by Viva Wittman
Originally a pianist, Lydie Diaz started singing when she was fifteen, finding inspiration in famed singers Barbara and Véronique Sanson; as she tells me, it was “because I liked these singers that I started singing.” In her career, Lydie has done most of her singing in pop bands specializing in English and American songs. One day a friend surprised her by asking her to teach singing. “I started a bit by chance,” she adds. To perfect her technique, she studied and obtained a diploma at IMFP, of the Federation of Contemporary Music. Lydie has been teaching at Centre de Danse du Marais since 2005 and she pronounces CDM “a cultural hub where all the arts can mix.”
Lydie’s students learn how to strengthen the voice. Her vocal technique covers breath, voice placement, projection, and articulation, and during the second and third trimesters, she introduces emotional interpretation and scenic expression to carry the text. At the end of June, her students perform the songs they have been working on over the year. |
When I come to her class, I sing along with her students through the warm-up, picking up my camera here and there to take photos. Once our voices are thoroughly warm, the students practice vocal technique exercises with a microphone to grow accustomed to it.
Then, in front of the class, the students sing their songs accompanied by piano or by karaoke. I sing too: Dream a Little Dream of Me, a song I know well. I don’t feel as nervous as thought I would as I stand in front of these strangers and present the song I have barely practiced. The ambiance is so warm and welcoming that I feel immediately at ease and when I have to leave a half hour before the end of the class, I am sorry to go.
For more information on Lydie’s courses and method: http://www.sivouschantiez.com/