Why Don't I Sing With An English Accent?

🥁 How I Upload My Music to Streaming Services
For 7% Off Your First Year of DistroKid (Affiliate Link)
distrokid.com/vip/maryspender
🎼 BEAT by ‪@RachelKCollierRKC‬
🎸 MY TOUR DATES bit.ly/MarySpenderTour
🥁 MY PATREON CLUB - DMs, Exclusive Videos, Giveaways
/ maryspender
MY COURSES
🎤 How To Write Songs bit.ly/thecraftofsongwriting
🎸 Learn Fingerstyle Guitar bit.ly/3vfo7mz
📷 How I Built My KZbin Channel bit.ly/41JTSk2
🎛️ Learn Ableton
- How To Produce bit.ly/3Qs0rCl
- How To Perform bit.ly/3QolLIZ
✍️ MY NEWSLETTER bit.ly/21stCenturyMusician
💔 MY SUPER SEXY DEBUT ALBUM
Digital Download bit.ly/4bhFQcD
CD bit.ly/4bdZA0I
Vinyl (Pre-Order) bit.ly/supersexyvinyl
Cassette (Pre-Order) bit.ly/3VS5Oim
Apple Music apple.co/3Al6df3
Spotify spoti.fi/2VX2nu2
📖 MY REFERENCES bit.ly/maryspender_bibliography
00:00 - Accent Rap
01:26 - My English Accent
03:47 - Style over Substance
05:08 - Vocal DNA
06:30 - Genre Matters
07:43 - Phonological Change
09:08 - Distrokid

[@richards200]

This was like taking a degree in music in under 10 minutes... Love it 🥰

[@krisfrederick5001]

Mary's audition for "8 Mile." Being a singer songwriter myself, the enunciation, intonation and feeling that you're expressing is everything. However it comes out of your mouth and heart. 💙 From Detroit

[@johnbeamon]

Vomit on my cardigan, Mum's shepherd's pie.

[@terrywright7893]

Really love this. I suspect there’s a potentially huge audience that will appreciate your well-researched erudition. Nice!

[@edw.b856]

Mary is a code-switching pro!

[@Matt.Thompson.1976]

Well done Mary. Thank you.

[@markkempton4579]

One of my favorites from you. Great mix of entertainment and education.

[@gcvrsa]

I am an American from Gen X, of recent British heritage-the British branch of my family came to the US in the 1920s, and my great-grandfather was still alive in my childhood. When I reached my most formative years as a musician, I was primarily influenced by British new wave and alternative rock bands of the 1980s, like Thomas Dolby, Kate Bush, Depeche Mode, The Cure, The Smiths, Cocteau Twins, and many others, not to mention the explosive popularity of British musical theatre, with shows like The Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables debuting in the West End and on Broadway during my teen years. I went on to read Music Theatre at university, which as you might surmise, includes a fair portion of Shakespeare. So, as a musician, a vocalist, and an actress, learning RP is almost de rigeur, and if you drop me in a group of British people, within 30 minutes, I will unconsciously be speaking in RP.

[@thogue5]

Well done, that was very informative. Loved your opening rap🙂

[@charlescdt6509]

Damn Beauty, Brains, and Flow? You go girl, keep kicking butt. Mad Skills. Loved the inclusion of the cat.

[@DanielPineau]

Aaww Yeah! - You just knocked it outta the park, Mary!!!

[@ralfklonowski7840]

A blend of Rap and linguistic analysis - totally adorable! Thanks also for including Leia Organa/Carrie Fischer in your list of American icons.

[@mairnealachcaillte771]

I have wondered about that for some time now, very interesting topic and explanation. I do remember times in the past when listening to Irish and Scottish trad , when the artist did not loose their local accent , and it made the performance feel more genuine. your voice is amazing and pleasant to listen to, so sing it like you feel it in the moment, we'll just sit back and enjoy it ... and before I forget "Thank You for the Music"♥

[@brienmiller1005]

Many have explained this, but none have offered such a bad a** intro. Well done.

[@WritteninBlood]

First of all, your cat is beautiful. Secondly, this is hands-down one of your best videos, Mary. Lastly, your album can't possibly get to me fast enough. I can't wait!

