When it comes to my artistic vision and skillset, it has been a continuous journey of development and self-discovery. Due to having very contrasting musical influences, I have always struggled to find the balance between classical and pop music (I have had training in both). It was only a year ago that I finally had all the experiences and skills needed to combine these two styles smoothly and to define my style and identity as a singer-songwriter. The following milestones have had the most significant influence on my tradition of practice, songwriting and performing:

Firstly, I studied classical singing in Estonia for 8 years. My vocal tutor, Sirje Vasmann-Perend, played a significant role in how I perceive music (I share her high standards and passionate approach) and enabled me to develop a wide vocal range (B2- F#5) thanks to the classical singing exercises. She also took my microphone technique to a good standard, taught me to captivate the audience (having a confident body-language and never letting it show if mistakes occur as well as an emphasis on lyrics and emotions being the core of a memorable performance) and to pay attention to my outfit selection (her advice was to always look your best when performing, because if voice fails then at least the looks impresses).

Despite regularly applying the rigorous standards and vocal technique of classical music, my repertoire mainly consisted of pop music. According to my tutor, I was a “microphone singer”( Microphone singer (in this context) –  someone who’s vocal technique requires amplification and microphone to best display all the nuances of the voice) and I never got to perform classical songs. This classification, as harsh-sounding as it was (it certainly made me less confident without a microphone), is generally valid due to my:

• Tendency to use very fine vocal ornamentations and an emotional singing style (which is a preference and not actually a negative factor).
• Periodic illnesses and vocal problems that disable me from having the continuous stamina and strict practice schedule necessary for classical singing at a good standard.
• Difficulties transitioning between head and chest voice with even volumes and support levels.

On one hand, I gained a solid basis for my vocal skills, but on the other hand, I developed a lot of constrictions (classical singing requires a lot of core strength and is “hard work” as your voice should naturally project itself in large venues, whereas having too a rigid posture and breathing hinders singing most pop music) and my creativity felt constricted as well (I was never encouraged to improvise or to have tools to write my own music), since excellence was seen as following all the notations of compositions perfectly, rather than having your own take on the song.

Secondly, having the inner drive to develop my skills as a pop singer, I attended Complete Vocal Academy in the Complete Vocal Institute of Denmark (CVI is an educational institution that uses a teaching method called Complete Vocal Technique). During my studies there, I started to experiment with different music styles and to write songs electronically (using GarageBand). I started to consciously practice vocal effects, improvisation and other vocal modes besides neutral (head voice) as well as learned to relax and enjoy myself more when practicing and performing.  I also learned to separate between the technique, support levels and characteristics of four vocal modes: neutral, curbing, overdrive and edge (Sadolin, 2012, 81).

Consequently, learning to produce voice healthily and evenly made my voice much more powerful and I could sing for long intervals at a time. However, this also resulted in all the vocal breaks, vibrato, creaking and other effects becoming pre-meditated and calculated rather than naturally occurring due to emotions, which unfortunately took away a certain degree of excitement and depth from singing for me.

Thirdly, I learned to play the guitar when I started to study Bachelor of Music degree in the University of Lincoln the previous year. That finally gave me the opportunity to write my own songs and to develop my own style, rather than sing someone else’s songs. However, I am still hindered by my guitar playing skills, as I only practice for about an hour a week, which by no means is enough to become an adept guitarist.

I am currently combining the best of both classical and pop music practice, when it comes to singing (my practice schedule consists of classical vocal exercises followed by a classical song, then pop repertoire) and I am attending weekly guitar lessons to become a better guitarist and a songwriter. In the next 4 months, I am planning to sing a classical song at a concert (“Ave Maria” by Franz Schubert) and to write two more pop songs on the guitar.

References:

Sadolin, K. (2012) Complete vocal technique. Copenhagen: Shout Publications.