Hi all,
When I got up this morning, I had an email from one of my students. He is a great guy, and has been one of my cantorial students for about three and a half years on and off, depending on his travels. He hears something on UTube and he shares it with me...well, this morning was no exception and of course, I plunged right in. But Oh, to listen to what he sent me at 7:30 am was just too much.... here is the link, I share it with you and perhaps you'll understand why I was so upset....and if not, if anyone wants to know, I will explain it...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv2ZYG1a4wk...the worst of it all is the last singer...15 years old I think...I wonder what everyone else thinks about this...would love to hear some comments.
MJA
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
My students
As a teacher I am my quite attached to my students. Since I do not have a family of my own, my students are my family, my reason for getting up in the morning, the the primary reason for my very life as well as my mission in life.
Sounds pretty dramatic I suppose, but in reality that is what it is. The reason I am moved to write about this is because I just received a lovely gift from Verena and on the card she expressed senitiments which touched me so deeply. We all love to receive compliments and appreciation for work done, but it's a little different when someone goes out of their way to do something really special. A lot of work goes into a voice - it is such joy for me to receive such a beautiful gesture on a rainy and cold day...A bear hug from a student who is on the road to really becoming a star.
Thank you my dear
MJA
Sounds pretty dramatic I suppose, but in reality that is what it is. The reason I am moved to write about this is because I just received a lovely gift from Verena and on the card she expressed senitiments which touched me so deeply. We all love to receive compliments and appreciation for work done, but it's a little different when someone goes out of their way to do something really special. A lot of work goes into a voice - it is such joy for me to receive such a beautiful gesture on a rainy and cold day...A bear hug from a student who is on the road to really becoming a star.
Thank you my dear
MJA
Sunday, February 24, 2008
A New Bright Star
THIS IS AN ONGOING WEEKELY CONVERSATION BETWEEN TEACHER AND STUDENT AND I AM SURE YOU WILL FIND THE OBSERVATIONS VERY INTERESTING.
EACH WEEK I WILL PUBLISH MINE AND MY STUDENT WILL PUBLISH HERS. THERE WILL BE NO EDITING IN HER WRITINGS.
I am very busy and had made up my mind some weeks ago that I would not take on any new students. However, there is always room for me to change my mind ( it's a female thing).
A very special young woman entered my studio today and I have the feeling that her star will shine very brightly. Both of us decided, that we would keep the blogging her progress openly for all to share. It will give us both an opportunity to share our working together.
The first thing of course was to find out where she was vocally...as I suspected, a tiny voice, but looking at her physiology, I am quite sure that the voice is a big, high and beautifully resonant instrument.
The ideas she presented as to her own knowledge of the voice were no more than very basic thoughts which she had picked up " around and about" which really have no bearing on the work I do. So the beginning is to record what she sounds like today, so in the near future, when everything begins to change, her memory of "who and what she was" will be preserved. I record absolutely every lesson I teach...a prerequisite. There must be a strucutre of the lessons and will serve as a personal history of the voice and of our work - and last but not least, there must be proof of the work and it's results.
The body and the mind have an amazing way of forgetting...( sound and muscle memory are imperative in our process). In some instances that loss of memory is good, in others not so good since, after all is said an done, you forget what you sounded like and are only aware of "how great you are". That ego-centric attitude is a general concept which is prevelent but really does not apply to her. She is bright and open and understood things instantly, connecting straight away to her "birth knowledge" when presented with how her "thinking" should be structured.
I am already looking forward to next week.
It is always exciting for me to to work with a voice that really has not been trained by anyone else. I generally (about 90%) get students who have been to many many teachers and who have the most incredible notions - very difficult to get all those bad habits out of their voices - It takes time, great effort and patience on their and of course my part to wade through the muck pf the past. It is because of hundreds of students like that, who have suffered greatly, that I decided to write the new book and that is what basically started this blog.
It is an extraordinary opportunity for me to work with a really untouched instrument and start from scratch. She plays the flute...that too is going to get much easier once she applies what she learns through our work.
Will keep you informed of our progress.
MJA
EACH WEEK I WILL PUBLISH MINE AND MY STUDENT WILL PUBLISH HERS. THERE WILL BE NO EDITING IN HER WRITINGS.
I am very busy and had made up my mind some weeks ago that I would not take on any new students. However, there is always room for me to change my mind ( it's a female thing).
A very special young woman entered my studio today and I have the feeling that her star will shine very brightly. Both of us decided, that we would keep the blogging her progress openly for all to share. It will give us both an opportunity to share our working together.
