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歌の練習
小さいころからピアノを通して音楽とかかわっていた雅子さんですが、意外にも歌うことがあまり得意ではありません。声量はあっても、音程を取るのが苦手なのです。自分の好きな歌を歌ってみたいと思っていた雅子さんは、初心者向けの声楽クラスを見つけ、気の合う先生のもとで練習を始めることになりました…。
Singing Lessons
By MASAKO YAMADA
Although I like to think of myself as a serious amateur piano player, by no means am I an all-around musician. In spite
of my almost 20 years of musical activity, including time spent as the pianist of my high school chorus club, my singing
voice surely contributes to local noise pollution.
The sounds that my vocal chords produce are actually quite loud and penetrating — but this is all for the worse
considering that my tone is nasal and horn-like. Although my musical training has enabled me to identify pitches
fairly decently, I can't seem to stay on key when I try to replicate the notes that I hear.
Of course, my lack of ability hasn't prevented me from appreciating vocal music. If anything, I've always been
envious of people who can manipulate their voices freely. There is something extremely personal and moving about using
one's body as a musical instrument.
As a pianist, I can get away with crouching behind a large instrument and avoiding eye contact with audience members,
but singers must face the crowd while performing. The fact that the art is centered around words also adds a whole new
dimension that doesn't exist in instrumental music.
I decided to sign up for singing lessons at the New England Conservatory because I want to participate in this
beautiful art, not just be a witness to it. I'd been toying with the idea for a while. But I kept on putting off
signing up for lessons either because of the high cost of private study, or because of my mistaken notion that true
beginner classes don't exist for adults.
Fortunately, I saw a description for group lessons in the NEC Continuing Education catalog that sounded ideal: The cost
was reasonable, and the catalog made it clear that the lessons were geared toward beginners.
The description said we would be learning elementary exercises for the first several weeks before venturing into
singing music of our choosing — in front of the entire class!!
Of course, I was thrilled at the idea of learning basic breathing techniques, relaxation exercises, posture and the
like, but being able to sing personal favorites was what really attracted me. I've never really liked opera, and I would
have expected a conservatory to stick to teaching classical music. However, this class would clearly allow me to belt
out my favorite radio tunes.
When I went to my first class, I was in for a surprise. My "group lesson" consisted of only one other student. I was
further surprised to learn that the conservatory would not be canceling the class due to low enrollment. I'd essentially
be getting private lessons at group lesson rates. I immediately liked my teacher, too.
He emphasized that basic singing skills can help improve any kind of music, and he didn't seem to harbor any snobbish
thoughts against pop, rock or Broadway. I also liked that he was used to teaching adult students. Indeed, he told us that
he prefers to teach mature students over 18. This is a refreshing and, I think, rare attitude in a conservatory, where many
teachers seem to want to avoid teaching amateur adults because they are "unreceptive," "not committed," or simply
"hopeless."
We talked about our goals dur
ing the first class. It was clear that neither my classmate nor I expected much more than being able to enjoy singing. My
classmate had taken some singing lessons before, but she was a beginning musician and couldn't even read notes. I was in
the opposite situation. It was clear that our teacher didn't expect either of us to be a hidden Jessye Norman, and he was
very supportive and encouraging.
For instance, while we warbled our first notes, he told us that we were singing "nice and loud." I normally don't
like empty flattery, but I would have been very upset if he had not found something good to say about my voice, since it
sounded terrible to me.
After two weeks, we still haven't gotten to the point of singing any real melodies, but I'm already secretly selecting
the songs that I want to be able to sing by the end of the semester.
Although I like to think of myself as a serious amateur piano player, by no means am I an all-around musician. In spite
of my almost 20 years of musical activity, including time spent as the pianist of my high school chorus club, my singing
voice surely contributes to local noise pollution.
The sounds that my vocal chords produce are actually quite loud and penetrating — but this is all for the worse
considering that my tone is nasal and horn-like. Although my musical training has enabled me to identify pitches
fairly decently, I can't seem to stay on key when I try to replicate the notes that I hear.
Of course, my lack of ability hasn't prevented me from appreciating vocal music. If anything, I've always been
envious of people who can manipulate their voices freely. There is something extremely personal and moving about using
one's body as a musical instrument.
As a pianist, I can get away with crouching behind a large instrument and avoiding eye contact with audience members,
but singers must face the crowd while performing. The fact that the art is centered around words also adds a whole new
dimension that doesn't exist in instrumental music.
I decided to sign up for singing lessons at the New England Conservatory because I want to participate in this
beautiful art, not just be a witness to it. I'd been toying with the idea for a while. But I kept on putting off
signing up for lessons either because of the high cost of private study, or because of my mistaken notion that true
beginner classes don't exist for adults.
