Voice research has revealed much about the singing voice, but this valuable information does not necessarily transfer into fine singing. In The Essentials of Beautiful Singing: A Three-Step Kinesthetic Approach, performer and scholar Karen Tillotson Bauer bridges this gap by reframing the complexities of voice science with a cultivated simplicity of style and terminology that speaks directly to the singer's experience of singing. With her three-step approach, Bauer integrates fact and application in a logical order, step by step. With clarity and immediate relevancy, this work takes the mystery out of singing by approaching it as a kinesthetic experience. Through the use of short verbal prompts and guided exercises, The Essentials of Beautiful Singing helps the singer discover good breath management, realize good resonance, and achieve clear enunciation. The focus throughout is on the skillful use of the body as a musical instrument, the source of fine singing. For the experienced voice teacher, choral director and singer at any level, Bauer's three-step approach offers a fresh perspective on the familiar principles of vocal function. Clear explanations of the singing processes replace vague notions, and a relevant terminology makes refined singing more accessible. The Essentials of Beautiful Singing cuts to the heart of vocal technique and challenges some common pedagogical assumptions while defining a dependable foundation for fine singing. |
