Singing and Communicating in English: A Singer's Guide to English Diction
- ISBN-10
- 0199886008
- ISBN-13
- 9780199886005
- Category
- Music
- Pages
- 352
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2007-12-21
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Author
- Kathryn LaBouff
Description
From the Foreword by Renee Fleming: "Kathryn LaBouff has developed an approach to singing in the English language which is wonderfully user-friendly, and which has surely saved much wear and tear on my voice. It is a technique that has empowered me with the knowledge and skills to bring a text to life and to be able to negotiate all of the sounds of the language with the least amount of effort. I have found her clever and extremely creative use of substitute consonants or combinations of consonants in creating clear diction utterly delightful because they are surprising and because they work. These techniques have been equally useful when singing in foreign languages. We sopranos are not usually known to have good diction, particularly in our high range. I found that working with Kathryn improved my ability to be understood by an enormous percentile of the audience with much less vocal fatigue than I would have experienced if left to my own devices. I have often told my colleagues enthusiastically of her interesting solutions to the frustrating problems of diction. I am thrilled that her techniques are now in print for all to benefit from them." In Singing and Communicating in English, internationally renowned diction coach Kathryn LaBouff provides singers with an accessible guide to the principles of English diction they need to communicate the text successfully. Her thorough and much sought-after technique clarifies the physiology of speech, emphasizes the studied practice of careful and articulate pronunciation, and focuses on the study of English cadence. Covering aspects of phonetics from vowels to diphthongs to fricatives, the book includes multiple practical exercises in International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcriptions, helpful diagrams, and pronunciation drills, each chosen from the most essential English art song and operatic repertoire. In addition to standard American and British English, a variety of regional dialects and accents are covered in depth. A companion website features a full range of vowel/consonant drills, poems read aloud by the author and by theater and voiceover actor John Keating, as well as an exercise answer key, and publishers' lists to help the singer locate a vast array of English language works for performance. This book is an invaluable resource for all vocalists (both professional and aspiring), diction instructors, teachers, and coaches, and choral directors. VISIT THE COMPANION SITE AT www.oup.com/us/singinginenglish
Get the book
Other editions
-
- 2007-12-21
- 352 pages
- Ebook
- Oxford University Press
-
- 2008
- 326 pages
- Paperback
- Oxford University Press on Demand
Similar books
-
Musical Communication
By Evelyn Glennie"Bringing together leading researchers from a variety of academic and applied backgrounds, this book examines how music can be used to communicate, as well as the biological, cognitive, social, and cultural processes which underlie such ...
-
English and German Diction for Singers: A Comparative Approach
By Amanda JohnstonJohnston makes German increasingly accessible through the recognition that English and German are related languages, and thus have many things in common with regard to lyric diction.
-
Diction in Context: Singing in English, Italian, German, and French
By Brenda SmithMany of his ayres are arranged as quartets for chamber use. Below is one of Dowland's most popular ayres. “Weep You No More, Sad Fountains” Before you listen, implement your dictation strategies: 1. IPA Spellings: This text has many ...
-
Singing for the Stars: A Complete Program for Training Your Voice
By Seth RiggsContains a glossary of terms and lists of performers trained using Seth Riggs' vocal therapy and technique. Includes glossary (p. 91-94) and index.
-
The Singer's Manual of German and French Diction
By Richard G. CoxIntroduction. I. German Vowels. II. German Consonants. III. Alphabetical Review of German Phonetics. IV. French Consonants. V. French Vowels. VI. Alphabetical Review of French Phontics. Appendices. I. Reference list of...
-
It's the Way You Say It: Becoming Articulate, Well-spoken, and Clear
By Carol A. FlemingDr. Carol Fleming provides detailed advice and scores of exercises for Understanding how others hear you Dealing with specific speech problems Varying your vocal patterns to make your speech more dynamic Using grammar and vocabulary to ...
-
Singers' Italian: A Manual of Diction and Phonetics
By Evelina ColorniPreface. Introduction. PART I: THE ITALIAN VOWELS. PART II: THE ITALIAN VOWELS IN LYRIC DICTION. PART III: THE CONSONANTS. PART IV: THE SEMICONSONANTS. PART V: DIPHTHONGS AND TRIPHTHONGS. PART VI:...
-
What Every Singer Needs to Know about the Body
By Melissa Malde, MaryJean Allen, Kurt Alexander ZellerIn doing so, the book provides maps with detailed advice and exercises to use their bodies effectively.
-
English as a Global Language
By David CrystalLondon: Longmans Green. Dyja, Eddie. Ed. 2001. BFIfilm and television handbook: 2002. London: British Film Institute. Eco, Umberto. 1995. The searchfor the perfect language. Oxford: Blackwell. Elliott, Blanche B. 1962.
-
The Singing Class
By Herbert Wiseman... and a few are listed here: The Dual Notation Course, 4 books (Curwen). Five Minutes Weekly, Singer's Edition (Henry Coleman, O.U.P.). The Folk-Song Sight Singing Series, 12 books (Lawton & Whittaker, 106 THE SINGING CLASS.