Adapted from 2015 BTOT presentation with professors Jeannie Gagné, Cassandre McKinley, Maureen McMullan, Laurie Monahan, and Linda Balliro For vocalists, the body is the instrument. In contemporary styles, singers must rely on the PA system to be heard, which they do not control while they sing, as well as dynamic awareness by their fellow musicians. Our BTOT session was an interactive panel discussion and demonstration led by experts in vocal pedagogy from the voice department, to address how best to work with singers. Topics included the impact of thought on singing, supportive breathing techniques, anatomy through the lens of the Estill method, healthy belting approaches, speech-level singing, recognizing a student at risk for injury, and knowing when a singer should take it easy. This ongoing discussion is especially important in Berklee classes and ensembles, to support singing that is …
