Bergen Bel Canto Studio

Singing as a Gestalt
I consider each person who comes for lessons to be an artist in development. I use all the tools at my disposal including my understanding of vocal anatomy and function, the physics of sound and the  various different techniques I have learned from over a dozen master teachers and singers with whom I have studied.

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In order for a person to sing well many different factors have to come together simultaneously. The interpretive, musical and physical/technical aspects ALL need to be there. However when learning to sing  in a lesson,a singer can only focus on one element at a time.

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In lessons I seek to assist a singer to perfect each element, the breathing, the placement/resonance, the throat position, the musical and stylistic element and of course, the dramatic interpretation. We work on mastering each element until it works naturally and automatically.

 

Once several elements, such as knowing the musical score and breathing properly becomes a habit, one can then concentrate on others and the student sees marked improvement. But it is not until all elements come together; the technique, the musical and the emotion that it will feel right to the student singer and look and  sound right  to the audience. The singer gets the "knack" of it and feels that a "breakthrough" has been achieved . I use the German word "Gestalt" to describe this because there is no English word that is sufficient. A Gestalt is pattern, a system that works together where the sum is greater than the parts. My aim is to teach singing as a Gestalt.