This is inspired by Craig’s comment on my previous entry. As I have dusted off my flute and played it again after very little activity in the last 7 years,…
Author: Brian Lee
When I was playing flute more, it was an important status symbol for me to have an orchestra position. Regardless of the other performing outlets in my life, being in…
This topic comes up a few times a year on the various forums that I belong to. It’s time for me to write a fairly “permanent” piece on it that…
Last year, one of my very bright students asked me this: I was looking at the [a school of music] website and they said they look for talent and not…
As a teacher of teens I have to work somewhat cooperatively with the students’ choral directors, musical theatre directors, and various other coaches. I had a situation today that got…
I judged college junior women and college senior men today. I will write a few random notes here. Please ask other people what your “starter piece” should be. A lot…
I had my monthly voice lesson today. I love my lessons. My teacher has fantastic ears and many, many years of experience singing and teaching. He is very good at…
My dad was a teacher in my high school. Since there were only two English teachers for grades 7-12 in my district, it was unavoidable that I have him in…
I am a teacher. It is in my upbringing (my biological parents and stepmom were teachers), my history, and my soul. However, I am a teacher of SINGING. I am…
First: Laryngeal height The way to balance a voice has often been described as a “balancing act” between the “stretcher muscles” (cricothyroid) and the “closer muscles” (mostly thyroarytenoid). This is…
One of the phenomena that is always interesting as a teacher and a learner is that of the “click” moment. I will try to define the “click” this way: when…
These are styles, not physiological phenomena. There may be common tendencies in the technical approaches to some songs in some styles, but there are not hard and fast rules. An…