Fortunately, I saw a description for group lessons in the NEC Continuing Education catalog that sounded ideal: The cost
was reasonable, and the catalog made it clear that the lessons were geared toward beginners.
The description said we would be learning elementary exercises for the first several weeks before venturing into
singing music of our choosing — in front of the entire class!!
Of course, I was thrilled at the idea of learning basic breathing techniques, relaxation exercises, posture and the
like, but being able to sing personal favorites was what really attracted me. I've never really liked opera, and I would
have expected a conservatory to stick to teaching classical music. However, this class would clearly allow me to belt
out my favorite radio tunes.
When I went to my first class, I was in for a surprise. My "group lesson" consisted of only one other student. I was
further surprised to learn that the conservatory would not be canceling the class due to low enrollment. I'd essentially
be getting private lessons at group lesson rates. I immediately liked my teacher, too.
He emphasized that basic singing skills can help improve any kind of music, and he didn't seem to harbor any snobbish
thoughts against pop, rock or Broadway. I also liked that he was used to teaching adult students. Indeed, he told us that
he prefers to teach mature students over 18. This is a refreshing and, I think, rare attitude in a conservatory, where many
teachers seem to want to avoid teaching amateur adults because they are "unreceptive," "not committed," or simply
"hopeless."
We talked about our goals dur
ing the first class. It was clear that neither my classmate nor I expected much more than being able to enjoy singing. My
classmate had taken some singing lessons before, but she was a beginning musician and couldn't even read notes. I was in
the opposite situation. It was clear that our teacher didn't expect either of us to be a hidden Jessye Norman, and he was
very supportive and encouraging.
For instance, while we warbled our first notes, he told us that we were singing "nice and loud." I normally don't
like empty flattery, but I would have been very upset if he had not found something good to say about my voice, since it
sounded terrible to me.
After two weeks, we still haven't gotten to the point of singing any real melodies, but I'm already secretly selecting
the songs that I want to be able to sing by the end of the semester.
Shukan ST: Oct. 29, 1999
(C) All rights reserved
- amateur
- 素人の
- by no means am I an all-around musician
- 決して万能な音楽家ではない
- chorus
- 合唱
- my singing voice surely contributes to local noise pollution
- きっと私の歌声は地域の騒音になっているだろう
- vocal chords
- 声帯
- penetrating
- よくとおる
- all for the worse
- より一層たちが悪い
- nasal
- 鼻にかかる
- horn-like
- 車の警笛のような
- identify pitches
- 音の高低をとらえる
- fairly decently
- ある程度きちんと
- stay on key
- 音程を保つ
- replicate
- 繰り返す
- notes
- 音、音符。
- hasn't prevented 〜 from 〜
- 〜 が 〜 する邪魔はしなかった
- appreciating
- 高く評価する
- If anything
- むしろ
- manipulate 〜 freely
- 自由に 〜 を操る
- get away with 〜
- 〜 していれば済む
- crouching behind 〜
- 〜 の後ろにかがみ込む
- face the crowd
- 観客の方を向く
- is centered around words also adds a whole new dimension that doesn't exist in 〜
- 言葉が中心になっていることで、 〜 にはない全く新しい面を付け加えている
- instrumental
- 楽器の
- sign up for 〜
- 〜 に参加登録する
- New England Conservatory
- ニューイングランド音楽学校
- witness
- 傍観者
- (had)been toying with 〜
- 〜 をもて遊んでいた
- kept on putting off 〜
- 〜 するのを引き延ばしていた
- mistaken notion
- 誤解
- Continuing Education
- 生涯教育
- were geared toward 〜
- 〜 向けである
- elementary
- 初歩の
- venturing into 〜
- 〜 に挑戦する
- was thrilled
- わくわくした
- posture
- 姿勢
- and the like
- その他
- stick to 〜
- 〜 に徹する
- belt out
- 大声で歌う
- radio tunes
- ラジオで流れる曲
- was in for a surprise
- 驚かされた
- low enrollment
- 少ない参加者数
- rates
- 料金
- didn't seem to harbor any snobbish thoughts against pop, rock or Broadway
- ポップ、ロック、ブロードウェーミュージカルの音楽を見下すような考えを持っていなかった
- unreceptive
- 吸収が遅い
- not committed
- 真剣でない
- hidden Jessye Norman
- 隠れたジェシー・ノーマン(アメリカ出身で世界的に活躍する女性オペラ歌手)
- warbled
- 声を震わせながら歌った
- empty flattery
- 中身のないお世辞