Blog Post #2

Vocal Blend– In an A Capella setting with multiple voice parts and a diverse range of vocal timbres, negotiating for a unified sound is an ever-present challenge. Having good blend requires each group-member to continually refresh their attention to the quality of the voices around them and to conform to the shape of the sound that the whole group is aiming for at any given moment. This term also applies to balancing the dynamics between parts and individuals so that the appropriate parts are highlighted at a given time.

Breath Support– This term refers to the singer's ability to sing with clarity at all dynamic levels (especially quieter moments) by properly orienting themselves with their internal breathing mechanism and instrument. Having good breath support allows the singer to more finely manipulate their dynamics within a phrase to imbue it with more artistry, and also to sing longer phrases with fewer interruptions (breaths). To the listener, this has the effect of giving the resulting sound a smooth unbroken surface.

Tall Vowels– This is a key component to vocal blend, especially in a more traditional choral setting. Features of someone singing with tall vowels is a more mature, full, sound, and a less distinct, more blendable, timbre. To sing with an open vowel, the singer must create a great deal of space in their mouth by voluntarily lifting the soft palate (the fleshy tissue at the roof of the mouth about a thumb's length from the mouth's opening).

It's not a rigid term, per se, but more of a commonly shared sentiment among a portion of the populace that aligns with the idea that A Cappella singing isn't worthy of being taken seriously as a musical outlet. More often than I would like, when I tell someone that I'm a member of an A Cappella group, I'm lumped into a category of people that are obsessed with the "Pitch Perfect" trilogy and that thrive off of the drama showcased in such films. At the same time, I don't get very upset when this automatic conflation occurs because one would have trouble understanding the joys of singing with a group of close friends that have common musical goals if they have never had an interest in doing so themselves. As for the legitimacy for this genres existence in terms of listenability, I find it fascinating to listen to when the human voice can do outside of a strictly tonal context. Some members of the A Cappella community have tremendous control over the percussive nature of their mouths and that is intensely entertaining to hear being integrated into a tonal texture.