK it- make a good first impression."
* "Make sure personality follows train of thought"
* "Keep nose in the tone, but not the tone in the nose"
* "Don't 'let yourself go' too much"
* "Speak like you are learning to sing"
* "Know what your voice is"
* "Let the resonance simply flop around inside your head"
* "Don't breathe with your eyebrows or shoulders"
* "Never warm up where it is not 'free' "
* "Don't TRY to make a lot of sound- just trust your resonance"
* "All change is not nec. good- what is good change? Whatever makes singing easier; freer"
* "Approach everything from the positive!"
* "If you are prepared to do something ahead of time, you won't have to do anything strange to compensate when the time comes!"
* "If your 'being' is in character, your eyes will follow."
* "Let your breath be flirtatious"
* "Movement that doesn't have textual or musical meaning can be confusing to the audience"
* "CONVINCE the audience of SOMETHING!"
* "Give a gift to your audience. You HAVE something to say!"
* "Keep focus during musical interludes- remember subtext"
* "Sigh into your tone"
* "When 'supporting' your sound- use more air and less muscle. You don't have to FEEL the support for it to be there"
* "You don't have to prove anything. Just sing!"
* "Let resonance and energy do the work for you."
* "Every voice has a speed it wants to move at, and tempo (within reason) should be decided accordingly."
* "Suspended notes suspend the audience's emotions. Give these their full due!"
* "Trust the natural inclination of your voice"
* "What is an open throat? Merely a throat that is not closed"
* "Always give 100% commitment, 150% 'smart', but rarely, maybe once in an opera, give 100% force!"
* "Be an active singer- you are constantly releasing tone- NOT clenching it."
* "When the voice is 'there', you aren't 'putting' it there."
* "If different feels better, it is better."
These are quotes from lessons, master classes, etc. that I recorded this year from my wonderful teacher! Singers, enjoy! I call them...
"McD-isms!"
* "Don't 'do', just 'be'!"
* "Have purposeful movement- gestures have to mean something dramatically"
* "Develop a trust of what your mind and body can do"
* "Stay flabby! Don't resort to the 'toilet technique' "
* "You don't have to resort to 'diction for the deaf and dumb' to be understood. Practice 'inner diction' "
* "When wanting to sing 'softly' sing with the intention of being soft, NOT off the voice"
* "If it feels free when you sing, you know it is supported"
* "When practicing, know what you want to accomplish before you go in the practice room!"
* "If you aren't getting the results you want doing something the same way over and over, try different approaches! Even do the exact opposite of what you intend to bring you back to the middle of the road."
* "When practicing, practice at the optimum time of day for you- don't do it after you have done EVERYTHING else!"
* "Practice just until you get tired- this is how you build the muscle."
* "If it feels better, it SOUNDS better!"
* "Don't try to sound older or younger than you are- don't 'create' or 'manufacture' sound- sing with the natural, 'primal' voice God gave you!"
* "When singing, the spine should stay unswayed"
* "Remember what you learn, and then put it into practice! 'Remember and do!' "
* "When you repeat a phrase, make it different each time."
* "Why can't easy be right? It CAN... and it IS!"
* "Expression doesn't come solely from the face, but also the body and voice"
* "What is the golden rule of singing? Know what you want before you do it!! To KNOW the result BEFORE we act!"
* "Don't compete with yourself!"
* "Don't listen to yourself too much- be IN the moment! Get OUT of yourself so you can get INTO your character!"
* "Never dig into notes- spring off of them"
* "Breathe from the top down- DON’T try to lift a hippo when you sing!"
* "Singing softly is not giving LESS of something- it is merely giving MORE of something else."
* "Sing freely, as if you have no throat"
* "Good singing is simple. Aim for simplicity"
* "Know exactly what you are singing and why you are singing it so you can be engaging to your audience"
* "A deaf man and a blind man should know what you are singing about"
* "When the voice is living where it wants to live, the voice is live and using optimum resonance. Singing becomes free, primal, and alive!"
* "In an audition setting, even if you FEEL tentative, don't LOOK it- make a good first impression."
* "Make sure personality follows train of thought"
* "Keep nose in the tone, but not the tone in the nose"
* "Don't 'let yourself go' too much"
* "Speak like you are learning to sing"
* "Know what your voice is"
* "Let the resonance simply flop around inside your head"
* "Don't breathe with your eyebrows or shoulders"
* "Never warm up where it is not 'free' "
* "Don't TRY to make a lot of sound- just trust your resonance"
* "All change is not nec. good- what is good change? Whatever makes singing easier; freer"
* "Approach everything from the positive!"
* "If you are prepared to do something ahead of time, you won't have to do anything strange to compensate when the time comes!"
* "If your 'being' is in character, your eyes will follow."
* "Let your breath be flirtatious"
* "Movement that doesn't have textual or musical meaning can be confusing to the audience"
* "CONVINCE the audience of SOMETHING!"
* "Give a gift to your audience. You HAVE something to say!"
* "Keep focus during musical interludes- remember subtext"
* "Sigh into your tone"
* "When 'supporting' your sound- use more air and less muscle. You don't have to FEEL the support for it to be there"
* "You don't have to prove anything. Just sing!"
* "Let resonance and energy do the work for you."
* "Every voice has a speed it wants to move at, and tempo (within reason) should be decided accordingly."
* "Suspended notes suspend the audience's emotions. Give these their full due!"
* "Trust the natural inclination of your voice"
* "What is an open throat? Merely a throat that is not closed"
* "Always give 100% commitment, 150% 'smart', but rarely, maybe once in an opera, give 100% force!"
* "Be an active singer- you are constantly releasing tone- NOT clenching it."
* "When the voice is 'there', you aren't 'putting' it there."
* "If different feels better, it is better."