An inquisitive and articulate colleague of mine recently brought up some great questions about how we frame our experiences. It was a pretty interesting angle. She asked this question: If we say that we learned to be better teachers because of having bad training or other adversity to overcome, is it because it’s true or […]
Tag: goals
See you at the NATS Conference!
I was pleased to hear that my proposal was accepted for a poster session at the biennial conference of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, which takes place June 22-26 of this year in Las Vegas. Several people have asked me “What is a poster session?” At a poster session, each presenter has a […]
Methods versus principles
As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble. —Ralph Waldo Emerson
Concepts have consequences
I have written about the dangers of an imagery-based mode of instruction for voice. Images are generally conveyed with words, sometimes also with gestures. Examples of imagery in voice teaching would be directives like: Direct the sound against the hard palate. Fill with air down to your lower abdomen. Split the resonance between your throat […]
My Teacher’s Credo
The following paragraph is how I answer “What’s your approach to voice teaching?” today. My goals as a teacher and as a singer are to do what works, and to keep things as practical as possible. I believe that the voice can be trained to respond with the most ease and efficient use of effort […]
Happy to sing
Do you enjoy singing? It may seem like a stupid question to people who are not professional singers or conservatory students. However, I have met people “in the biz” who seem to have forgotten that singing can/should be enjoyable. When every singing event is high stakes and serious and judged and “important”, it can feel […]
The desired, the possible, and the experienced
When teacher works with student, he needs to keep in mind that he is trying to help the student to do something that she has never done before. Each party is bringing these three potentials to the lesson: the desired behavior (in the future) the possible manifestations and scope of achievement (in the future) the […]
Blind Spots, or, We don’t know what we don’t know
Of course, we can’t know what we don’t know. However, a person who has ever had to change their thinking radically will often come to realize that there are probably many MORE things yet to learn of which they are presently ignorant. This is the way of the inquisitive mindset. Being willing to have beliefs […]
Vocal Satisfaction Survey
Hello Singing Friends (pro, avocational, everyone who sings!), If you have a few minutes, I would be honored to have you take my “Vocal Satisfaction Survey” which is part of a research project and the book I am working on. It is anonymous. Thanks!
Training the voice – genre agnostic?
Brad Jenks, a Chicago area voice teacher, recently made me aware of his excellent blog post. He questions the walls that exist between “classical” and “____” voice instruction. I agree with every word, and enjoy the thoughtful and good-humored way in which he describes the issue. Peter T. Harrison also discusses this topic in Singing: […]
Midlife and the Artist’s Soul
I saw this fantastic documentary tonight: Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened. Lonny Price, who was in the original cast, directs the story of the Broadway premiere of “Merrily We Roll Along” in 1981. The show flopped and closed after 16 performances. The documentary uses film footage from the casting and rehearsal periods in 1980-1981, […]
Cryptology and modern voice instruction
Let’s take a look at “cracking the code” of a teacher’s vocabulary. If you have been fortunate enough to have had a teacher who helped you acquire singing concepts that were helpful, you are lucky. Alternatively, if by your experiences and brain power you have figured out how to sing reasonably well even with confusing instruction, […]