Linguistics For Singers

Linguistics for Singers: An Introduction is a textbook and manual that provides singers with a foundation in linguistic features of four major singing languages—English, Italian, French, and German—and shows how these features can be used to inform vocal performance and interpretation. Going beyond the basics of lyric diction, a grounding in linguistics enables student musicians to understand language holistically and more fully comprehend the music they are learning. The comparative approach to four common languages allows readers to readily grasp similarities and apply principles across vocal repertoire. Beginning with the sounds of a language and gradually moving up through larger levels of linguistic structure, from words to full texts, the chapters illustrate concepts using real examples from art songs and opera. The clear explanations enable readers new to linguistics to connect these concepts with their own musical practice. Designed for flexible use in courses on language and singing, lyric diction, repertoire studies, and collaborative piano, this book provides a vital resource for singers, vocal instructors, and conductors.

The relationship between language and music has much in common - rhythm, structure, sound, metaphor. Exploring the phenomena of song and performance, this book presents a sociolinguistic model for analysing them. Based on ethnomusicologist John Blacking's contention that any song performed communally is a 'folk song' regardless of its generic origins, it argues that folk song to a far greater extent than other song genres displays 'communal' or 'inclusive' types of performance. The defining feature of folk song as a multi-modal instantiation of music and language is its participatory nature, making it ideal for sociolinguistic analysis. In this sense, a folk song is the product of specific types of developing social interaction whose major purpose is the construction of a temporally and locally based community. Through repeated instantiations, this can lead to disparate communities of practice, which, over time, develop sociocultural registers and a communal stance towards aspects of meaningful events in everyday lives that become typical of a discourse community.

From the Foreword by Renee Fleming: "Kathryn LaBouff has developed an approach to singing in the English language which is wonderfully user-friendly, and which has surely saved much wear and tear on my voice. It is a technique that has empowered me with the knowledge and skills to bring a text to life and to be able to negotiate all of the sounds of the language with the least amount of effort. I have found her clever and extremely creative use of substitute consonants or combinations of consonants in creating clear diction utterly delightful because they are surprising and because they work. These techniques have been equally useful when singing in foreign languages. We sopranos are not usually known to have good diction, particularly in our high range. I found that working with Kathryn improved my ability to be understood by an enormous percentile of the audience with much less vocal fatigue than I would have experienced if left to my own devices. I have often told my colleagues enthusiastically of her interesting solutions to the frustrating problems of diction. I am thrilled that her techniques are now in print for all to benefit from them." In Singing and Communicating in English, internationally renowned diction coach Kathryn LaBouff provides singers with an accessible guide to the principles of English diction they need to communicate the text successfully. Her thorough and much sought-after technique clarifies the physiology of speech, emphasizes the studied practice of careful and articulate pronunciation, and focuses on the study of English cadence. Covering aspects of phonetics from vowels to diphthongs to fricatives, the book includes multiple practical exercises in International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcriptions, helpful diagrams, and pronunciation drills, each chosen from the most essential English art song and operatic repertoire. In addition to standard American and British English, a variety of regional dialects and accents are covered in depth. A companion website features a full range of vowel/consonant drills, poems read aloud by the author and by theater and voiceover actor John Keating, as well as an exercise answer key, and publishers' lists to help the singer locate a vast array of English language works for performance. This book is an invaluable resource for all vocalists (both professional and aspiring), diction instructors, teachers, and coaches, and choral directors. VISIT THE COMPANION SITE AT www.oup.com/us/singinginenglish

Music is the universal language, reaching all races and all ages. Now you can enhance this universal language with the beautiful gestures of sign language. With Sign Language for Singers, you will learn over 16 beautiful movements most commonly used by singers. The gestures are alphabetized for ease of use, with easy-to-follow definitions and demonstration photos for further visual reference. The DVD features John Jacobson demonstrating each gesture and with the DVD submenus, you can go directly to the move you desire. Also included are 1 featured songs with John performing the sign language, so you can see first-hand how these beautiful hand movements add meaning and depth to any musical performance. Add another dimension to your performances by incorporating the beautiful art of sign language into your movements with Sign Language for Singers. Featured Songs: Hearts Around the World, I See with My Heart, I'll Care, We Remember, Child of the World, Like a Mighty Stream, We Live the Dream (with "Dona Nobis Pacem"), Silent Night, Kumbaya, America the Beautiful.

Diction in Context is a unique and highly practical textbook for singers learning to sing in English, Italian, German, and French. Each chapter is designed for use in diction courses in academic music and voice programs, helping students learn through pronunciation, articulation, enunciation, punctuation, and cultural context in each language. Students and teachers of singing will benefit from the text’s pertinent biographical, historical and literary sources along with diction rules and textual examples of English, Italian, German and French song. For each language, there is a section on sentence structure and syntax intended to assist readers with poetic analysis and word-by-word translations. Representative song texts are provided for the purpose of comparative listening and phonetic transcription. Comparative listening reveals subtle differences in expression and diction. In addition, the texts are presented in a workbook format, allowing space for IPA dictation practice. Diction in Context provides singers with the tools needed to delve deeply into the poetry and music they sing, to pronounce text accurately and to feel confident in expressing it. By combining English, Italian, German, and French into one easy-to-use textbook, students will benefit from a comparative perspective of singing in each language. Key Features: *Repertoire lists are provided for each language and are designed to be used for class presentations and assessments *Discussion questions to challenge reader comprehension of key concepts and songs *Word-by-word translations to accompany foreign language texts *An end-of-book glossary featuring definitions of terms in the text as well as terminology encountered in related literature *Three practical appendices, including: o Practice drills, quizzes, and assessment forms o A list of additional resources for diction learning o An Index of Works Cited featuring all poems and songs referenced in the book in one easily accessible list Disclaimer: Please note that ancillary content (such as documents, audio, and video, etc.) may not be included as published in the original print version of this book.

"It is a manual where students compare and contrast words to hear specific sounds, read and write IPA transcriptions, read the sounds of nonsense words (which lays the foundation for reading foreign language transcriptions), become aware of the articulators and how they produce each sound, and sing examples for greater awareness for how to handle each sound while singing."--Page [4] of cover.

Every musical form has had an impact on the linguistic practices of our society. French song is a vector of cultural, social, and stylistic values. Throughout the world, songs in the French language are used in the teaching of French: professors incorporate songs into the curriculum in order to illustrate differences of register and linguistic variation, as well as to raise lexical or grammatical questions. As a form of popular expression, song is a genre that has, in recent years, become the focus of serious academic scholarship and criticism. However, few linguists have paid attention to French song and its linguistic uses. This richly illustrated mini-dictionary about French singers fills this gap by offering a collection of portraits of the greatest singers of the French language and how they have constructed the musical landscape in both France and the larger francophone community and the world as a whole. Through (re)discovering these classic and contemporary artists who contribute to the creation of the sonorous universe of the 20th and 21st centuries, the volume determines how these musical genres influence the French language and nourish our collective imagination. By plunging into francophone song, one can achieve a better understanding of the culture and the language of its speakers.