160 !!Chapter 7
can be one reason for intonation problems, misplacement of a
vowel, an overmodification of a vowel sound, a lack of articula-
tion. Breath is at the center of all of this.
MZ: Can you help a singer who cannot hear that their intonation
is not accurate?
Patricia: That is a problem with musicianship. I think we are lim-
ited in how much we can help. If [the singer] is young, we can
expose them to listening, and that will help. I heard that you can
increase the musical IQ of a child up until grade 4, and the best
way to do so is through a cappella singing.
MZ: Can singers be taught to blend?
Patricia: Absolutely. The way to blend sounds is to line up the
vowel placements, the vowel shapes, and the articulation of the
consonants. In any kind of ensemble the performers have to lis-
ten to each other. I think of the voice in terms of colors, and I feel
that the amount of colors in each individual voice is a very big
palette... by the time we put each individual’s pallet of colors in
an ensemble, we have a canvas of colorful sound that is infinite.
MZ: How do you work around the break point in a singer’s voice—
going from a chest voice to a head voice?
Patricia: That is done in the training studio, not in the coaching.
You even out the registration, meaning you even out the voice
from the top down without any breaks. I classify a voice not nec-
essarily by the range but by where the voice sounds the prettiest.
MZ: Do you feel that all popular singers should have technical
training?
Patricia: I do, because what I think technical training provides is
health... too many singers go for style [before they have tech-
nique].
MZ: Many popular singers feel it would be a detriment to study
voice because it would change or maybe ruin their style. Do you
agree?
Patricia: No, but I can understand why they feel that way. When
you hear someone like Pavarotti or Pla ́cido Domingo singing
something in the popular genre, it sounds very operatic. [She
added that style does not have to change by learning to sing cor-
rectly and learning not to damage the voice.]Vocal Ranges
The five main categories for singers are soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, and
bass. Most commercial female singers have ranges between soprano and
alto, and most male singers have ranges between the tenor and baritone
ranges.