Singing and Communicating in English

Kathryn LaBouff teaches English Diction and English Vocal Literature at the Juilliard School of Music, the Manhattan School of Music, and the Curtis Institute of Music. Diction Coach for the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and Washington Opera, she has coached and prepared more than 300 professional opera productions in English.

• PrefaceAcknowledgementsForwardChapter 1: Why Study English Diction?Chapter 2: Communication Through Appropriate StressChapter 3: Preparation for Vowel ProductionChapter 4: The Front VowelsChapter 5: The Backing VowelsChapter 6: The Mixed VowelsChapter 7: The Diphthongs & TriphthongsChapter 8: The Three Semi-Vowel GlidesChapter 9: Introduction to ConsonantsChapter 10: The PlosivesChapter 11: The FricativesChapter 12: Nasal Consonants Plus Lyrical LChapter 13: The Owner's Manual: Connecting the DotsChapter 14: Singing in the British Dialect: "The Rain in Spain"Chapter 15: The Mid-Atlantic DialectAfterwardAppendices:I: IPA Alphabet for the English LanguageII: Three-Dialect OverviewIII: Regional DialectsGlossaryBibliographyIndex of Texts and Music ExamplesCD Guide

In the rehearsal process Kathryn LaBouff is my secret weapon. She has an uncanny ability to take dramatic ideas and unify them with her own technical and diction work for the performer. The result of her collaboration is that the performer can activate and communicate the text like no one else. The diction techniques that she developed are easily accessible in this book, and will help clean up English text delivery in productions around the world. This is a must-have for all directors, coaches, teachers, performers and anyone who champions opera in English.