Unit 5 Section Activity

Ethnography of the Classical Singer

I. Preface

There is nothing quite like experiencing music in the form of opera. From the stunning acrobatic arias in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, to the entrancing melodies in Bizet’s Carmen, there is something unique and captivating about listening to this musical genre. However, what is it like to be a singer within this genre? Classical singers are a part of a culture that involves a combination of music, acting, and the ability to access the full range and vulnerability of the human voice. Exploring this culture is exciting to me because of its ability to mirror all that we feel, fear, and care about as humans. Through experiencing opera, we can witness the reflection of who we are, how we relate to others, and what it means, both collectively and individually to be human. In order to better understand the culture of the classical singer, it’s important to engage with people who are involved in the practice of classical voice training. This can be useful to help understand the process of how voices are created within this culture. Furthermore, it will give insight into the expressivity and performativity of the human voice.

II. Methodology

In order to gather information about the culture of the classical singer, I observed and took notes during an interview between ethnographer Lauren Vanderlinden and professional opera singer Naomi Merer. In addition to this, I also witnessed a live voice lesson in which voice instructor Dr. Isabel Bayrakdarian demonstrated the process of training the voice of her student, Terra Giddens. Through this experience, I was able to gain insight about aspects of the culture such as how it shapes voice and its connection with history and storytelling.

III. Observations

Observing both the interview and the voice lesson allowed me to understand what it’s like to be a part of the classical singing culture. For example, I learned that it takes extensive training under the supervision of a professional vocal teacher in order to learn technique. You also have to treat your voice with care and mindfulness to ensure it doesn’t get damaged, similar to any other musical instrument. Furthermore, being an opera singer involves more than just singing as you have to be skilled in acting as well. Many factors determine your success in the opera sphere such as your vocal range, your skills in acting, and how good your technique is. One thing that Naomi stressed during the interview was that you have to have good technique in order to be successful at opera, and it is something that she continues to work on as a professional. With good technique comes the ability to let your soul and emotion of the music to pervade. The importance of letting your soul speak through the music is something that Dr. Bayrakdarian emphasized during the voice lesson. This ability is important in the genre of opera because of its deep connection with storytelling and conveying emotions through musical performance. While it’s important to convey emotion in your performance, it’s also necessary to create distance between yourself and the emotions that come with the role you’re playing. This ensures that the emotions of the character don’t interfere with your ability to maintain proper technique. This is one aspect of opera that I think makes it one of the more challenging art forms.

The classical singing culture also involves certain value and belief systems. For example, in early opera culture it was considered inappropriate for women to participate in opera in any way. Although this belief system has changed throughout history, there are still notions within the culture about who is allowed to sing certain roles. In other words, gender and the social constructs of voice tied to gender often affect success within the opera sphere. However, there are signs of change in modern opera culture. For instance, according to Naomi there are now opera productions that include all-female and non-binary casts. On the other hand, there are still issues surrounding opera such as the inclusion of behaviors that reflect cultural appropriation. For example, the use of yellow and black face was a technique used in the past and continues to be used by some productions today. Although not a common occurrence in modern opera productions, it’s important to recognize its use as being a part of the classical singing culture.

IV. Conclusion

Overall, this information was extremely useful in understanding the culture of classical singers. The experience of observing members of the classical singing culture made me realize how much goes into creating a classical voice and all of the values and beliefs that come with being a part of the culture. The amount of discipline involved as well as the skills necessary to be successful in the opera sphere is astonishing. It involves the combination of acting, singing, and the ability to tell a story with vulnerability and emotion. This has ultimately changed my ideas about voice because it showed me the ways in which voice can be developed into a powerful tool to convey human emotion. Although a listener might not always understand the lyrics that are being sung by an opera singer, the emotion and feeling that is conveyed through the art form is overarching and is what makes it such a notable form of expressing the human condition.