About Session
Terminological and non-terminological descriptions of singing voices
“Sun above high fog“, “raw minced meat”, and “peach soft”: All of these are colorful and extravagant images used to describe the human singing voice in journalistic texts, professional singing lessons and interviews. But what exactly do these above mentioned things sound like? This question and the widespread view of professional writers, teachers, students and singers – people who communicate and need to communicate about the singing voice on a daily basis – that it is impossible to talk about the voice objectively, or rather that there are only few codified terms available for it, prompted me to investigate how they do it in different communicative frames. With data collected in various contexts, it was able to present descriptions of the singing voice systematically. The result is a reference work with over 2,000 entries that demonstrates the unlimited possibilities of language use and recognizes the effectiveness of both codified and idiosyncratic expressions for talking about the voice. Using specific examples from the findings, I will outline the relevance of this systematized collection of such descriptions for vocal pedagogy and for anyone who works with the human voice and the importance of learning to talk about auditory impressions in educational institutions.
