You participated in the training of talents like Héléna and Pierre. Did you feel from the start that they had something extra?
From the start, I felt that we had an exceptional promotion. I immediately noticed that Pierre had a voice that would please people. I said it from our first meetings, after the first evaluations. Héléna has a “badass” voice, in our jargon, that means a stylish voice, like Lady Gaga. I always thought you had to free your voice. Today, I am very proud of them, it was really an extraordinary promotion.
You talk about debriefings. Are these exchanges done off camera or is everything filmed?
It's all filmed, but I think they cut a lot for the dailies. You don't see everything, like our bickering with Michael Goldman or Cécile, or even Malika's jokes. They have to cut back to keep the seriousness of the show, otherwise we would lose a little credibility.
No secret meetings to discuss candidates?
No, everything is said in front of the cameras. These are beautiful moments of exchange where we defend our positions. For example, I tell Michael Goldman that with singing anatomy and pivot points, we can improve the pitch and power of a singer. He doesn't always agree, which gives rise to heated discussions.
Who is your book, Anatomy of Singing, aimed at? Amateurs, professionals, or even bathroom singers?
To everyone! It is the first medically validated singing method, a true world first. This book is the singers' bible, an ideal gift for Christmas. Whether for beginners, to improve or to teach singing, it is suitable for everyone, amateurs and professionals, from lyrical to pop, including rappers. Knowing your body means having the power to face your fears.
Why do some people sing in tune and others out of tune? Is it irreversible?
Contrary to popular belief, it is not irremediable. An ear disease can explain this, but it is rare. Often it's a listening problem. For example, it is better to listen with the dominant ear, often the same as the one with which you write. Then, you have to work on the technique: breathing, abdominals, posture and movement of the larynx.
You also say that the problem does not come from a lack of air, but from poor use of the lungs?
Exactly. When we lack air, it is because we have not emptied our lungs correctly. The ribs and abs must work together.
You can work on it casually, it's not innate, all that?
In fact, there is a part of talent in certain people, there is a part of temperament, there is a part of musicality, but also a lot of work. Singing is not innate. The more you work on your voice, the more likely you are to sing absolutely whatever you want.
Even Celine Dion's high notes in All By Myself?
My singers do it and my students succeed, even at the Star Academy. We call it the “vocal Everests”. With work, we can do them. Afterwards, some singers have more ability than others to achieve this.
Do high notes get harder with age?
Yes, either you have put your “larynx upside down” or if you simply don't do enough sport!
Can we sing different styles (lyrical, jazz, rock) with the same voice?
For a long time, we thought that if we were lyrical, we couldn't be rock and vice versa. It's a question of work and style, because basically the technique is pretty much the same. It's just that we don't make the membranes vibrate in the same way.
Do you still work on your voice regularly?
As I teach a lot, I really work a lot. But besides that, I have sports training and I have real hours of rehearsals. When I have a show date, I will rehearse almost every day, a month before, to keep up physically and in addition to doing hours of sport on the same day. And most artists do that when they go on tour.
So singing requires excellent physical condition?
Having a good voice requires work and willpower. But there is also the fact of hydrating well, sleeping, eating well and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Singing is sport, it requires a sportsman's mentality. It's like being an athlete, except you express your emotions, so it's different.
And the pleasure of hearing a song sound true?
It's extraordinary, as is the response from the public, I recommend it to everyone. And I think that everyone should sing, because where we sing, there are fewer wars, so we have to go all out.
