Teaching and performing African American Spirituals LaKedria Johnson 11/29/10 Vocal Pedagogy The Spiritual Connection
How many of you as singers program spirituals in your Repertoire or Assign Spirituals to your students?
“Preparing the spiritual for performance is essentially the same for black and non-blacks; especially for those less familiar with these songs. The preparation of spirituals like all songs should include research, study, and practice.” ~ The African American Spiritual: preparation and Performance Considerations by Rosephanye Dunn- Powell NATS 2005~
Tips for preparing a spiritual for performance Research- Learn the history behind your song if any, this will play a large role in your interpretation of the song Study the text Speak the text *** Learn the melody Add expressive elements
MYTH BUSTERS
Myth: We can’t sing spirituals because we aren’t Black Fact: African American Spirituals are not written just for African Americans
It is inappropriate for non black singers to sing the dialect written Fact: This is one of the biggest misconceptions among people who may want to perform these spirituals. If the arranger writes it in then it is OK to sing it that way. Learning the African American dialect is similar to learning any language, and there are a variety of resources available to help with diction and interpretation
Myth: You must have personal experience in order to sing a spiritual Fact: Personal experience helps, but like art songs by Schubert or Mozart we personally do not have to experience what we are singing about.
Teaching spirituals in the voice studio
Tips to aid expressiveness : Rhythm Don’t move with the “Beat of a song” Keep a Steady Tempo Add beats or shifts in rhythm if the text dictates it (Especially in pieces with a faster tempo)
Tips to aid Expressiveness: Voice Color Make use of different registers when appropriate in order to accommodate range and the emotions of the song Make use of syllabic constants ( Like the “n” in comin)
Tips to aid expressiveness: Dialect Sing what is written by the arranger Feel free to add inflections as needed Listen to recordings of others to help with your interpretation
Tips to aid expressiveness: Melodic Embellishments Use slides or a straight tone glide for word emphasis Like many songs if a verse or text is repeated make all repetitions sound different
Benefits of performing and teaching spirituals Opens up job opportunities ( Singing in a gospel group, or directing a gospel choir) Expands the repertoire Gives students a knowledge of Music history and general history ( Good for the Music Educators) Adds variety to a recital Makes you as a singer more versatile and expressive
Music knows no boundaries, we must all sing this music to preserve the traditions that were set before us.