T.

Darnell

MUS 264-001

Prof. Elizabeth Wilson

5 February 2020

Barresi Response Video

Upon my viewing of “Barresi on Adolescent Voice” by Anthony Barresi, I was able to

see a clear demonstration of assessing and teaching the voice through the various stages of

mutation. With references from the Cooksie’s voicing application and living student examples

representing the various stages of mutation, Barresi is able to demonstrate the issues commonly

presented with the various vocal stages and how to aid in their vocal development and longevity.

As was mentioned before, Barresi demonstrates the assessment process for determining

the area in which a vocally mutated student will endure. This process is a process that he repeats

SIX TIMES (yes, you indeed did read that correctly, Six times). Personally, I found it to be very

helpful to see the process six times in a row through what is Cooksie’s six stages of vocal

mutation. Below is the following warm up process for each student:

General Range Assessment:

1. Has the student speak a sentence, while they speak, the accompanist is assessing where

the voice lies.

2. Has the student sing 1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1 on an “AH” vowel in an ascending fashion.

3. Has the student sing 1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1 on an “AH” vowel in a descending fashion.

Vocal Agility:

1. Has the student sing Do, Mi, Re, Fa, Mi, Re, Do on an “AH” vowel while ascending and

increasing the tempo gradually.

 2. Has the student sing Do, Mi, Sol, Mi, Do, (high) Sol, Do on an “AH” vowel while

ascending and increasing the tempo gradually.

*** It is important to note that the students were also coached to modify their vowels

during this exercise***

Dynamic Ability:

1. The student is instructed to sing a middle tessitura note and execute a dynamic range of

piano, to forte, and back down to piano.

Vocal Training in Context:

1. The student is then in structed to sing “My Country Tis of Thee” in the key of C and/ or F

major.

It is with these tools Barresi asses the Outer Vocal Extremities, Vocal Comfort, and Tessitura

of each of theses singers. After each one he shows how the voice descends naturally, and yet also

regains some outer notes in the male falsetto. Though the male voice is the main focus of this

video, he does work with two women, Stacy & Marla. These two exhibit the qualities of Treble 1

and Treble 2. Each of their tessituras and ranges lie a third under each other. Barresi goes on to

later explain how each of these treble voices seem to have different aural qualities if which are

not like that of the male voice. There is a darkening in the speaking voice and the singing voice

as well.

Now, Barresi moves on to the male vocal mutation assessment and explanation. This covers

the remaining stages of vocal mutation described by Cooksie. The stages known in this video as

Unchanged, Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 2A, and finally Stage 3. It is here we meet Cheng-Cheng,

Kurt, John, Bryan, and Mike. Though they represent the various stages of vocal mutation,

Barresi discusses how these boys have a vocal break and varying levels of “head voice”. In this
demonstration we see how the male voice has a strong head voice, it lessens or completely

disappears, finally through vocal training and guidance they are able to regain and refine the

head voice. We also are able to see the ways in which boys physically attempt to accommodate

their vocal changes. Lots of jaw jutting during the ascension and chin tucking when descending.

Throughout this Barresi is instructing the students to not accommodate the voice in such a

dramatic physical fashion.

From this point on in the video Anthony Barresi discussed the approaches to fixing

normal issues with adolescent breathe management and vowel modification. He also discusses

how to apply these to private voice lessons and group vocal ensembles. All of which is

concluded by a demonstration with our beloved friends Stacy & John. It is in this demonstration

we are able to see Barresi execute his discussed methods of breath management and vowel

modification. He also demonstrates how each of these of two aspects of vocal training influence

all the other aspects of vocalization.

In conclusion, I found Barresi’s video to be a wonderful aid in helping me in a personal

endeavor. The notes I took are a form of professional development I intend to use on a hopeful

student of which is going through the vocal mutation process. A wonderful aid to teachers

everywhere!