There are many vocal techniques that exist in our time, but there is one vocal technique that shines due to the rarity of the people that can do it, just like 83-year-old Patsy Montana. Yodeling is where someone rapidly switches between singing voice and falsetto. Changing pitches while singing is already hard but changing pitches swiftly takes it to the next level. So how does Patsy still do it with such accuracy and grace at her age?
Patsy Montana, an Arkansas girl, can be considered as someone who has been blessed with a natural affinity for music. She has an exceptional vocal range – A#3 – D5, vocal prowess, and great mastery with playing musical instruments just like the guitar, violin, and organ.
And she displayed her genius with her live performance of “I Want To Be A Cowboy’s Sweetheart.”
“I Want To Be A Cowboy’s Sweetheart” is an original song that was written and performed by Patsy Montana. The melody is quite familiar, especially to those who listen to country music, as the melody was derived from Stuart Hamblen’s “Texas Plains.” This original song from Patsy’s features a great share of her vocal prowess, especially when she’s yodeling.
Technically speaking, this song is difficult especially when you perform it live. That’s why only a handful have tried to do so. But Patsy makes it look and sound so effortless. One of her most remarkable live performances of the song was in 1991 on the KWC Americana Radio Station.
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Patsy, with her trusted guitar along with two cowboy guitarists, performed the song. And as hard as this song can be, Patsy was just having fun and feeling the vibe of the music. Even during the yodeling parts (where the effort needed to sing it well needs to be twice as much), Patsy was just smiling like it was a usual Tuesday singing on her own balcony.
But the interesting question now is how does she still manage to sing so effortlessly like her young self – especially yodel – at 83?
It is true that older singers decline due to aging, but it looks like this does not apply to Patsy, because this cowgirl can still yodel so easily. One of the main reasons for this is her natural born vocal cord which gives her the ability to do such vocal technique with ease maintained through consistent vocal training. Patsy has always loved singing, and she would sing whenever given the chance. Throughout her career, she did performances on Late Night shows like Letterman and more. Her mastery of various instruments also aided in improving her vocal techniques like yodeling.
And lastly, a lot of people may not know this, but one of the biggest factors that cause a decline in old singers is the habitual use of cigarettes as it damages the vocal cords. Smoking is common for country singers, but Patsy stayed clean from smoking. Being a nonsmoker is a huge thing for the cowgirl. If she was a smoker, she probably could not yodel with such strength, not to mention sing with such grace at that age.
Check out Patsy Montana’s amazing yodeling performance of “I Want To Be A Cowboy’s Sweetheart” in the video below.
