Karin- McCoy- Ch 1

 I am very excited to continue studying this textbook, I have been wanting to learn how to critically listen to voices, and to know what is causing the sound qualities that I hear. The main vocabulary used in chapter one includes qualitative descriptors of voice sound quality such as: clear/breathy, clean/raspy, forward/back, nasal/non-nasal, bright/dark, vibrant/straight, etc. I like how the text emphasizes that these words are strictly qualitative rather than quantitative. If the quality is considered appropriate depends on the style of the repertoire being sung. There is not one quality that is better than the other. 

However, while I do agree that there is not one quality that is better than the other, there are tone qualities that are healthier and more sustainable for the voice. A recent example of tone quality that eventually led to vocal damage is contemporary pop singer Brandon Urie. He has been famous for years for his extremely bright, straight-tone, raspy tone quality. He would often carry these qualities into his typically falsetto range. These techniques combined were not healthy or sustainable for his voice, and he recently had to retire from singing and performing because his voice was damaged. So, while I agree that different tone qualities are appropriate for different styles, some tone qualities are more sustainable for the voice in the long run than others. 

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