Creative Fire - Nanette Natal

"Nanette Natal is a distinguished teacher and one of the most interesting and exciting singers working in jazz today." "...Nanette Natal, another excellent singer who had already enjoyed success in the commercial end of the music business, but chafed against the absence of creative freedom"
'Singing Jazz - Singers And Their Styles' Bruce Crowther & Mike Pinfold*

EDUCATIONAL COLUMN
By Nanette Natal

As a dedicated educator for many years, my main objective has been to guide my students along a path of creative development and self awareness. The work has always been about the ownership of one's music. To become one with a piece of music requires a courageous commitment to the truth of who you are. Taking risks and exploring creative limitations is a very important part of the growing process, but we cannot take risks in our work if we do not feel safe within ourselves.

*Technique & Singing:

The most important aspect of vocal technique is breath control, without it, all the concepts that you learn cannot be truly manifested. The untrained singer eventually reaches a creative impasse because it is , in fact, breath support that turns ideas into sound.

To be able to use your instrument fully and creatively, the body and mind must work together. The resonation of all sound must begin outside the body. It is only when the sound originates this way that you can have true control over the quality of your sound. You must let go, both physically and emotionally, to truly learn to control your tone.....Having a strong technique will give you confidence and the skill to take real chances in your music. When you have control over your sound, you can push yourself to the limits.

*Singing

After you own the technique you are not conscious of it anymore and you're free then to feel and express yourself, by really just being in the moment, and trusting technique, you're really one with the music and you just let go.

*Feeling

Besides technique the other crucial aspect is 'feeling'...If you are all technique and no feeling, it doesn't mean anything. Feeling outweighs a lot of technique. There are an awful lot of people who can be very technically controlled but are not really saying anything. Being a good singer means that you say something. Very often it is technique that frees people to say what they want to say.

Meditations on breaking free.