The Cross of Voice Science

Giovanni Clerici (1861-1924)

Observe that the sounds must appear to the singer to be reflected in the back part of the head; he must feel them there, rising as the note rises, falling as it falls. —Giovanni Clerici, Perfection in Singing (1906): 15. 

He's right, of course. But try telling that to the moderns who are trained to think about the vocal tract as the only resonator. According to them, one should not think about sensation in the head. They take García's statement about sensation of tone literally (you know the one I am talking about right?—which is discussed in Hidden in Plain Sight: The Hermann Klein Phono-Vocal Method Based upon the Famous School of Manuel García) and consider voice placement to be a vampire to which they must hold up the cross of voice science.

We go back to go forward!

That's what my own teacher would say—a statement which makes a hell of a lot of sense from an auditory perspective (and has everything to do with the awareness of bone and air conduction) and is nonsense to the modern who only knows what he sees.

While moderns busy themselves with looking at their voiceprints, the ancients were busy listening. 

Daniel Shigo

Daniel’s voice studio is rooted in the teachings of Francesco Lamperti and Manuel Garcia. Contact Daniel for voice lessons in New York City and online lessons in the art of bel canto.

Shigo Voice Studio
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