[@WritteninBlood]

@@Mustaine1ify Go be a troll somewhere else.

[@WritteninBlood]

@Mustaine1ify But you decide to have your laugh at my expense. Then you call me sensitive and age-shame me. Yep, you're a troll.

[@WritteninBlood]

@Mustaine1ify I'm not a snowflake. It actually takes a lot to offend me. It just sort of threw me when I saw the cringe comment. You don't seem so much like a troll anymore, so apology accepted, and I am also sorry.

[@Mustaine1ify]

@@WritteninBlood All good buddy. My English sense of humour can be quite cutting and sarcastic but it's all tongue in cheek. I meant no offence 👍🏻

[@WritteninBlood]

@@Mustaine1ify None taken

[@VillageofShadows765]

Wow that's awesome 👍😊😊 Cute Kittie by the way 😍😍

[@ratwynd]

Excellent explanation. I am a Yank but as a kid traveled a lot and will quickly adopt the local modes of speech in various US areas. People have a very hard time pinning down where I am from because I am not really from anywhere accent specific, I am an Army brat. When singing I do not nor has anyone told me I sing with any accent other than that borrowed from the original song. I do some Stan Rogers and Blue Rodeo song covers, both are Canadian and I know I sing in a style that replicates them to some degree vocally. It is not really intentional but comes from my traveling upbringing and is somewhat automatic. But it is authentic to the music and I just do it naturally. What, Ay!

[@iamnobody2]

ooh, what stan roger's songs do you sing and can i hear them? love a bit of stan rogers!

[@ratwynd]

@@iamnobody2 "Northwest Passage"(Acapella like original), "White Squall". So far.

[@iamnobody2]

@@ratwynd great songs, i'd love to hear them if they're somewhere i can listen to them. i wish i could sing well, but i'm terrible. i don't let that stop me though! barrett's privateers is a great song to sing

[@TroyNaumu808]

I love your lecture lesson series on how you grew your KZbin. Very helpful and informative. Anyways...... I imagine that I sing with a slight British-ish accent kinda sorta even though I am not British. I am mostly asian pacific islander but I do have a bit of Scottish and Irish from Great Grand mother. As a child growing up in San Francisco California in the mid 1960's I listened to a lot of Sir Tom Jones. When I was a baby my mum said I would stand up in my crib and attempt to sing and dance whenever Sir Tom was singing 😊

[@mototakahe836]

I loved that"rap"and I love your R.P. and your modesty, you left yourself out when listing what England is famous for. I managed to cultivate almost R.P. during my time a Durham, the university not the prison , but being from the north east and working in a company in the north east, the lilt came back and stayed. When doing presentations around the USA I was often asked to continue talking , not for the content but just for the "glorious " sound of my accent, so make of it what you will. I developed a mid Atlantic accent when working in North and South America.The open vowels of the North East accent helped a lot with Spanish and French, which in turn earned me a living. As you say use it to get the most from your business audience.Genteely retired in France with motorbikes and guitars. Keep up your great work. I love your attitude, your determination and your voice in all accents..

[@sonoftheredfox]

Mary the musician, youtuber, documentarian, and now PHILOLOGIST! I like your cat.

[@oldmanpence4803]

Mary, this was absolutely delightful. Thank you so much for the continued great content and the amazing music!

[@PohlBarnProductions]

over the last 5 years here in the KZbin community, I have gained friends all over the world and I really do not notice the accents anymore unless you are from here in the southern states, I have many friends in the UK talk to them often and It's just not something I pay attention to anymore, you go ahead and sing how you want I think you are wonderful and enjoy your channel, Have a great rest of the week,

[@bloqk16]

I was a youngster back when the British [music] Invasion was in full-force in the US back in the mid-1960s. To my untrained ears, the likes of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, etc., sounded American to me when they sang. It was very interesting back in that era to see/hear film clips of the band members in their speaking voices, as the contrasts between their speaking to singing voices was profound.

[@The_Scienceboy]

Your videos are so well done. Your delivery is so crisp and engaging. Well done.

