Page 40 - CJSeptember25

R ehe arsal Br e ak
Rehearsal Break

Next, we may approach professional settings for mu- annual visit to an ENT to get a scoping is a good idea,
sic teachers: particularly if you suffer fatigue.

c) Teaching: if you are teaching private voice les-
sons and giving examples of correct singing and Modification Strategies for
speaking, hopefully this will help your voice to Vocal Health and Efficiency
grow stronger! Demonstrating bad examples can serious- While my work is now primarily in choral conduct-
ly damage your voice! Do not be afraid to use media ing, my three degrees in voice performance and per-
and take listening breaks when appropriate; have forming experience in classical solo voice have greatly
students read aloud so that you do not do all the benefitted my conducting and pedagogy. As a choris-
vocal work yourself. ter who would often experience fatigue from hours of
singing, I had to learn to modify how I participated
d) Singing: singing should be the easiest on your in rehearsal. Now, as a director, I have had to learn
voice if you are using correct breathing technique to monitor and modify how I lead rehearsal so that I
and maintaining good posture. Vocal fatigue while do not suffer vocal injury. A vocally efficient rehearsal
singing tends to come at the end of a long day is also efficient in use of time, and the effects of con-
when the singer is tired and unable to maintain structing a vocally efficient rehearsal will be beneficial
proper technique. If singing alone causes you vo- to the whole ensemble, as well as to the individual sing-
cal fatigue, seek out an experienced voice teacher, ers involved. With this in mind, let us explore ways to
Alexander Technique teacher, or voice/speech be vocally efficient as a director during rehearsal.
therapist.
1) Use a microphone. If you are lecturing or using
e) Rehearsal: many teachers/directors lead three, your speaking voice to teach, use a microphone when-
four, or five hours of rehearsal a day, especially in ever possible, even in a small classroom. Whenever I
middle and high school. This makes it even more suggest this to a director, their first response is usual-
important to monitor your vocal use. Likewise, ly, “It’s so awkward!” Give it a week and try a micro-
serious musicians and students in chorus may be phone with a monitor that is mobile and can be placed
using their voices extensively throughout the day farther from you. Depending on where you decide to
to practice, attend theater/opera rehearsals, choir place the monitor, you will hear less of your own voice,
rehearsals, social/necessary vocal use, etc. Re- which may alleviate the feeling of self-consciousness,
hearsal is a place where, as a director, you are re- and the ensemble will hear more of you. Not only will
sponsible not only for your own vocal health, but you have to project your voice less, but you will also
in part, the vocal health of others. It is, therefore, avoid repeating instructions, which means speaking
necessary to train yourself to be vocally efficient less during rehearsal.
in leading a rehearsal, which will in turn create I was shocked to find how my teaching and rehears-
healthy, vocally efficient habits for your singers. al strategy changed when I was not desperate to be
heard! My own demeanor was much calmer, and I
Taken together, these uses of your voice define your was able to give better instructions, make clearer dis-
usual vocal dose. If your voice is regularly fatigued, tinctions, and the energy in the entire room felt much
consider making adjustments to make your normal vo- more at ease. While I do not recommend speaking/
cal dose easily sustainable. Once you know your nor- instructing over an ensemble while running pieces, it is,
mal voice use, you must also recognize when an un- at times, unavoidable. The microphone will help you
usual vocal event occurs (e.g., extra amounts of group/ to be heard and understood, eliminating the need to
presentational speaking, yelling at a ball game, using start and stop, which uses more voice for both director
your voice through an illness) and take both proactive and singers.
and responsive steps to recover. Remember, too, that an

38 CHORAL JOURNAL September 2025 Volume 66 Number 2