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What’s a squillo, and why do opera singers need it? Ming Luke

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TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

An orchestra fills an opera house with music, but a singer’s voice soars above the instruments. Its melody rings out across thousands of patrons— all without any assistance from a microphone. How is it possible that a single voice can be heard so clearly? The answer lies in the physics of the human voice. Ming Luke explains the carefully honed technique of an expert opera singer.

Opera singers work for decades to increase their vocal projection so they can be heard over an entire orchestra. Describe some of the ways they are able to achieve this projection citing specific examples from the lesson.

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Meet The Creators

  • Director Franz Palomares
  • Educator Ming Luke
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Sound Designer Weston Fonger, Eleanor Nelsen
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Associate Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
  • Singer Ellen Leslie
  • Fact-Checker Joseph Isaac
  • Special Thanks Jenny Hunt

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