According to Oxford Music Online, Rock and Roll is a musical genre original from the USA, which became established in the mid-1950s and is usually used to refer to the popular music of the 1960s and 70s. The term “rocking and rolling” originally described the movement of a ship on the ocean, but it can be found in blues lyrics from the 1930s, serving as a euphemism for sex. Although some historians defend that rock and roll began when white teenagers started listening and dancing to rhythm and blues, it is often described as an amalgam of black rhythm and blues and white country music, with a bigger contribution of black musicians.

In the earliest rock and roll of the late 1940s and early 1950s, the instruments used as the lead instrument were either the piano or the saxophone. In the middle 1950s, these instruments started being replaced by the guitar. Classic rock and roll is usually played with one or two electric guitars (one rhythm and one lead), a double bass or an electric bass and a drum kit.

Musically, Rock and Roll combined boogie-woogie rhythms; the 12-bar blues chord structure; vocal styles from the blues and country music, the euphoric shouts of gospel and the innovatory rhythmic treatment of lyrics introduced by Elvis Presley. There is a strong rhythmic drive provided by straight quaver rhythms and solos on the electric guitar, as well as an accentuated backbeat (syncopated accentuation on the ‘off’ beat) usually provided by a snare drum.

The migrations of black and white southerners to urban areas in the north and west of the USA, the post-war prosperity, the break-up of the large swing bands after the war, the rise of independent local record labels and the growth of mass-mediated culture contributed for the development of this genre. Rock and Roll crossed racial boundaries as radio, recordings and television facilitated cultural interactions, with white teenagers acquiring new idols in black musicians. Chuck Berry was one of the pioneers of this musical genre and is considered by many the father of Rock and Roll.

Rock and Roll songs dealt with issues of cars, school, dating, clothing, events and conflicts that most listeners could somehow relate to, and introduced topics that were considered taboo, such as sex. This new kind of music also tried to break boundaries and express the real emotions that people were feeling but didn’t talk about.  

Soon this genre would spread around the globe influencing young musicians especially in Britain. American rock and roll artists such as Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Buddy Holly became major forces in the British charts influencing a new generation of musicians.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s the interest in Rock and Roll was decreasing in America and increasing in Britain. Groups in major urban areas like Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London began to arise. About the same time, a British blues scene developed initially led by blues followers who were inspired by American musicians such as Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf.

Many groups moved towards the beat music of rock and roll and rhythm and blues. A new form of Rock and Roll created by The Beatles and other bands would mark the history of music. British bands would achieve national and international success and a new wave of rock roll would invade America (the British Invasion). Other groups followed The Beatles like Freddie and The Dreamers, the Dave Clark Five, and the more blues-influenced The Animals, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, The Who and The Yardbirds.

Rock and Roll was more than a musical genre. It influenced lifestyles, fashion, attitudes and language. It also helped the cause of the civil rights movement as both African American teenagers and white American teens enjoyed the music. 

A good singing posture is essential so that the vocal resonators and the breathing mechanism work at maximum efficiency. There are seven areas listed as possible vocal resonators: the chest, the tracheal tree, the larynx itself, the pharynx, the oral cavity, the nasal cavity and the sinuses.

According to Oxford Singing Lessons online, we should create a vertical imaginary line from the arch of the foot up to the ear, passing through the knee, top of the hip and the shoulder (left picture). It should be a comfortable relaxed position instead of a rigid position. When we straighten up our body, most of us end up looking slightly downwards. We should keep our eye-line horizontal, parallel to the ground, making sure we keep the ear in line with the shoulder. Our shoulders and chest should be relaxed. When we have the right posture for singing, we should ‘look important’. Our knees should be unlocked and undone. They must be slightly flexed as if we were ready to start running. We should point our feet towards and our weight should be evenly distributed. The distance between our feet should be approximately the same as the distance between our shoulders (right picture). 

A good alignment and body posture allows a better access to the abdominal processes, free rib and diaphragm movement for breathing when singing. An effective breath management is essential in order to sustain the air required for singing. A good posture is also vital for the position and free movement of the larynx, which is where we control pitch. A free and open upper body is crucial for a good reaction of the resonators that color the sound for tonal beauty, emotional expression and articulation.

As mentioned before, having a good posture is not about finding a fixed position and stay still. This would mean holding our body rigidly. In order to be fluid we need to allow our body to make small movements, constantly adjusting our position, passing through the central point several times. This way we are never completely stationary and the ‘average’ position over time is central.

We should always keep the previous information in mind without getting obsessed about it, otherwise our body won’t be free from tension and we might not breathe or express ourselves properly, or even have a good and pleasant experience.