Keng-Shin Technique

Keng-Shin Technique is a vocal technique derived from integrating key tenets of Musical Theatre Artistry with the mastery of Vocal Efficiency Foundations.

The Game of Singing

Keng-Shin Technique
Keng-Shin Technique is a vocal technique derived from integrating key tenets of Musical Theatre Artistry with the mastery of Vocal Efficiency Foundations.
Objective

– Find the ideal voice of the individual, given the personality, anatomy.
– Teach the individual how to feel good by making sounds.
– To achieve maximum control over the voice maximally expressive.
– Maximise longevity of vocal production.

Developing the 7 Key Areas

1. Develop the musical hearing
2. Develop the body (somatic awareness)
3. Develop the vocal instrument
4. Develop the speaking voice
5. Develop the database of sounds required for different musical theatre styles
6. Develop movement skills
7. Develop the “sense of play”, spatial awareness and imagination

3 Key Aspects of Kengshin Technique. It is important that all 3 key aspects of Kengshin technique are practised and subsequently mastered during vocal training.
The Functional Aspect aims to develop the 3 main parts of our Vocal Efficiency Foundations, namely: Bodyworks, Valving and Voicing(Phonation) with Bodyworks and Vocal Acoustics (Resonance- non linear source filter model).
Singing robots are uninteresting. The only reason to develop vocal technique is to be able to communicate sound and emotion to the listener. Yes, beautiful sounds do draw attention but beautiful vocalism separated from artistic imagination is not sufficient for textual and dramatic communication.
Keng-Shin Technique adapted the concept of Le jeu from Jacques Lecoq’s pedagogy and applied it to integrate voice and movement. Le jeu is an extremely important concept: it has at least two big areas of meaning.
Vocal Efficiency Foundations
There are 3 main parts to our Vocal Efficiency Foundations, namely:
Bodyworks
Valving and Voicing(Phonation) with Bodyworks
Vocal Acoustics (Resonance- non linear source filter model).

1.0) Bodyworks

For any voice users looking to optimise vocal performance, conditioning of muscles and connective tissues to gain physical efficiency for the tasks, are required.

An early step in developing physical efficiency is learning how to consciously recognise the difference between using and not using habitual unnecessary muscles when voicing.

Artistic Target: Thinking body and sense of play

2.0) Valving and Voicing (Phonation) with Bodyworks

Breathing, glottal valving and voicing interact. For vocal training, these three systems cannot be treated independently.

Artistic Target: Releasing the “neutral voice”

3.0) Vocal Acoustics (Resonance – non-linear source-filter model)

A resonant voice is the target for vocal production in terms of vocal health, primarily because it is neither taxing nor restricting to low intensity. As important, resonant voice has been described as low-impact (in terms of vocal collision) as well as large amplitude vocal-fold oscillation, which should provide both preventive and curative effects (Li et al., 2008).

Artistic Target: Pre-phonatory tuning

Artistry
    Aspect

Thinking Body, Thinking Voice

The Importance of Artistry - Singing robots are uninteresting. The only reason to develop vocal technique is to be able to communicate sound and emotion to the listener. Yes, beautiful sounds do draw attention but beautiful vocalism separated from artistic imagination is not sufficient for textual and dramatic communication.

What Exactly is Artistry?

Artistry is a technical route for the externalisation of internal emotion.

How Can It Be Achieved?

Artistry can be achieved by building up the repertoire of the singer. Every song has its own musical, textual and dramatic demands; by careful study of the circumstances based on historical, environmental and musical demands, the singer-actor with a “thinking body and thinking voice”, will choose a vocal production style that will meet the composer’s intent.

Where Should One Begin?

Start from repertoire that encourages efficient vocal function. Work on songs that emphasize the bel canto principles, where demands of range, sostenuto, agility, dynamic control, and vocal coloration are of utmost importance. Once the singer has gained some mastery over these, he/she can move on to the more text based, speech-like qualities.

Explaining the Difference Between Keng-Shin Technique and Bel Canto Technique

The term “Bel Canto” is much misused, abused and misunderstood today. The Italian term, “Bel Canto” means “beautiful singing” and was first applied to composers such as Cavalli, Cesti and Monteverdi who considered the innate requirements of the musical form to outweigh the dominating aspect of the text. This led to graceful, smooth-flowing phrases supported by simple harmonies. The philosophy of this style continued and persisted through composers such as Bellini, Rossini and Donizetti until it was supplanted by “verismo”.

Strictly speaking, “Bel Canto” is not a technique but a philosophy. Keng-Shin Technique embraces the principles of the “Bel Canto” during the foundational stage but extends to more speech-dominant qualities like legit, mix and belt at the later stage.

Sense of Play

Keng-Shin Technique adapted the concept of Le jeu from Jacques Lecoq’s pedagogy and applied it to integrate voice and movement.

01

Sense of play

Le jeu is an extremely important concept: it has at least two big areas of meaning.

(A) The ability to react, the attitude of the performer of reacting to everything that happens on stage. There is a relationship between the body and the space where it exists.

(B) But there is also another area of meaning, that is the pleasure of the artist. The performer must enjoy the event, and if he doesn’t enjoy it, somehow it doesn’t work.

02

What is play?

Play is nothing more than an idea followed by an action where the outcome is not yet known until the action is taken.

If the "work" is playful it becomes pleasurable, and when you are enjoying yourself, you get bolder and take more risks.

03

Why play?

Due to the risk of failure. Many students have come into my studio expecting me to give correct answers. Singing and acting is not about getting things right. It’s about embracing a process and being always active in the problem solving mode.

The more our body and mind embrace this process, the more creative, confident and expressive we are as performers (more in terms with ourselves as a human being as well).

04

How to play?

Just do it and then analyse later. The exercises are organized in a way to help your understand (soma) and replicate it when required. Body learning and critical listening is crucial in voice learning.

Classical Vocal Training for Opera (Syllabus)
Cross Training For Musical Theatre Singing (Syllabus)
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