South Africa has seen one of the strictest and longest Lockdowns in the World. Since Covid-19 began to isolate us all, I have used this time to refresh my voice. Alongside the historical pedagogy, historical recordings and my own insights from practice, I have used the phone to record every note. In this way, the phone allows me to be both teacher and student without trying to perform both roles simultaneously.
In the old days, the Bel Canto teachers recommended mirrors. However, we are more fortunate! Video allows time to watch and analyse every movement.
The phone has proven to be a wonderful tool for fast tracking my progress. I set boundaries of half an hour by using the timer. Within the 30 minutes, I then record my singing in very small ‘lots’. Each ‘lot’ is no longer than 2 minutes. On average, the ‘lot’ is 40 seconds. I use audio and video, but mostly audio.
Short 30 minute sessions on a piece or scale is plenty of time. After 30 minutes I find it is better to put the piece away and allow the brain time to do its’ subconscious thing. For example, at the moment I am learning Lakme’s Bell Song. It is coming together quickly because I am spending less (but purposeful) time on it.
Recording every note on the phone and then listening back encourages reflection and also creates a moment’s rest. Rest is as important to developing singing as the actual singing itself. This rest has meant that during Lockdown I have been able to interrogate my technique and learn many Coloratura arias without harming my voice.
As well as using the timing and recording functions, I have uploaded recordings made on my iPhone on my website, YouTube and SoundCloud. This creates a pressure to perform and, also, a pressure to improve and replace the recording as quickly as possible. Once the recordings are improved they are uploaded and the old recording deleted. This gives a sense of purpose which is very important during this global disruption.
Finally, I have used the phone to counteract the isolation of Covid-19 by creating social media. This has included weekly thoughts on technique, sharing gems I find in historical pedagogy and enjoying others’ posts.
Thank you for reading this post, I would love some comments from you on how you use your phone in daily musical practice! We have to remain positive during this challenging time!
Deborah Wai Kapohe 