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Old 02-17-2020, 03:06 PM   #8
SoundGuyDave
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 150
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Respectfully, I have to disagree with you there... Emotion is emotion, regardless of ethnicity. Yes, how it's expressed can vary, but the raw guts of it remain the same. If your singer is one that you plan on working with for a while, it might do some good for the *PARTNERSHIP* to establish some common ground. If you BOTH sit down and watch Dimash Kudaiberganov singing "SOS d'un terrien en ditresse" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEz1qGS0T1Q) and after you pick your jaws up off the floor, actually analyze what he did in his performance. Then, factor in the "weirdness" that you're watching... The kid's 20 (when the video was shot), classically trained (mom is an opera singer) from age 5, from Khazakstan, performing in French at a Chinese talent competition...

Things to pay particular attention to:
1) Use of dynamics, PARTICULARLY the very last phrase, with that subtle but beautiful crecendo/diminuendo. Listen to the colour change in his vocal tone! The whole performance is very dynamic, and you can hear the emotion dripping throughout.
2) Each section repetition is sung in a different style, from traditional classical, "popera," straight pop, and rock. Same pitches, VASTLY different delivery and colour. Take note also, that these are the same pitches, so it's not that he's going "rock" in the higher tenor registers, he's coloring his voice to paint the picture of the song.
3) How he manipulates his vibrato. It's a master class! Where and how he uses it, and also how much depth he gets without pitch issues.

The main take-away point is that EVERYTHING he does in that performance is calculated, there is nothing that is "accidental." Oh, and as a warning, this guy is a bit of a freak of nature, with that much control over a (no kidding) SIX octave range. Don't present this as a "target" for her to hit, that would be discouraging, but offer it as an example of HOW she can approach creating a delivery that transcends mere pitch and rhythm.

Finally, if she's not used to the whole "studio vibe," do whatever you can to get her physically and emotionally comfortable. Stupid stuff, like a rose on the music stand, or incense, or draping a light shawl over the mic stand boom (not the mic!!) or just having her favourite tea handy goes a long way towards calming anxiety. Finally, make sure she's VERY comfortable with her monitor mix!! If she's classically trained, she may not want a bunch of herself with verb in the headphones, she may be more comfortable going with one-muff-off and listening to herself acoustically. If that's the case, pan the monitor feed to the side she's using to help cut down on bleed.

Above all, make the session FUN!
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