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This is to report the observations of Vocalway concerning the difference between Force and Power. Since we are in a very forceful time in the world today, the arts are following this trend. More and more the gentle art of singing has drifted into this cultural trend. Fewer and fewer times in the last 30 years are we elevated when hearing a famous singer. We are excited sometimes, we are visually pleased most of the time, but we no longer hear much of the powerful sound that comes from natural singing. A singer with that power could move us to a whole different dimension. The sound of that voice could still be in our ears as we left the theatre. Now we remember the scenery, the spectacle of the staging, the acting, but no longer the thrill of the voices. As we more and more confuse force and power in our everyday lives, so has the teaching of the voice changed. Where have all the gentle giants gone? It seems the voice too has succumbed to the idea that more is more. Read more about this in Newsletter 1. By Tom Schilling
There is much talk of tough love these days. It is a valuable tool in the learning process. However, it takes great patience and great understanding to pull off successfully. There are few, if any, who can. The idea starts out with all the best intentions. The teacher must be totally clear what the objective to accomplish is. If there are any bumps in the road that touch the instructor’s buried agendas, the tough love turns to abusing the student. It is hard to detect because there are no bruises or cuts on the body. The student can’t point to the damage because it is almost always emotional. Self-esteem plummets, fear takes over, and the teacher gives the student up as a failure. This happens often to the most gifted, as they are more sensitive and vulnerable to the world around them. Often tough love must be taught to prepare the truly talented ones for the world outside. However, if not taught with great patience, understanding, and love, they rarely survive. The tough love did truly turn them into very cynical young people, now afraid to trust their own selves. Their confused inner child has now becomes an abused inner child. They are not living up to the ways of the present world. They’ll never fit in. It’s a case of the power of the weak over the strong. Guess which is which. By Tom Schilling |
In our lives, we are always looking for the final resolution to things. The reality is, if we are to keep growing, there is nothing but to keep going. At the very moment we think we have the answer, it slips away. The big secret is, there is no secret. We are always in process. A great performance is extemporaneous. It is not set. One of my students told me about an audition, having sung two arias, the auditor said, “Could you sing something for me you haven’t coached to death?” Enough said. If we are truly in a naturally creative space—the brain—the magic happens. In this more terrified world, we all crave more security. Security is the exact opposite of what we are trying to accomplish. Security doesn’t allow for risk taking. The thrill of any great art is experiencing as a listener, the artist taking chances. A tightrope walker would not be very exciting if he had ropes on either side to hold on to. Who would want to pay to see that? Therefore, we must always get into our creative space, out of fear, and take a chance in life. That’s what makes if exciting and worthwhile. Otherwise we are stuck---comfortable maybe—but stuck! By Tom Schilling |
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