[@MrThematthewshow]

For the first several years of my music career, I sang in an English accent, because most of the bands I listened to were from the UK, and that's just what I thought a good vocalist should sound like. I finally started shedding it, and now sound a bit more like I'm from Texas, which I am. As Miles Davis said, it's amazing how long it can take to sound like yourself.

[@erickent4248]

This has been a thing I experienced as well, When I talk I have the general Florida sound, but have a tendency to sound like I am from Leeds when I sing. I can try to erase it, but it keeps creeping in, heh.

[@daomingjin]

what's kinda funny is sometimes the music you listen to can change your accent too. I'm American, born and raised in Michigan. So i have a fairly neutral American accent. However, i spent nearly 20 years living and working in China. Mandarin was my primary language, however the music i listened to is mostly sung in Scots Gaelic or Scottish English. After 20 years of not really speaking English with native speakers i returned to America. Everywhere i go people seem to ask me "oh, is this your first time in America?". Shit this is embarrassing. I've been back about 6 months and i've given up trying to speak with an American accent. Now the irony of it all is that because this is my first time back home in 20 years America really does feel like a foreign country to me.

[@emdiar6588]

The funny thing is, if Robert Plant sings blues in an American accent, nobody really complains or even notices. If, however, Bruce Springsteen started singing like Liam Gallagher or John Lydon, I think people would be wondering wtf was going on.

[@TimmyTickle]

@@erickent4248 Leeds? Are you a Kaiser Chiefs fan?

[@michaelpitts6001]

Great video Mary !!! I learned about of new stuff. Thank you !!!! from one of your 1000 true fans....

[@matthewjamestaylor]

SoCal American here. I go back to when the Beatles were still together (I'm well aged), but the first singer where I could clearly hear their UK accent was Lily Allen and then even more so with Alex Turner (I'm glad you mentioned both of them). After that the flood gates opened. Great video, Mary. Thanks for sharing . Cheers (I think I stole Cheers from you guys, but it's nearly as perfect as the word Dude).

[@Michael-mm3fm]

John Lydon was a couple of decades before.

[@bogmusic]

Another smart and interesting video from Mary Spender. Thank you!

[@andreaseriksson7327]

Superb video!!! The opening rap was very clever and cool! Way to goooo Mary! 👌🥳🎶✨

[@justpassnthru]

The best explanation of a phenomenon that has intrigued me for decades. Thanks so much!

[@evil1259]

thank you..your videos are filled with great information. your music is fun, candid , and very real. again,,thank you.

[@brucelittle3958]

I love your speaking English accent, Mary! So pleasant and interesting as an American! I would love to hear it in a song, also! For some musical genres "Silence is Golden, but my eyes still see!"

[@dpg227]

She sounds like a proper Englishwoman.

[@Kwaker76]

Genuinely interesting video Mary. A fascinating take on something I'd not really thought too much about before.

[@keen4aussies678]

I loved this! Great job and hard work!

[@chrismclaren4871]

The very best distilled explanation to a question many have asked themselves from both sides of the pond. Thanks Mary 😊

[@CaptainOfMyBurden82]

I’ve long wondered about this. Thanks for shedding some light on it, Mary!

[@willmcbride4435]

Wow. Well-researched! That was a far broader answer to a question that I’ve had in mind for many years.

[@fuzzytalz]

Another thoroughly enjoyable and informative video! Thanks, Mary!!

[@bloomtv3-thealtchannel368]

good stuff, fun and informative, thanks Mary

[@sailman44147]

You are AMAZING!!! Love your videos and this one is another great one. Keep up the great work

[@sbai4319]

This is great. I was born in Australia and I have both an Adelaide accent and the influence of my parents Hertfordshire English. So much so that I sound English and some people even at home wonder where I come from.

[@ButterStick64]

I’ve always thought about this for years when I was growing up, so it’s awesome to see it be the subject of a video of yours. Love it.

[@RamonRodgers]

I've always been curious about this. Love it!

[@johnbarker5009]

The intro made me grin and really grabbed my attention. The rest of the video was interesting and informative. I always assumed it was something to do with how you just have to do different things with your mouth to sing a word as opposed to speaking it. Annunciation is so much more critical when singing as opposed to speaking, for example.

