Thanks Bert,
I know just what you mean. When I am first learning a difficult piece that is really ornamented or really modal then I often will absolutely copy the singers inflection and everything. I consider this training and in fact they are my voice teachers. Delores Keane has no idea she teaches me voice - and for almost free too!

I probably sing a song 50 or more times before it gets in the band repertoire or into my solo repertoire and once I learn it, I keep working it into my own thing. I change where the ornaments go, or how it is phrased, or how I think about which words carry the heart of the song. However, I try to stay true to the traditional elements of the piece as much as is possible depending on the band setting of the song. If I learn a song from a cd then I will stear clear of that recording until the song is my own. Sometimes I will go back to the original piece and copy the inflections again just to work out any americanizing that I have unintentionally done.. and then I go off on my own again. It is an interesting process - endlessly entertaining.

Ok, I better get off this computer - I am off to the Walnut Valley Festival tomorrow morning. Time to hang out at Carp Camp and just be goofy.

Cheers,
Claire