In Celebration of the Human Voice - The Essential Musical Instrument

Richard Miller

Vocal Coach

Richard Miller

The American tenor and teacher, Richard Miller, began singing publicly at age 3. Before his voice changed, at age 11, he sang hundreds of times in the Canton, Ohio, area. Advised not to sing during the voice-change period, he studied piano, cello, and organ, but returned to singing in musicals at Lincoln High School in Canton. He was drafted upon graduation from high school in 1944, assigned to the 7th Armored Division tank corps and sent to the European theater in January 1945, attached to the British First Army. Stationed near Marseilles after the war, he took voice lessons at the Marseilles Conservatory. After receiving his M.Mus. degree in Musicology from the University of Michigan, he was awarded in 1952 a Fulbright Grant to study voice in Rome, Italy, at L'Accademia di Santa Cecilia. He later sang for four years as leading lyric tenor at the opera house in Zurich, Switzerland.

Richard Miller returned to the USA in 1957, and taught singing at the University of Michigan for five years, then at Oberlin Conservatory for over 40 years. During those years, until age 60, he sang hundreds of performances of oratorio and opera, including appearances with the San Francisco and San Antonio Operas and other major opera companies in Europe and America. He sang often with the Cleveland Orchestra under George Szell, Pierre Boulez, and Louis Lane, including the summer promenade concerts and all five of the Cleveland Orchestra's Lake Erie Opera seasons at Severance Hall.

Richard Miller became internationally known for his abilities as a teacher of singing; for many years he gave teaching sessions all over North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. He authored eight books and hundreds of articles on singing technique and vocal pedagogy. He founded Oberlin Conservatory's Otto B. Schoepfle Vocal Arts Center, an acoustic laboratory that measures vocal production and provides visual and auditory feedback to the singer. The vocal arts center at Oberlin was the first of its kind to be based within a music school.

Richard Miller's work as teacher and voice scientist included: Wheeler Professor of Performance at Oberlin Conservatory (1964-2004); Founder/Director of the Vocal Arts Center (OBSVAC) at Oberlin Conservatory; Collegium Medicorum Theatri member; American Academy of Teachers of Singing; Otolaryngology Adjunct Staff, Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He taught for 28 years at the Mozarteum International Summer Academy in Salzburg, Austria. He presented lectures and classes at the Paris Conservatoire Superieure, at the Marseilles National Opera School, and at Centre Polyphonique. In November 2005, he retired from the Oberlin Conservatory. After retirement, he continued to teach some master-classes. Internationally renowned for these master-classes, he taught in Austria, Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, and 38 USA states. His students had successes at La Scala in Milan, Italy, and Covent Garden in London and other top stages.

In 1989 Richard Miller received an honorary doctorate from Gustavus Adolphus College. In May 1990, he was decorated Chevalier/Officier into the French Order of Arts and Letters at the hand of Madame Regine Crespin "in recognition of contributions to the art of vocalism in France and throughout the world". In 2006 Richard Miller received the Voice Education Research Awareness Award from The Voice Foundation for his contributions to the field of voice communication.

Richard Miller has written articles for over 120 professional journals. He also edited several musical anthologies and collections. His books include: National Schools of Singing (Scarecrow, 1977, reissued 1997); The Structure of Singing (Schirmer Books/Macmillan, 1986); Training Tenor Voices (Schirmer Books/Macmillan, 1993); On the Art of Singing (Oxford University Press, 1996); Singing Schumann: An Interpretive Guide for Performers (Oxford University Press, 1999); Training Soprano Voices (Oxford University Press, 2000); Solutions for Singers: Tools for Performers and Teachers (Oxford University Press, 2004); Securing Baritone, Bass-Baritone, and Bass Voices (Oxford University Press, 2008).

Arrangements (See list of Arrangements.)

Displaying 1-4 of 4 items.

Richard Miller : On The Art Of Singing

Review: Of all of the performance arts, that of singing is the most complex and its preparation and practice the most fraught with controversy. Teachers argue over the best method, and students often move from teacher to teacher in search of the ultimate vocal style. Technique is only one aspect of the singer's art, however. Considerations of musical and performance style, career development, and long-term vocal health are also vital to the successful singer. This exciting new collection of essays is the first book to look at the art of singing in its totality. Written in a direct, non-technical style, On the Art of Singing is a comprehensive manual that deals with all aspects of singing, from the physiology and acoustics of the singing voice to career building. Divided into four main section - vocal pedagogy, style and interpretation, professional perparation, and vocal technique, the book is structured such that the reader may pick and choose as personal interests and need dictate. Written by a master singer and instructor well known for his work on the scientific aspects of singing, On the Art of Singing is essential reading for everyone involved in singing of the art and technique of the voice.

