This article examines, from a theoretical and pedagogical perspective, two works by Anna Luana Tallarita, published by Aracne Editrice: La voce che suona. Tecnica improvvisazione e jazz (The Sounding Voice: Technique, Improvisation, and Jazz) and Il potere della voce. Per un uso consapevole dello strumento vocale (The Power of the Voice: For a Conscious Use of the Vocal Instrument). The analysis highlights how these works integrate an anthropological, technical, and performative vision of the voice, emphasizing the relationships among body, communication, improvisation, and the power of sound. The voice is conceptualized not only as an acoustic phenomenon but as an instrument of knowledge, action, and intersubjective interaction.
The human voice is traditionally studied from physiological, psychological, and musical perspectives as a sound-producing phenomenon based on respiratory and laryngeal mechanisms. However, when considering the voice in the context of performance and human communication, the perspective expands to include cultural, anthropological, and performative dimensions. In this regard, Tallarita’s works offer an interdisciplinary approach: on one hand, a manual for “playing” the voice in jazz contexts (La voce che suona), and on the other, a broader reflection on the social and historical functions of the voice (Il potere della voce) (libreriauniversitaria.it).
The Voice as an Instrument: La voce che suona
La voce che suona. Tecnica improvvisazione e jazz (2022) is a didactic and cultural volume in which the author presents a view of the voice not merely as a technical tool but as a voice–instrument, a language of the body that communicates through sound (unilibro.it).
The book is structured into three main sections:
- Technical-vocal foundations and music theory, aimed at understanding the vocal apparatus and singing techniques for “playing” the voice.
- History and language of jazz, analyzing key figures such as John Coltrane and Charlie Parker and exploring the improvisational roots of jazz as a bodily and cognitive expression.
- Appendix including conference proceedings on “playing the voice”, contextualizing the voice as a performative phenomenon in contemporary practice.
The work adopts an approach that considers the voice as a complex manifestation of interaction among body, mind, and musical context, consistent with theories of improvisation as a cognitively integrated, rather than merely executional, phenomenon (Sawyer, 2006; Pressing, 1998).
Voice and Improvisation
A particularly innovative aspect is the attention to vocal improvisation through analogies with shamanic and ritual sound practices, highlighting the link between bodily experience and creative processes. This aligns with research indicating that performative language functions as a dynamic cognitive device, capable of generating unexpected structures during performance (Pressing, 1998).
3. Voice and Power: Il potere della voce
Il potere della voce. Per un uso consapevole dello strumento vocale (2019) offers a socio-historical and practical-didactic analysis of the voice. The first part explores the voice’s role in human evolution and cultural systems; the second part addresses conscious vocal use through exercises and operative theories for effective and sustainable sound production (aracne-editrice.it).
The text presents the voice as an anthropological and symbolic instrument, capable of mediating social relations, rituals, nonverbal languages, and power dynamics. This approach reflects the idea that vocal expression is an intersubjective process, involving not only the speaker but a network of social and cultural relationships (Goffman, 1959).
The second part provides practical tools for conscious vocal use, integrating technical aspects (breathing, phonation, resonance) with bodily self-awareness. Such integration aligns with models of vocal training that consider learning as neuroplastically significant (Wan & Schlaug, 2010).
Comparative Thematic Analysis
Despite differing in purpose and structure, the two works share key conceptual categories:
- Voice as a bodily phenomenon: both texts emphasize body–voice unity, moving beyond a reductionist focus on mere sound production.
- Voice as a communicative and performative device: in both jazz analysis and anthropological reflection, the voice is considered a means of profound communication, connected to experience, identity, and interpersonal relations.
- Awareness and mastery: conscious use of the voice—whether in performance or daily life—requires integration of theoretical knowledge, technical practice, and critical reflection.
The comparative analysis of La voce che suona and Il potere della voce demonstrates how Anna Luana Tallarita approaches the voice from a broad, interdisciplinary, and pedagogically fruitful perspective. These works contribute to the discourse that goes beyond mere technical execution to include anthropological, performative, historical, and social dimensions of the human voice. They provide valuable tools not only for singers and singing teachers but for anyone engaged in communication and vocal performance.
Works by Tallarita cited
- Tallarita, A. L. (2022). La voce che suona. Tecnica improvvisazione e jazz. Aracne Editrice. (unilibro.it)
- Tallarita, A. L. (2019). Il potere della voce. Per un uso consapevole dello strumento vocale. Aracne Editrice. (aracne-editrice.it)
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