Interview with Donald Miller

INTERVIEW WITH DONALD MILLER

"Feedback can speed the learning process greatly and help avoid taking false paths"

Donald Miller came to singing unexpectedly as a Fulbright student in Germany studying theology. He had previously completed an A.B. in philosophy, summa cum laude, at Yale, but returned to the Yale School of Music in his native USA to complete formal studies in music. He then continued with singing lessons in Milan and Berlin, making stage appearances in both cities. After a further year's engagement with the Wiener Kammeroper, he joined the faculty of the Syracuse University School of Music, where he taught for over two decades, rising to the rank of professor. During this time he was very active as a bass-baritone, singing over 25 leading roles from the standard repertory, along with many roles in contemporary works.

Donald Miller

His interest in the application of voice science to the singing voice grew in the late 70's, and in 1984 he spent a semester in Groningen, the Netherlands, on a project with H.K.Schutte and the late Prof. Janwillem van den Berg. In 1987 he moved permanently to Groningen to devote himself to research on the acoustics and physiology of the singing voice as an associate of the Groningen Voice Research Lab. This has resulted in a number of scientific publications together with Prof. Schutte, as well as a doctoral monograph, Registers in Singing, published in 2000.

An important result of his work in Groningen has been the program VoceVista (visible voice -- see www.vocevista.com), feedback for instruction in singing. VoceVista was introduced in 1996, when personal computers became powerful enough to perform real-time spectrum analysis. Since then it has been further perfected and is now in use in voice labs and facilities for training singers, particularly in North America and Europe.

What kind of research have you done?
A wide variety of research on the singing voice over 25 years at two of the leading labs in the world: Groningen, NL, and Syracuse University in the U.S., with noted voice scientist Martin Rothenberg. Physiological and acoustic aspects of registers of the singing voice was the primary focus.

What is Vocevista and why did you made it?
VoceVista uses two signals that are non-invasive (do not interfere with singing voice production, leaving the singer free). It displays these in ways that give important objective feedback, allowing the knowledgeable user to see what is normally only heard by expert ears. This greatly speeds the learning process and helps teachers in learning from one another.

Vocevista Pro Screen click on image to enlarge

What kind of people do you think are the candidates for using Vocevista?
Those who can get the most benefit from it are singing teachers who are ready to learn from feedback on 1) resonance and 2) vocal-fold vibration. Feedback on resonance shows how the resonances of the vocal tract tune to (or do not tune to) the harmonics (the fundamental and its overtones) produced by the vocal folds. Feedback on vocal-fold vibration gives information on voice type and registers.

Can we also use Vocevista for speech control or speech therapy?
Absolutely, although most of the uses that have been described in writing up to this point apply primarily to the singing voice.

Vocevista Pro: using the electroglottograph positioning the electrodes

Is it necessary to work with feedback software to improve singing voice?
Singers and singing teachers have done without it for 400 years. However, information from feedback can speed the learning process greatly and help avoid taking false paths.

Are there many people who are using Vocevista? In Spain?
Use among singing teachers is most advanced in America, where much serious instruction takes place in universities, rather than conservatories. Use in Europe is growing as well, particularly in Germany and Austria. Use by singing teachers in Spain is just beginning . . .In fact, you are the first singing teacher who uses Vocevista-Pro, although I am sure that other singing teachers in your country will use it very soon.

Vocevista Pro A general view of Electroglottograph, electrodes and microphone.

Are singing teachers afraid of the new technologies?
It is not unusual for singing teachers to be suspicious of technologies that seem to threaten their authority. Once they understand the technologies, however, they can use them to better control whether the students are progressing along the lines desired by the teacher. The feedback can also help the student to repeat on his own the good things that happen in lessons.

You are singing teacher. Can you give an advice for singing students?
I would advise them to learn how to use the new feedback, particularly as it applies to their own singing. This makes it possible to judge, at least to some extent, whether a teacher is leading one’s voice in a desired direction, as well as to control one’s practising outside the teacher’s studio. This is particularly important when lessons are not frequent.

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