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From the Preface:

It is not possible to write about vocal history in a vacuum. No matter how much teachers and students of voice may wish to avoid contaminating their under­standing of the past with new values in the present, they cannot ignore the fact that both writer and reader are inevitably affected by the assumptions and beliefs that have been passed down. Many of the issues addressed in this book as prob­lems are viewed today as “givens,” not to be rethought. It would be impossible to present a persuasive argument for the significance of such issues without ex­amining, at some length, the genesis of the issues and the widespread precon­ceptions regarding causations.
        The mission of this book is two-fold. Firstly, to engage the reader in a new way of thinking whereby one starts to realize that the sound of a singing or speaking voice has to do with how one uses his or her voice. HOW one speaks or sings. The accompanying CD of the Author’s voice shows that when you change the way that you sing—you change the sound that you sing. Cause and Effect! Leontyne Price, Robert Merrill, Christa Ludwig, Nicolai Ghiarov, Rene Pape, Franco Corelli, Joan Sutherland, Ruth Ann Swenson, and Luciano Pavarotti all sing in a certain way, creating a certain sound. We, as listeners, tend to compartmentalize this achievement in a category called “Of course it’s great singing—it’s Leontyne, Birgit, Jussi. . . .” So now we the listeners don't have to feel bad about not being able to create this same kind of sound. “God just didn’t give me the voice” should be changed to “I wish I sang in the way that Leontyne sings!”
        The second half of the mission is to be as concise as possible in explaining “TEXTURE.” Texture is the sound that is fed by breath to convey the voice. We all have many textures we can use. Some textures are open, some are tight, and some almost closed (causing the battle with the breath because the respiratory system is in a fight to stay open). However, there is one texture, and only one, that is completely open, therefore, totally free. This is the texture of great sing­ing—not good or real good, but great! It is the texture that does not tighten the valve (larynx) and cause closure and a muscular battle with the breath. This “great singer” texture is very specific because it bypasses overt muscular in­volvement and is seemingly an “out of body experience” for the doer. This phe­nomenon cannot be explained to anyone who has not experienced it. In discuss­ing this topic, we have a terminology problem. The words mean different things to people who have not had the experience. When great singers tell us what they feel when they sing, they are telling us the whole story. We however, only can grasp it to the degree that we can do it (sing in that way). Cause and Effect. If we do not sing in that way, we can not feel those sensations and, therefore, we cannot make those sounds.
        This book will lead singers into a new way of listening, learning, doing, feeling, and sounding. It is a wonderful journey to take and will assist them in finding their “Total Vocal Potential.” They will own it; they will understand it; but, unfortunately, they will not be able to converse on any real level with others who do not sing in this way. So, when asked, “How do you make that sound?” you too will say, “It was a gift from God. I don’t know why He chose me, but I am glad that He did.”

The following is an excerpt from Debra Greschner's review of Head First in The Journal of Singing:

"The inspiration for Head First struck when Denes Striny heard Christa Ludwig pose this question in a master class: "Where have all the head voices gone?" The question resonated profoundly with Striny. His premise is that the head voice, which Striny believes is not understood by most contemporary singers or pedagogues, is the only true operatic sound. The rampant use of chest voice has not only degraded the art of singing, but also substantially shortened singers' careers. The author is an advocate for singing in the head voice, with a judicious use of chest voice. The title of the book, however, has a double meaning. The term "head first" also refers to his belief that singers must be intelligent about voice use. "Use your head, and use your head voice," summarizes Striny, placing the responsibility for healthy, beautiful singing upon the singers themselves.

Striny chronicles his own vocal journey as an illustration, referring to examples on a companion compact disk that is available for purchase separately. On the first track, he is heard at eighteen years with a ringing, lyric tenor voice. When Striny was nineteen, his voice teacher began training his tenorino voice as a bass-baritone. After seven years of singing bass-baritone--and with a measure of success as a professional singer--Striny felt he sounded much older than his twenty-five years. Frustrated, he began searching for his own free sound with self-directed study. Periodically, he would take lessons with various teachers, but it was not until he began studying with Birgit Nilsson that he found a mentor. The relationship lasted nearly two decades--until her death--and her influence is an omnipresent theme in the book.

Striny places the blame for the decline of great singing upon the development of voice science. Ever since Manuel Garcia invented the laryngoscope, he writes, the focus of vocal instruction has shifted to the throat, resulting in loud, chest-dominated voices that are incapable of pianissimos. The thesis of the book is that chest voice singing is constricted, while head voice singing is free and unobstructed. The pitch range of the falsetto/head register begins at [E.sup.[flat].sub.4], and extends to the top of the voice. This pitch is the first break in the passaggio, while the second break occurs an octave higher. At that point, the falsetto register begins to dominate the head register. Striny believes that most teachers get the head and chest registers confused.

Striny neatly encapsulates his directives for singing in three short pages of exercises. The ten vocalises are to be sung without muscular interference. The jaw is relaxed, and the sound should be free, easy, and beautiful. The vowel [u], which contains the most head voice, is the foundation for the vocalises. The exercises, and Striny's directions, are excellent.

But Striny is deeply pessimistic about the state of voice pedagogy, going so far as to say that the chances of finding a good teacher who understands vocal sound and technique are very slim. It is ironic that Striny, who was profoundly influenced by the tutelage of Nilsson, has little faith that there are other capable teachers. His cynicism stems from the increased interest in voice science. He delivers stinging criticism for pedagogy based solely upon physiologic information, without an emphasis on the beauty and ease of the sound: "Armed with anatomy books, legions of voice teachers have marched into their voice lessons ready to slay the ugly-toned dragon with the pull of the arytenoids or the tug of the cricoid."

Striny rails at building a voice using only muscular knowledge, articulating the concerns of many voice teachers who are dismayed by a purely anatomic approach.

The philosophies and practices of pedagogues are indelibly stamped by their own experiences as students, and Striny is no exception. His self-directed vocal exploration, and his repeated references to Nilsson's work on her own voice, unassisted by a teacher, is an implicit nod to singers to take charge of their singing. While taking responsibility for your voice is commendable--and desirable--it is also an undeniable fact that singers cannot hear themselves accurately because they inhabit their instrument. Moreover, many young singers do not have a clearly formed vocal ideal; in blunt terms, they cannot always tell good singing from bad singing--thus making the instruction of a qualified teacher invaluable.

Striny's own experience with Nilsson underlines the importance of finding the right teacher--and being persistent in the search. The author's pedagogy was shaped, in large degree, by his study with Nilsson, and he refers frequently to her work as singer and teacher. An appendix reproduces every card and letter he received from her, and the cover illustration is the great soprano in a Metropolitan Opera production of Turandot. The book is a paean to Nilsson.

Striny's explanation of the components of beautiful singing appears alongside biting criticism of contemporary pedagogy and the quality of singing in general. What Striny has to say will resonate with pedagogues who wonder why there are fewer singers with long careers. The scarcity may be due to a number of reasons--including larger houses, compressed travel schedules, higher orchestra tuning, and pressure from management to sing more performances and unsuitable repertoire--but Striny opines that vocal technique should not be omitted from the list of possible causes. For centuries, pundits have been bemoaning the demise of great singing, and for as many years, great singers have appeared. Perhaps it is the very debate that energizes the art. With Head First, Striny brings another point of view to the pedagogic discussion."