Singing Lessons – The Power Of Voice

There is something both primal and exquisitely civilised in the human voice; it has the power to move us in ways that no other instrument can. Indeed, the scope of communication afforded by this seemingly crude vibratory mechanism is truly remarkable, as demonstrated here by Claron McFadden…

Finding Your Voice

Everyone’s voice is unique, which perhaps partly explains our fascination with singing. Despite this, many bedroom musicians are content to explore ever-increasing realms of software synthesis or programming, yet are reluctant to commit to vocals. This is a shame, as voice can truly transform a track – when you hear a song, it is the vocal that instantly becomes the centre of attention, and is usually the most memorable element.

Although almost everyone can sing (admittedly with greatly varying results), few have attained the vocal virtuosity of Claron McFadden. In this remarkable clip from TED, she performs John Cage’s Aria… a piece composed specifically for a vocalist, but without any standard notation. There is a rough structure to be adhered to, but the performer is free to improvise within this structure, and indeed to decide what the elements of the structure are…