The first thing of course was to find out where she was vocally...as I suspected, a tiny voice, but looking at her physiology, I am quite sure that the voice is a big, high and beautifully resonant instrument.
The ideas she presented as to her own knowledge of the voice were no more than very basic thoughts which she had picked up " around and about" which really have no bearing on the work I do. So the beginning is to record what she sounds like today, so in the near future, when everything begins to change, her memory of "who and what she was" will be preserved. I record absolutely every lesson I teach...a prerequisite. There must be a strucutre of the lessons and will serve as a personal history of the voice and of our work - and last but not least, there must be proof of the work and it's results.
The body and the mind have an amazing way of forgetting...( sound and muscle memory are imperative in our process). In some instances that loss of memory is good, in others not so good since, after all is said an done, you forget what you sounded like and are only aware of "how great you are". That ego-centric attitude is a general concept which is prevelent but really does not apply to her. She is bright and open and understood things instantly, connecting straight away to her "birth knowledge" when presented with how her "thinking" should be structured.
I am already looking forward to next week.
It is always exciting for me to to work with a voice that really has not been trained by anyone else. I generally (about 90%) get students who have been to many many teachers and who have the most incredible notions - very difficult to get all those bad habits out of their voices - It takes time, great effort and patience on their and of course my part to wade through the muck pf the past. It is because of hundreds of students like that, who have suffered greatly, that I decided to write the new book and that is what basically started this blog.
It is an extraordinary opportunity for me to work with a really untouched instrument and start from scratch. She plays the flute...that too is going to get much easier once she applies what she learns through our work.
Will keep you informed of our progress.
MJA
Miracle
It is amazing how when you go beyond your own nature, things just are shown to you that under normal circumstances would never happen...so with my students...I have a student who came six lessons ago who basically was not able to speak without loosing his voice after the second sentence...he had pain and at 19 not being able to communicate is a terrible thing...not that 19 is different from any other time...Well six lessons later, he is not only speaking a thousand percent better, but he has begun actually producing sounds and shows potential for a real beautiful baritonal cantorial voice. You can imagine the excitement, not only him, but his whole family.He has no more pain and does not sound horse. Not that the situation is totally remedied - it will take quite some time before his new way of speaking will become instinctive, but we are on the way. When I took him on, I knew it would not be easy...he is nervous, anxious and has no self confidence....the need is so great...we are working hard and I am certain we will succeed....Thank G-d for the miracle !
Friday, February 22, 2008
THE VOICE: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GREAT SINGING????
THE VOICE:
A SPIRITUAL APPROACH TO SINGING, SPEAKING AND COMMUNICATING
http://www.musicvisionsintl.orgTHE FIRST LESSON CD
both are available on Amazon.com
THE NEW BOOK IS COMING OUT IN MAY AND GIVES YOU WHAT YO HAVE BEEN WAITNG FOR:
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO GREAT SINGING????
Real Answers,
Real Technique
Real Truth
by the Author of " The Voice: A Spiritual Approach to Singing, Speaking and Communicating
Miriam Jaskierowicz Arman
Hi everyone!
Well, I finally did it ... I created a blog...not that I know what it's all about but what I do know it is that it is neccessary to have it so I can commuicate with my students, my readers and the world of Singing as a whole. After "The Voice: A Spiritual Approach to Singing, Speaking and Communicating first came out in 1999, there has been tremendous interest from all over the world about waht I am doing. In the last edition " The Revealed Version" I let go of many secrets which over the years have been afforded me.
All the years of my teaching around the world, I always thought that I had to remain in the studio and teach and not really venture out into the "op" with all of what I know and what has helped hundreds if not thousands of singers over the years. I was always very concerned about "the other teachers" who I thought were doing their best to make it happen.
I do not feel that way any more. So much is happening on the singing scene, so much really horrid stuff going on, that I simply cannot sit by anymore and let it happen. In the new book I take them all on...and I mean it: anytime, any where and in any forum. It is time that the real truth be known and that singers get a real chance again to develop their instruments. The Voice has to be heard and it is up to me and to you to make that happen.
So many students come to me with utterly destroyed voices...they come with real vocal problems, vocal cord nodules, real concerns that need to addressed and I do. What we do in my studio works, all the time, not sometimes and not with the best voices, but with everyone. It takes total dedication and endless patience and deep knowledge. Where all this comes from is what the first voice books tells and if you are interested, I suggest you read the book.... On the other hand, get all of it and wait until the new one comes out.
Let this be the beginning of a fruitful relationship...we have a lot of work to do and I hope that many of you will become involved, write and share your experiences with what I teach. Only that way can we change the world of singing and make a difference.
Miriam Jaskierowicz Arman
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