The Emergence and Development of Jackie's Vibrato -Part 2
Mar 25, 2023 21:20:42 GMT -5
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Post by lawrence on Mar 25, 2023 21:20:42 GMT -5
Part 1 demonstrated the development of Jackie's vibrato from age 7 to 14. Part 2 looks into the ways she has altered her vibrato since then.
When Jackie took more serious interest in exploring the contemporary pop genre at age 15, she began to adopt certain pop vocal techniques, specifically the practice of using straight tone. Straight tone is the absence of vibrato, "a technique most often used in pop, rock, jazz, blues, country, R&B, and other popular genres. It's also common in musicals, choral performances, and traditional forms of folk music where pronounced vibrato might sound out of place." I learned to sing straight tone while in a college choir where clashing vibratos would have been disconcerting. Singing with straight tone is more difficult than singing with vibrato, particularly staying on pitch with extended notes. And, if not done properly, it can be unhealthy. Once one has developed effective control of vibrato, he/she can learn to sing straight tone with intention. In every style of music, with the exception of opera, singers use a combination of straight tone and vibrato to one extent or another. Some pop singers sing exclusively with straight tone, and some vocal groups as well.
The following is a brief demonstration of how to sing with straight tone.
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These are a few examples of Jackie's experiments with straight tone from age 15 to 18....
"Apocalypse" at age 15. "My original song, APOCALYPSE. takes me in a truly pop direction for the first time." Here, she diminishes her vibrato considerably, as compared with Ave Maria at age 14 for example, thus it being more subtle, rather subdued. Her straight tone is apparent here, but hasn't yet become evident to any real significant extent at this point.
In "The Way We Were", recorded for Two Hearts at age 16, She demonstrates her beautiful vibrato that exquisitely enhances this iconic Streisand song, but with the use of straight tone on the extended last note to make it more interesting...her own little twist to Barbra's final note which she sang in full vibrato.
"How Great Thou Art" performed at age 17 in Jackson, TX was recorded at age 16. She uses straight tone on her high notes, but more emphatically on her extended final note finishing it with vibrato.
"O Mio Babbino Caro/Nessun Dorma" at age 18 on World's Got Talent. Her extended straight tone technique with vibrato finish is a dramatic departure from traditional opera wherein straight tone is not acceptable. She makes a dramatic point of it with her transition between songs at 1:12, masterfully done in my opinion, with an exceptionally "pure" tone. In an interview once, she said with regard to there being no limit to what she will sing, "If I want to sing opera in a different way, I want to be able to do that". She had already done it on WGT with this Puccini medley, and it became her standard concert encore.
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The Debut, recorded at age 18:
"Burn" is an example of Jackie's artistic use of her engaging vibrato combined with straight tone, perfectly tailored to the character of this contemporary Broadway song.
"A Million Dreams" is a different approach, emphatically sung in straight tone enhanced with vibrato at certain times, most often subdued. I don't think Jackie has sung an entire song in straight tone, as Chloe Agnew of Celtic Woman had with "Walkng in the Air", though I'm certain she can and will if and when she wants to, but likely won't.
Since age 15, Jackie has continually experimented with straight tone, going further away from the use of constant vibrato characteristic of classical singing. Her technique of using straight tone in combination with vibrato has become a common approach to interpreting both classical and non-classical songs. That's not a bad thing in my opinion, unless one is inexorably attached to the traditional classical style of constant heavy vibrato. I am not, and personally, I think straight tone used artistically with vibrato as Jackie uses it makes her music more interesting and colorful. Jackie is fiercely independent, and innovative if not out-rightly courageous, not afraid to defy convention. She certainly turned opera on it's head with her Puccini medley....in a good way in my opinion. But then, I'm not enamored with traditional opera. Aficionados would denounce her performance as disgraceful, lol.