[@sillysongs19]

well done, this topic could use a several hour lecture and still be fascinating. You did a great job boiling it down.

[@edphaze6550]

As an American, I really appreciate your explanation of why British singers modify their accents. Also, I love the fact that Johnny Rotten, Wattie and other British punk vocalists seem to exaggerate their respective accents. Looking forward to your debut album, Mary!

[@andrew66862]

Also Ian Rubbish

[@gregrose6915]

The Monks.

[@M0rket]

For what it's worth, I (danish) had a then romantic relation (spanish) ask why I didn't have an accent when singing in english. I guess it's not just limited to the brits.

[@CorbCorbin]

@@M0rket Like the Filipino guy, who was hired to sing for Journey. He sounded just like Steve Perry, because of his own natural ability, and then practicing singing those Journey songs, snd basically mimicking Perry. He barely spoke English when he first joined the band.

[@chuckmaddison2924]

Gotta love Jim Nabors , speaks properly, yet it's lost when he sings.

[@jermaineholland7108]

Entertaining and informative. Well done!

[@scottkidwellmusic9175]

Well done! That was fun and informative. Also, love the big orange cat in the rap video. They looked thrilled 😂 Be good to you 🙏🏻🤍

[@JohnFoxBass]

My #1 favorite Mary Spender video so far. Amazing detailed info, very interesting, answers a lifelong question I've had, and exceptionally well presented. Awesome!! You rock! (And inside my head, the Psychedelic Furs "Love My Way" keeps repeating over and over..."

[@jarleygarden3671]

Absolutely love to listen to your RP, as I now have learned it’s called ❤

[@itslikethesamebutdifferent8020]

Loved this. Def my favorite video of yours.

[@carlos_tbg8]

Great video! Keep up the great work!

[@eldergeektromeo9868]

Thanks Mary!❤

[@rockycap7762]

This is an awesome explanation. I have often wondered about this.

[@alisak58]

Such a naturally gifted teacher you are Mary.

[@Ampman]

I learn so much from your videos and that was a question I’ve always wondered about. 🙏

[@lelandstronks319]

Very informative, thanks Mary.🎼👍

[@gnmatsu]

Wow. That was super fun! Super cool! How fun! I am subscribed.

[@JordanColey]

Love this video and the storytelling! I hadn't ever thought about it until a few years ago when I thought about my own singing, and realized I had kind of a mix between American and British influences. Which kind of makes sense thinking about who I grew up listening to. I really like where I landed, and I think as long as you sound expressive and comfortable with that, you're good. Really excited to hear your debut album!

[@marklittlehale5756]

Best opening to a video ever, really enjoyed this and I learned a lot.

[@highlanderknight]

I have always recognized and wondered about this, for Decades. Singers, especially those in Heavy Metal, that come from Britain (and other countries) all tend to sound like they are American, or to be more specific, accent free. You have freed my mind to ponder and be confused about some other random another subject.

[@Grock66]

That was awesome Mary 🥰

[@SteveP-vm1uc]

I, for one, miss the British accent.. I spent some time in England while in the US Navy. Plymouth, London and a few other places and have missed the voices and the niceness since the 80's... It's wonderful to here Mary speak....

[@jeffmeteyer5999]

oh this is hysterical ; one more dimension Mary!

[@leospanghero5479]

Great content!!!!! Best of both worlds

[@xane7045]

Really liked this and didn’t expect it thank you haha

[@Stanky5000]

Thank you, Professor Spender!

[@catarinavaz]

I wasn't expecting this video, but it was a cool surprise!

[@mrparlanejxtra]

Good video. Love the photos and the knowledge.

[@mrparlanejxtra]

Innitt?

[@Camenucete]

the explanation ever!!! thank youuuu!!

[@Iconoplastt]

Mary, your great, love your stuff (all of it)!

[@TonyThomas10000]

Excellent exposition. I have always wondered about this.

[@dougmorgan6616]

Lots of interesting info in this video. Thanks. BTW, I like your cat.

[@lukibass29]

LOVELY!!!! I've seen you took inspiration in your friend Elle!

[@JohnBodoni]

I wasn't expecting to learn this today. Learning it from Mary is a bonus.

