Music Notes ~~ Il Volo – Raising the Bar – Raising the Standards ~By Myron Heaton

Il Volo is having an influence on the pop music world even though it is rather small
right now. However, I am confident it will grow as time goes on. How is that? It has
to do with the way they keep perfecting their art. The answer later in this article.

First let me start with this premise: the human voice is too often taken for granted and
poorly treated partly because it is an instrument inside us and not tangible like a violin
or clarinet or piano, etc. Everyone can sing and, in fact, you are doing a form of
singing when you talk. It is the same set of muscles, and you are using pitches when
you talk- just not a lot of different ones. But with all that as a given, a person is not
born with the knowledge of how to use the voice to the best of its ability. Training is
needed.

If you are given a violin or clarinet or piano and want to play it to the best of your
ability, you take lessons from a trained and degreed expert – i.e. a private teacher with
a B.A. Or Master’s degree – and learn all of the proper methods and techniques needed
to produce great quality. A singer – just as with those instruments – should take
private lessons and put those techniques to good use. You are taught by a voice
teacher (advanced is a voice coach) with a Master’s degree in vocal pedagogy ( rough
definition: the science and craft of teaching the art of singing) . Yes, anyone can sing,
and some are born with a wonderful natural instrument which they put to use with
little or no knowledge of good techniques while others take that wonderful natural
instrument and add the proper training and end up with an incredible instrument of
limitless beauty, power, grace and elegance.

IL VOLO ‘ s place

Each of these guys at a very young age had the love and passion of singing instilled in them either by their grandpa (Gianluca and Piero) or by the family and community
they lived in (Ignazio) or both (all three). Each of these boys was blessed by God
with a magnificent natural instrument. They had parents that were smart enough and
caring enough to realize that such natural beauty deserved proper training and got
them good voice teachers. Those same parents needed to provide the support and
emotional space to allow them to grow artistically. Takes a lot of patience from the
parents some times. Then comes the contests and festivals and competitions (more
parent partnership).

Picture credits to Don Ercole and Mundial

As the group was finally put together as Il Volo, they added a voice coach to sustain
the great work already started and, also, to teach them how to preserve and protect
those wonderful instruments. When you ruin a clarinet you go out and buy a new one
but when you ruin your voice you are done. You can’t buy a new one.

With all this work going on we, the public, have been enjoying wonderful pop music
(with a classical flair ) presented to the heights of quality and perfection. Since they
are so young and not in their 30’s or 40’s, they get more attention from all ages. The
youth thing really works in their favor so well. The result is that they have become
very popular with a wide variety of ages in the USA.

This has not escaped the attention of some well established big names. Barbra
Streisand had planned a tour in 2012 but after hearing Il Volo and seeing what their
coach has done, she decided to add a coach to her prep work for the last 4 months
prior to tour. Recently, I have read that Justin Timberlake has hired a voice coach to
expand the range and improve quality of his serious singing. He has mentioned
wanting to do a Broadway musical and that requires a well-trained voice. He very
much knows the “Il Volo sound” There has also been some talk amongst certain
female singers that they want to get a little of the “ Il Volo “ edge and clean up their
voice and their singing.

Il Volo is not the only group with good training but they are the youngest and the best
out there right now. They are having an impact on the pop music business. Gianluca,
Ignazio and Piero have raised the bar. They have raised the standards. Let’s hope that
impact keeps growing.

Picture credit Laura Batke at The Mall of America

Coming soon: an article looking at two of the concerts Il Volo did during the winter
season.