Carousel of Time:
"River", recorded at age 20, is a wonderful demonstration of Jackie's beautiful vibrato with carefully chosen straight tone enhancement appropriately expressive of the lyrics, delivered in her own more melodic style (Listen to Joni's official recording for comparison):
When Jackie took more serious interest in exploring the contemporary pop genre at age 15, she began to adopt certain pop vocal techniques, specifically the practice of using straight tone. Straight tone is the absence of vibrato, "a technique most often used in pop, rock, jazz, blues, country, R&B, and other popular genres. It's also common in musicals, choral performances, and traditional forms of folk music where pronounced vibrato might sound out of place." I learned to sing straight tone while in a college choir where clashing vibratos would have been disconcerting. Singing with straight tone is more difficult than singing with vibrato, particularly staying on pitch with extended notes. And, if not done properly, it can be unhealthy. Once one has developed effective control of vibrato, he/she can learn to sing straight tone with intention. In every style of music, with the exception of opera, singers use a combination of straight tone and vibrato to one extent or another. Some pop singers sing exclusively with straight tone, and some vocal groups as well.
The following is a brief demonstration of how to sing with straight tone.
____________________________________________________________
These are a few examples of Jackie's experiments with straight tone from age 15 to 18....
"Apocalypse" at age 15. "My original song, APOCALYPSE. takes me in a truly pop direction for the first time." Here, she diminishes her vibrato considerably, as compared with Ave Maria at age 14 for example, thus it being more subtle, rather subdued. Her straight tone is apparent here, but hasn't yet become evident to any real significant extent at this point.
In "The Way We Were", recorded for Two Hearts at age 16, She demonstrates her beautiful vibrato that exquisitely enhances this iconic Streisand song, but with the use of straight tone on the extended last note to make it more interesting...her own little twist to Barbra's final note which she sang in full vibrato.
"How Great Thou Art" performed at age 17 in Jackson, TX was recorded at age 16. She uses straight tone on her high notes, but more emphatically on her extended final note finishing it with vibrato.
"O Mio Babbino Caro/Nessun Dorma" at age 18 on World's Got Talent. Her extended straight tone technique with vibrato finish is a dramatic departure from traditional opera wherein straight tone is not acceptable. She makes a dramatic point of it with her transition between songs at 1:12, masterfully done in my opinion, with an exceptionally "pure" tone. In an interview once, she said with regard to there being no limit to what she will sing, "If I want to sing opera in a different way, I want to be able to do that". She had already done it on WGT with this Puccini medley, and it became her standard concert encore.
__________________________________________________________
The Debut, recorded at age 18:
"Burn" is an example of Jackie's artistic use of her engaging vibrato combined with straight tone, perfectly tailored to the character of this contemporary Broadway song.
"A Million Dreams" is a different approach, emphatically sung in straight tone enhanced with vibrato at certain times, most often subdued. I don't think Jackie has sung an entire song in straight tone, as Chloe Agnew of Celtic Woman had with "Walkng in the Air", though I'm certain she can and will if and when she wants to, but likely won't.
Since age 15, Jackie has continually experimented with straight tone, going further away from the use of constant vibrato characteristic of classical singing. Her technique of using straight tone in combination with vibrato has become a common approach to interpreting both classical and non-classical songs. That's not a bad thing in my opinion, unless one is inexorably attached to the traditional classical style of constant heavy vibrato. I am not, and personally, I think straight tone used artistically with vibrato as Jackie uses it makes her music more interesting and colorful. Jackie is fiercely independent, and innovative if not out-rightly courageous, not afraid to defy convention. She certainly turned opera on it's head with her Puccini medley....in a good way in my opinion. But then, I'm not enamored with traditional opera. Aficionados would denounce her performance as disgraceful, lol.
Carousel of Time:
"River", recorded at age 20, is a wonderful demonstration of Jackie's beautiful vibrato with carefully chosen straight tone enhancement appropriately expressive of the lyrics, delivered in her own more melodic style (Listen to Joni's official recording for comparison):