But I don’t sound like that! Exploring accent and developing the artist Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM).

But I don’t sound like that! Exploring accent and developing the artist Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM).

Individuality and uniqueness of sound is highly prized in Contemporary and Commercial Music (CCM). My teaching in both Australia and the United Arab Emirates, where I worked with students from throughout the Middle East, North Africa, South East Asia, and Europe involved working with students who possessed a variety of accented English language skills. While classical singers may use the International Phonetic Alphabet in their studies to create appropriate vowel shapes in their singing, students who work in CCM often use an American or English accent, or a mid-Atlantic accent in singing. For those students who come from other countries with different accents, finding their own unique sound often begins with mimicry of US or UK accents. This approach to singing sounds can feel difficult and sound inauthentic to the performer who is looking to develop their own artistic identity.

In this workshop I will take singing teachers through a de-mystification process to assist students as they develop their sense of authentic accent in singing. This process does not rely on the International Phonetic Alphabet. Students explore using their own accent in singing, and from this exploration further discover what kinds of sounds serve their artistic purposes.