Werbeck singing method

Expression of the entire human being

Just as various species of plants arise through the meeting of the plant archetype with the earth, in the same way human vocal manifestations come about through the meeting of the archetypal sound with its earthly vehicles – human vocal organisations.

One of the main misconceptions which prevail in some singing techniques is  the consideration that the voice is a product of highly organised matter.

It is not the material-organic level that produces the tone; rather, the inaudible voice produces it on the basis of the material-organic level. An invisible inner impulse makes it so that we discover effects in the physical organism which cannot be there through themselves.

In “School for Uncovering the Voice” the singing is not regarded as a “product” of certain organs or parts of the body, but as an expression of the entire human being. The voice, however could be obstructed by physiological and other hindrances. Werbeck’s method of singing strives to eliminate such obstructions, so that the voice which is present in every human being can be revealed.

“And here we encounter the cardinal error of today’s singing pedagogy: the human voice needs no training,  it is already there, finished and perfect as an entity. What the voice is waiting for is liberation. We should speak of  freeing the voice, or better yet uncovering the voice, and not voice-training. All work, all efforts toward what is called voice-training, basically it is nothing other than a freeing, a clearing away of the obstructive coverings which will not let the voice ‘come out,’ ” Werbeck.

As a teacher and an artist, however, one can never do anything but create the conditions under which the phenomenon of the voice might manifest itself. To the extent that one succeeds in making one’s bodily instrument open for the sound to penetrate and shine through, to that extent the tone will appear beautiful or not beautiful. It will sound beautiful when nothing of the bodily nature hinders it in flowing through. It will sound badly when it is “held” or “caught” as it streams through.

Although today, the “School for Uncovering the Voice” is mainly understood in its  artistic and pedagogical aspect, the more complete picture may be obtained by taking into account the perspective of  its therapeutic applications.