love
Tips for singers and other musicians on how to convey love in their music.
‘And the stars were shining, and the earth was scented. The gate of the garden creaked and a footstep grazed the sand… Fragrant, she entered and fell into my arms.’
translation into English, from Tosca, by Puccini
Love is the emotion we are probably asked to convey more than any other, in music. This month, my blog is going to give you some singing and performance tips and tricks on how to convey the emotion of love in your singing or music performance. Whether new to performance or a pro, these are some of the ways to experiment as part of your practise to leave the audience in no doubt of what you are trying to convey, without having to make a heart with your hands!
1 Text, context, character, historical research.
If you are singing something in/from an opera or musical, make sure you understand your character and the plot before and after your aria. You need to find out if your character really means it. Are they so madly in love as to make the eventual heartache/tragedy even more poignant? Or perhaps your character isn’t sure, they have some questions. Is your character merely full of lust instead of love? You might want to think of ways to convey this in your performance - is your voice or body language fully committed to the words you are saying? By experimenting in your own practise you will try out a multitude of versions, perhaps also trying out some different things just as a director might wish to ask you to do in the production.
If you are singing a song or playing an instrumental piece - what is the character you will choose for your performance? How do you choose to convey the meaning of the poem? Has this altered over the centuries? What are the ways other recordings and artists have conveyed the emotional message?
If you are singing or playing a duet, are you playing in harmony? If you are making beautiful music in thirds… love birds are in the air!
2 Thought: Breathe: Sing
Whether singing or playing, the thought must come first. Music and singing are the conveying of an emotional message using language both with and without text. We sang before we had language. We talk by first thinking of the emotional content before breathing and talking.
It will alter the tone and colour of your voice - just as when you talk your voice is different when you are saying the same phrase but with a different emotion.
If your body is playing an instrument, it is also useful to communicate in your playing with your body - if you are impassioned, or full of enthusiasm you may move more.
If you are angry those movements may be more staccato.
If you are calm and serene your movements will be very legato and smooth, perhaps long and flowing.
3 Mirror Practise
It is hard to always know how successful our movements or facial acting are, so don’t forget your best friend the mirror. It not only shows you what you might not want to do, but also what you should do more of. Subtlety not usually connected with displays of love or passion! Whilst your subtlety may be beautiful in a small room - does it read in a Concert Hall?
As you observe your performance check in on these questions:
Do I look like I’m in love? For instance: Smiling, happy, bright face, enthusiastic, long glances and holding eye contact with the other character
Is my body language matching the emotion I wish to portray? For instance: open posture, hugging/selfhug posture, stroking/smooth movements when moving, wide arms and shoulders, legs routed hip distance or so apart not narrow, legs uncrossed, confident walk, relaxed movements or energised excited. We often talk about people who are in love walking around in a daze, or being in their own world. If this is suitable, perhaps you are staring into the distance smiling.
4 Showing emotion in the voice
Adding colour to the voice to portray different emotions is integral to your technical work. The work of breathing and opening into spaces is often done for you if you simply add an emotion, then breathe, then sing. That’s right: singing is not just a list of anatomical movements that will make you a good singer.
Arias and music of great love and passion are usually legato, rich, full, have swells of dynamics. So how will you use this in your performance?
Isolate a phrase or passage and experiment with these:
Any legato passages make sure you are using every inch of space in your voice. Stroke those phrases like the bow on the string
Crescendos and diminuendos in keeping with the era the music is from - always historically informed, obviously!
To add or ensure you are using a rich velvety colour experiment with speaking the phrases with feeling
‘I loooove rich chocolate’ over emphasising the sung quality of the spoken voice, open into the space you will then sing your passionate phrase.
Gently sirening on an mmMMMMmmmm with a crescendo and diminuendo as though you love the smell of what is cooking, or a favourite perfume/aftershave.
As ever, the best way to work on communication is with a teacher who will guide and help you experiment to find your own true performance. What works for one singer or performer will not work for another - so you are looking for your interpretation and technique. This will ensure you sing with your own true voice and complete commitment to the music.
Happy Experimenting!
I’ve made a Youtube playlist on my channel with some of my favourite romantic arias, duets, and trios from opera and musicals. They were all recorded live - and chosen because they feature some wonderful examples of singing and performance. Enjoy researching and being inspired by these wonderful artists.
As always, feel free to leave your comments below - what helps you convey love in a performance? Did I miss something out? Did you find this post useful in your practise?
nourish
Nourishing Mind, Body and your Music. An easy list of 7 things to improve mind and body, for free.
Oak sapling in a jar, Photographed and copyright of Lisa Moffat
It’s cold and dark, we are wrapped in blankets, drinking hot tea, trying to avoid turning the heating on… Here are some simple ways to nourish mind and body as a musician or performer that won’t break the bank.
1. Exercise
If you haven’t already started a fitness goal for the new year - don’t worry! It is totally acceptable to start Any. Day. Of. The. Year. Yes, who knew. It doesn’t have to be expensive, there are easy beginner yoga classes and workouts on youtube, and taking a brisk walk outside is easy and said to be as effective as running.
Taking a 30 minute brisk walk is an easy way of stepping away from your desk or music stand, and returning refreshed ready for your brain to learn more. Set a reminder on your phone to schedule this and make it a habit.
2. Sleep
Too much caffeine, not enough daylight, alcohol, screens, internet scrolling… what’s stopping you from getting a good night’s sleep? We all know our weakness that might be letting us down, make the changes you need to prepare for your best sleep.
Sleep not only helps us learn music, it is the time when our bodies repair - there is no reason not to try get more or better sleep.
3. Meditate
You don’t need training or classes for this, a quiet space or calming music, and 5 minutes are all it takes. Practice slow deep breathing, and letting your mind think of nothing.
Alternatively, some people enjoy exercise for its ability to free the mind - have you tried some Contemplative Running?… google it! (other search engines are available)
4. Eat the rainbow, and make sure protein is in balance with carbs and fats
When we are busy its easy for food planning to slip out of schedule, but it is even more important to support your mind and body when you rely on them to get you through the busy days.
5. Breathe deeply
Breathing calmly, deeply, and easily without effort are all good ways to foster a calm mind and body. There are lots of apps and programmes on technology - some free - to encourage good breathing habits and bring calm.
6. Declutter
You know that drawer that never closes properly?… the pile of paperwork that is never-ending? The music pile that has more added to it than is safe? Make a few minutes in a break to tidy it, move objects to the correct room they should live in, and generally declutter. It’s a five minute job that makes us all feel more calm, easy to do a little and often without feeling overcome.
7. Make Time for Hobbies and Interests
I seem to spend a lot of time writing in my blogs about making time for outside interests, but I think it is one of the most important things you can do. It gives you a new perspective, it challenges your brain and body in a new or different way from your 9-5 (or whatever hours you work as a musician/performer/student!)
It also gives you new experiences and perspectives on your performance. You will meet people from other backgrounds, age groups, and professions, you will work in a new way that might teach you new skills that help in your work. You might make friendships with people out-with your work that are deeper or more interesting.