Adventures in Singing: A Process for Exploring, Discovering, and Developing Vocal Potential [With 2 CDs] [Spiral-bound]

Clifton Ware (Author)

Product Details

• Spiral-bound
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Langua (March 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072998504
• ISBN-13: 978-0072998504
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,551,378 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Informative Discussion, Not a Good Songbook, March 3, 2011

By 

Garrett Smith (San Francisco) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Adventures in Singing: A Process for Exploring, Discovering, and Developing Vocal Potential [With 2 CDs] (Spiral-bound)

The book is divided into technical discussion (~7%), songs (~90%), and glossary (~3%).

The technical discussion and glossary were helpful. Particularly the information about the physiology of singing, including vocal registers, resonators, larynx, pharynx.

The bulk of the text consists of songs. Most of the songs are stretching past the upper range of my voice. I'd say it is probably fine for alto/high tenor but not for baritone bass. Some of the songs seem to be for women.

There is a diversity of songs, most of which are uninteresting (to me), covering a broad repertoire in a higher register which I strain and break in.

The CD was clear and helpful in learning. The vocal melodies are all played on flute or possibly MIDI flute. Not a beautiful sound, but usable for practice.

About 10% of the book is valuable to me. The rest is not that valuable. It seems too expensive for what I get, and especially considering that it is a spiral bound book.

This book seems divided between goals of technical instruction and a songbook. It would be much better to extract the technical instruction and have that as a $12 book.

Individual repertoire should be chosen based on individual vocal characteristics and personal taste; a generalized songbook as such will mostly fail to satisfy that.