Here in the U.S there are an abundant amount of televised talent competitions. Especially when it comes to singing. These competitions are judged by singers who are famous, but really don't know that much about music. That lack of knowledge causes "skill" to be chosen over good singing. This will be the first in a series of pieces about how good singing in america has died.
The majority of singing on these shows is either pop, rock, or country. With these genres there is a fair amount of very unhealthy singing. Under Garry and Wendy Grice I have learned a lot about pedagogy and bel canto singing. Unhealthy singing is comprised of many things. For one it can be belting, "Belting is like tanning. There is no such thing as healthy belting." It could also be straining, singing too heavy, singing the wrong voice type, singing out of your fach, or just not using proper technique.
The judges of these shows do not use proper technique when they sing. The growling and belting that Christina Aguilera does is so damaging that in concerts she will crack and lose her voice. One way to tell if a voice is strained, is the chin. If the chin is upward and outward, then the singer is pushing to hard. Also the throat should remain open. If it looks strained, then the larynx is being restricted and is being damaged. In the picture below, you can see that her chin is up and out and she actually looks in pain. This is bad singing. Even if to you it sounds good, it is causing irreparable damage to the singer.
Belting like this will cause damage to the vocal folds. This type of singing can result in partial paralysis, nodules, and even torn vocal apparati. Below is a picture of a damaged vocal fold, due to screaming or belting.
The idea that being able to belt or scream high notes is the mark of a good singer is something that is very wrong. with proper technique, most singers can sing as much as an octave or more higher than a belter. We've heard so much belting that most people take proper singing as singing opera. That isn't true either. All songs on the radio today could be sung correctly, but lack of technique and perpetuation of belting has caused it to be a music no-no. I've snag in a few musicals and choirs and everytime I was supposed to sing high they would either say, " Do it in belt or falsetto." Neither of those should be used in that setting.
My biggest concern however is children belting. A child's vocal mechanism is basically a ball of play-do until their voice begins to mature, and this allows them to mimic adult singing. This is one of the most dangerous belting. Children have a small vocal range they can sing in. No more notes than in "twinkle twinkle little star". However, on shows like America's Got Talent, the shock value of children belting makes it an acceptable thing, and these kids are causing serious damage. They will start to sing with a wobble, or not even be able to sing as they age. Here is a link to website on the effects of children belting, and how to allow safe singing in children. I cannot stress this enough. In the 90's the statistic was 1 in 10 for children having vocal damage in elementary school, and that number has significantly increased since then. Especially with Disney hits like " Let It Go". Also, classical music isn't easier or safer for a child to sing. For the most part opera is way to heavy for a child and is just as bad, if not worse, than belting.
Listen to the radio today and count the number of times you hear belting or straining. Now count the number of times you hear proper singing in the top of the voice. I did it today. In 30 minutes, I heard no proper singing and every song was either screamed or belted. This included a rock station, a pop station, and a light listening station. So please, I beg you, don't perpetuate unhealthy belting. It isn't good for you to do, or for anyone around you. They will thank you later.
