Singing more than words.
Samantha singing with Masquerade in the early 1990s, in So. California.
“Being understood by your audience is more than just the words you are singing. It is about the connection your words make with your audience and how they feel when they hear you sing them. ”
There is so much more to singing in any language than just pronouncing words correctly. Understanding the content, context, phrasing, and emotionality are important because the way in which words are sung has more impact on an audience than just the words themselves.
There are tools that singers use to convey meaning and feeling clearly, confidently, and naturally. English Starz utilizes these tools to help singers of English as a foreign language optimize their performance. Let’s take a look at them:
DICTION:
What is it and why is it so important for singing In English?
Diction
Diction is a matter of distinction. As a singer, how English is pronounced in a song can be even more important than the choice of words being sung.
As a non-native English singer, it can be easy to stumble over the pronunciation of words in songs. Even when you know the words by memory, if the words are learned with unclear diction, then the way in which the words are sung can become mumbled, confused, or distorted.
Accent
Accents can of course change the sound of lyrics in various ways. Regional dialects can also distort the clarity of singing in Western-style English.
Vocal apparatus
The shape of the mouth, placement of the tongue in the mouth, and the degree of breath across vocal cords, tongue, lips, and teeth should be the focus of singing in English to assure clear diction, annunciation, and pronunciation of lyrics.
Breathing
Do you know where and when to breathe in a song to accentuate the pronunciation of particular words and phrases? How should a singer breathe so that they sound natural in their English expression in a song?
Timing
Do you know the correct pronunciation, stress, and timing of syllables when singing and how it differs from speaking? Diction is a matter of getting the timing right.
Phrasing
The phrasing of the lyrical content is a major component of singing songs in English. How should a singer phrase their English from one line of lyrics to the next, moving from verse to chorus, and to the bridge and back? Learning where, when, and how to structure phrasing in English songs can make the difference between sounding authentic and clearly understood by your audience, or sounding foreign. Diction is a key component of phrasing.
Singing in English is more involved than just translating or writing lyrics, or singing English words. By focusing on the mechanics and subtleties of diction, I can help you to make the most of your English singing and songwriting.
Not your usual English Instructor.
My childhood interest was in Broadway! I received training early in stage performance, acting, dancing, vocal operatics, Broadway musical performance, and recital singing, as well as being a trained musician and the singer for a few different rock bands. Over many decades I have had a variety of performance opportunities to utilize many techniques for singers. I have sung in Latin, Italian, German, French, Spanish, Sanskrit, Hindi, Japanese, and even a little Gaelic! I know first-hand how difficult singing in a foreign language can be. It can be challenging to sound confident, relaxed, and authentic.
That is why my methods of teaching English work best for musical artists and performers.
Unlike other English language instructors, I am not only skilled as a TEFL certified English, and Business English Instructor but I am an experienced singer, songwriter, and performer. This is what makes English Starz special and why I can help your English performances shine brightly!