[@KevinMerinoCreations]

This is awesome y'all! [Said as a non-native US southerner] 👏👏👏

[@edwarddomina4195]

Best explanation of the "music" accent. Thank you Mary.

[@Cobalt-60]

You made sure to include the influence of the Windrush Generation on 1950s to 1970s UK popular music! 👏

[@mrdemokrative8018]

Love it!

[@dwightropp3014]

Well articulated!

[@ColbyAzimuth]

Fantastic history lesson! Absolutely unexpected, amazing, and wow. So much there!

[@Mr_B31]

I love your videos. Thank you 🙏

[@markadkins9290]

Great stuff!

[@pimianimavdo1523]

Loved the cheeky intro song! Good for you for having good humour as well as Smarts! Also, love your singing. Cheers! M :)

[@timparker9174]

Cool video. Thanks!

[@JohnnyBeegood1]

Blimey. Mary Spender University has rocked my world about the way I talk😆 Please come to Boston and give your TED talk.🤣

[@fredatkins5890]

That was really cool!

[@wmsimpson1960]

Brilliant intro, Mary. Well done!

[@velocita6907]

This was absolutely brilliant...from Chicago!

[@supertuscans9512]

This is wickedly clever!👏👏👏

[@danielbristow9046]

Thank you for such an insightful and illuminating video. Great to hear about the style and manner of singing needing to authentically inhabit the sound world of the song which performer and listener live within for that short time and the considerations and mechanisms required to make that happen. At a tangent but something you touched on was the nature of the language used, the appropriateness/immersion of experience of, say, opera sung in English whose origin was German, Italian or French or indeed lieder translated into English. Thank you again.

[@bytorsnowdog5885]

Well done and thanks. I've always kind of wondered about accents and singing. You are always well prepared and it is obvious that you have done your research on whatever the subject matter, but there is just something soothing in your voice and mannerisms. You could put out a video explaining the different kinds of cardboard and I would probably watch it till the end. 🥰

[@rocketpost1]

I love your videos Mary and you are a natural in front of the camera. If you wanted to, I'm sure you could get a job as a presenter or newsreader even but your path in life is music and that's what it always will be. You are still only young but already I view you as a national treasure. I know it's a lot of work but it would be really great if you could do a film lasting say an hour. I'm looking forward to it already. There's a lot of love out here for you Mary so keep up the excellent work.

[@WayneKitching]

My wife is an English teacher whose parents were from the UK, and she talks about Gen-Zee, but in other contexts she says zed. Similarly, I've heard an American retrocomputing KZbinr talk about a Sinclair Zed Ecks 81, because it was a British computer.

[@BoundaryElephant]

Aaaahhhh! So cool!

[@judih.8754]

Excellent commentary Mary. I know it takes you time to research and put these together. From my POV its well worth the effort. Funny thing, my young granddaughters call their parents Mommy and Daddy. I'm a US viewer, so keep mixing up your zee's and zed's! I love it.

[@vanlepthien6768]

I (and my kids) grew up on a large diet of British literature, starting with A.A. Milne, through Arthur Ransome, and for my kids, J.K. Rowling (the Canadian editions, which were textually identical to the UK version). The kids also watched a lot of Dr. Who when they were growing up - actually, a lot of British programming on TV Ontario and the CBC. All of us use both British and American terms and construction, occasionally confusing our fellow Americans. Singing, though, depends on the song. I would sing them "Torn a' Ma Goon" at bedtime in my best Scots rendition.

[@islay023]

Thanks I’ve been always wandering this

[@Dragon_rls]

Thank you Ms. Mary.

[@leonardallen7380]

Absolutely Brilliant 🎼🎵🎶🎸💜

[@Brian-zd7bv]

“Vocal dna” Brilliant and thoughtfully penned

[@musicman70707]

As a pre-teen in the '70s I became a huge fan of Elton John's early '70s music. I'm from the state of Alabama in the southern US, and I noticed how often Elton sang with what sounded very similar to a southern US accent, although on certain songs he did preserve his English accent. By the way, I love the sound of an English accent, especially one like yours. Love your channel by the way. You speak very well and show yourself to be very knowledgeable about many things. Keep up the good work.