The Alphabet Soup of Singing

SINGING A CAPPELLA TO ZYDECO

Welcome to the third iteration of this column. The original column began in May of 1985 at the request of Editor of The NATS Bulletin, Richard Miller. Titled "The Bach to Rock Connection," the column focused on the pedagogy and repertoire of "nonclassical" singing. It explored the similarities and, more importantly, the differences between how "Bachers" and rockers sang, and sought to dispel the myth that, "If you learn to sing classically, you can sing anything." "The Bach to Rock Connection" feature was the first in NATS publication history dedicated to what is now commonly referred to as Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM) singing.

In 2002, a new Editor-in-Chief, Richard Dale Sjoerdsma, retitled that pioneering column "Popular Song and Music Theater" and appointed me an Associate Editor of the Journal of Singing. In addition to continuing my own contributions to the column, I was tasked with seeking and publishing the works of others in the field as well, thus adding even more diversity to the literature.

The column's new title, "Singing A Cappella to Zydeco," was inspired by my recent revisit to data alchemist Glenn McDonald's website, EveryNoise.com. In January 2018, I wrote a piece called "1500 Genres … and Counting!" which highlighted Glenn's work cataloging musical genres. Much to my surprise, his website now reveals not 1500, but well over 5000 genres … and counting!

One could argue that many of the 5000 genres overlap, and that is true. However, Mr. McDonald stated, "As data science, this is pretty unruly. There's no imposed taxonomy of genres and we have no objection to genres that overlap in small or even large part if they represent a subtle distinction that somebody, somewhere might care about (e.g., 'gothic metal' vs. 'symphonic metal' vs. 'gothic symphonic metal')."

He continued, "The point of the map, as with genres, is not to resolve disputes but invite you to explore music. It is an attempt—however uneven, idiosyncratic, and incomplete—to embrace this new state of the world in which nearly all of humanity's recorded music is streamable or downloadable, and give you a way to find out what you don't know you don't know."

For me, the issue is about respect for the artists and what they are trying to communicate through their music rather than lumping them all together in a neat package under a large umbrella. It's the equivalent of respect for gender diversity when a presentation opens with "Welcome, everyone," or "Welcome to all who have gathered here," as opposed to "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen."

As it turns out, the "Bach to Rock Connection" title was limited in its scope, as was "Popular Song and Music Theater." To embrace the fullness and diversity that is music for the voice, I decided to use the bookends A to Z. A cappella made sense since it describes a singing style that can encompass many genres and is the first "A" on Glenn's list. Zydeco, the representative for Z, is compelling because few people know about this southern-based sound. If you've ever dined in a Popeyes restaurant, you've heard Zydeco, a German-influenced and often accordion dominant music that Cajun folks celebrate and perform. At #5382, as of this writing, it is still Glenn's last entry on his A to Z list.

In addition to broadening the scope of the kinds of music addressed in the column, the exploration of the human conditions that led to those musical expressions is also significant. Jessica Baldwin in her piece in the March/April 2021 column titled "Serving the Many?" eloquently described her personal connection to music as both performer and pedagogue.

I have always felt "woke," to use a now popular term for awareness of events in context with culture and history. However, the depth and degree of my "wokeness" is always on my mind. I am often in need of upgrades in my awareness and Jess's piece fed that need. My next upgrade may be awaiting me in my inbox, as we "speak...