A three-day workshop on vocology was recently organised by the Chetana Sangeet Natya Academy, Thrissur in Kerala. Small wonder that it attracted more than a hundred musicians, music students and music teachers from institutions including universities in south India. Didactic lectures and practical sessions apart, individual counselling that provided remedies to most of the perennial vocal problems was a hallmark of the workshop.
"Vocology is a relatively new branch of knowledge that deals with the study of the right production techniques, culturing and rehabilitation of voice ", said Fr. Paul Poovathingal, Director of the Academy and a vocologist trained in the US.
The participants were introduced to the very science of sound with special reference to music in the beginning, by Prof. George S Paul, well known musicologist and a retired professor of Physics. For many of them this served as an eye opener.
The renowned vocalist and Dean of the faculty of music in the University of Khairagarh, Chattisgarh, T. Unnikrishnan dwelt at length on the variegated styles of 'voice throw' in the rendition of Carnatic, Hindustani and light music compositions. While it is 'open throat' in the Carnatic stream, a more flexible one is conducive to both Hindustani and light music, he said. Dr. Unnikrishnan's sessions on the 'Breathing techniques for a better voice' and 'Exercises for voice maintenance' were spiced with interesting demonstrations. The two-hour concert Dr. Unnikrishnan presented on the last day was specially noted for his resonant voice and effortless rendition, a vehement demonstration of the techniques he had expounded.
In three sessions, Fr. Poovathingal underscored the intrinsic need for the functional unity of the organs namely the actuator, vibrator and resonator in the body. In this connection he related the right type of breathing that provided air needed to energise the vocal chords. Simple exercises like practising the sarala varis using the syllable 'no' and also deliberate yawning elicited laughter from the participants. But soon they were convinced of its efficacy in improving the colour of the tone.
The anatomical study of the vocal chords by the reputed laryngologist R. Jayakumar was highly useful to the music fraternity. While highlighting the misuse and abuse of the vocal chords, he advised the musicians to begin a concert with numbers that only served to warm the vocal chords. In this connection one felt that opening of a Carnatic concert with a varnam was counterproductive. He also warned against taxing the vocal chords of young boys too much when the vocal ligament inside them was under formation. Dr. Jayakumar struck a singular chord in his lecture when he declared that the only medicine for all the disorders of the vocal chords was lukewarm water.
Gopinath Edakkunni explained how music itself was yoga. Along with his assistant Balakrishnan, he held three sessions on yoga that was specially adapted for musicians. The ambience of spirituality created by music meditation led by Fr. Poovathingal every morning was indeed special.
You can write to G. S. Paul at georgepaul@sancharnet.in
