Why Do Opera Singers Scream?

This is the thought in everyone's mind when they listen to an operatic singer. (Be honest.... You thought it too... :P)

'Why are they screaming?
What is the use in that?
How difficult can this be? I mean they are just shouting... '

Well...,

• Luciano Pavarrotti in his interview to John Brunning  said that singing can be considered as 'controlled screaming'. For women is more natural since their vocal register is higher. Men on the other hand have naturally stronger muscle and they can adjust their singing voice accordingly. (Not an easy thing to do for both women and men) 

• 'Controlled screaming' means that there is a right and a wrong way to sing. In order to protect the vocal folds, singers have to use good posture, supported breath, an excellent technique and above all be in good health to be in shape. 

• Mistreating your focal folds and not taking care of them can result in chronic damage which will require operation and occasionally this might be irreversible.  

In the book The Singer's Guide To Vocal Health edited by Anthony F. Jahn the authors give some very interesting advice and facts about singers and their health.

Have a read to some excerpts from the book:

‘Some (singers) have favourable anatomy, others deeply intuitive musicality and yet others great ambition and persistence. And occasionally a singer is blessed with all of these talents.’

‘The singer must gain conscious sensory awareness of parts of the body that for most people function automatically ‘ (i.e. breathing etc)

‘But the reality is that, in listening to two singers of similar quality, you may not appreciate that they have traveled very different paths to get to the same place.’ #foodforthought

Singing is not just screaming. It is athletic, it requires a lot of discipline and it is definitely not a piece of cake!

‘Singing is about conveying emotion and technique becomes the toolkit of the artist.’

Reference: The Singer's Guide to Complete Health, Anthony F. Jahn (Ed.) (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2013).

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