Chapters: On Training the Singing Voice, On Musical Style and Interpretation, On Preparation for the Professional Life, On the Singing Voice and Vocal Function

Richard Miller : Securing Baritone Bass-Baritone And Bass Voices

Review: Perhaps the most renowned writer in the field of vocal pedagogy, Richard Miller has delivered a new and outstanding contribution to the study of vocal technique in Securing Baritone, Bass-Baritone, and Bass Voices . The first thorough and comprehensive treatment of low male voices, this book draws on techniques and practical advice from Miller's years of professional experience as a performer and pedagogue. With a unique focus on "securing" the technical stability of the male voice, the book offers practical advice to students, their teachers, and professional performers, through numerous practical exercises and repertoire suggestions appropriate to various stages of development. Miller synthesizes historic vocal pedagogy with the latest research on the singing voice, always emphasizing the special nature of the male voice and the proper physiological functioning for vocal proficiency. An indispensable guide to male low voices, this book is an essential text for performers, aspiring performers, and instructors alike.

Chapters: Who is Baritone?, The Onset, Managing the Breath, Vowel Definition and the Chiaroscuro, Vowel Modification, Moving into Middle Voice, Agility Factor, Further Consideration, More on Positioning of the Larynx, Pedagogic Uses of Falsetto for Baritone, The Phenomenon of Vibrato, Establishing Technical Security, Developing an Individual Tonal Concept, Dynamic Control, Voice Viruses, Contributing to Performance Effectiveness, Performance Preparation and Enhancement, Early Repertoire Suggestions, Choosing Audition Material

Richard Miller : Solutions For Singers

Review: While many texts and courses on the art of singing offer comprehensive overviews of technique and performance, few have time to delve into the specific questions they spawn. Solutions for Singers explores these unanswered questions, filling in gaps that professional performers, students of singing, and voice teachers have long sought to close. Fielding over 200 questions, distinguished teacher and performer Richard Miller tackles problems raised during hundreds of his master classes and pedagogy courses. He deliberately avoids abstract generalities, concentrating instead on specific, recurring questions: What are some good exercises to loosen or relax tension in the back of the tongue? Do you apply the same principles regarding breathing to a younger student that you do to older students? What is meant by voiced and unvoiced consonants? Is there a female falsetto? Through such specialized questions, Miller probes the very essence of artistic expression. The questions are organized under ten broad topics, which Miller considers from various angles. He couples traditional and modern philosophies to present the most relevant and precise solutions. The result is an invaluable handbook for singers, which, read either sequentially or selectively, provides a unique and pragmatic approach to vocal artistry and technique.

Chapters: Breath Management, Posture, Laryngeal and Intralaryngeal Function, Resonance Balancing, Nasal Continuants and Non-Nasal Consonants, The Phenomenon of Vibrato, Registration, Healthy Singing, Pedagogy Issues, Performance Concerns

Richard Miller : Training Soprano Voices

Review: A young dramatic soprano should not be forced into a soubrette mold, nor should the soubrette soprano be assigned dramatic tasks. Although all soprano voices have common characteristics, each type has unique features that require a particular approach in teaching. Training Soprano Voices addresses this issue directly by providing a complete and reliable system for training each type of soprano voice. Designed as a practical program for singers, teachers, and voice professionals, it couples historic vocal pedagogy with the latest research on the singing voice. The book emphasizes the special nature of the soprano voice and the proper physiological functioning for vocal proficiency. For each category of voice, Miller supplies a detailed description, recommends appropriate literature, and provides an effective system for voice building, including techniques for breath management, vibratory response, resonance balancing, language articulation, vocal agility, sostenuto, proper vocal registration, and dynamic control. The book concludes with a daily regimen of vocal development for healthy singing and artistic performance. Dozens of technical exercises, vocalization material taken from the performance literature, and numerous anatomical illustrations are included.

Chapters: Catagories of the Female Voice, Registration Events in Female Voices, Making a Beginning, Breath Energy in Singing, The Agility Factor, Resonance in Soprano Voices: Supraglottic Considerations, Nasal Continuants as Assists in Resonance Balancing, Non-Nasal Consonants as Assists in Adjustment of the Resonator Tract, The Sostenuto Factor, Soprano Vocal Registration and Vowel Modification (Aggiustamento), Accomplishing Dynamic Control, The Daily Regimen, The Wedding of Emotion and Skill