March-April 2013 - The New York Singing Teachers` Association

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VOICEPrints
JOURNAL OF THE NEW YORK SINGING TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
March--April 2013
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
FEATURED EVENT and COURSE............................................................................................................. .........Page 1
Message from President David Sabella-Mills....................................................................................................Page 2
Message from Editor Matthew Hoch.............................................................................................................. Page 2
NYSTA 2013 Calendar of Events................................................................................................................. .Page 3
FEATURE ARTICLE: BROADWAY BOUND—Teaching Young Musical Theater Singers in a College
Training Program, by NYSTA Member Mary Saunders Barton...........................................................Pages 4--5
FEATURE ARTICLE: What to Look For When Choosing a Doctor
by NYSTA Member Michelle Yagoda, MD............................................................................................Page 6
TESTIMONIAL: Long-Distance Learning, by NYSTA Member Henry Moore......................................................Page 6
NYSTA New Members................................................................................................................................... .Page 7
WORLD VOICE DAY.........................................................................................................................................Page 8
OREN LATHROP BROWN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
FEATURED EVENT:
FEATURED COURSE:
JOSEPHINE MONGIARDO GREAT COACHES SERIES
MARTIN KATZ Master Class
SINGER’S Developmental Repertoire
March 27, 2013, Wednesday, 7:00--9:00 PM
April 13--14, 2013, Saturday and Sunday
LOCATION: Room 179 Grace Dodge Hall, Teachers College, Columbia University,
West 120th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, NYC.
NYSTA is deeply honored to present legendary pianist, conductor, and educator
Martin Katz in a master class for five singer-pianist duos.
ON-SITE LOCATION: Room 435 Horace Mann, Teachers College, Columbia
University, West 120th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, NYC.
Martin Katz has been dubbed “the gold
standard of accompanists” by the New York
Times. His 40-year career has taken him to five
continents, collaborating with the world’s most
celebrated singers in recital and recording.
Marilyn Horne, Frederica von Stade, Kathleen
Battle, David Daniels, Karita Mattila, and José
Carreras are among his regular partners, and he
has recorded for RCA, CBS, BMG, EMI and
Decca labels.
A member of the faculty at the University
of Michigan in Ann Arbor for more than two decades, he has chaired the
program in collaborative piano and coached vocal repertoire for singers and
pianists alike. Also active as a conductor and editor, Mr. Katz has led opera
productions for San Francisco’s Merola program, the BBC, Tokyo’s NHK, and
innumerable performances in Ann Arbor, and his editions of baroque and bel
canto operas have been performed in Houston, Ottawa, and at the Metropolitan Opera. Mr. Katz’s first opus, The Complete Collaborator, has been published
by Oxford University Press.
Call for Singers and Pianists!
Singer-pianist duos with a history of musical partnership in the art song genre are
welcome to apply to perform in the Martin Katz Master Class.
Applicants must send a minimum of two songs in .MP3 format (or via an online
link) along with .JPG photos and resumes (or bios) of the singer and pianist.
Please submit entries to Elizabeth Saunders at [email protected].
DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6.
Instructors: Jeannette LoVetri (on demand only), Christopher Arneson,
Judith Nicosia and David Sabella-Mills.
Jeannette LoVetri
Christopher Arneson
Judith Nicosia
David Sabella-Mills
SATURDAY, APRIL 13
9:30 AM-1:30 PM Christopher Arneson: The Male Classical Voice
3:00 PM-7:00 PM Judith Nicosia: The Female Classical Voice
SUNDAY, APRIL 14
10:00 AM-1:00 PM David Sabella-Mills: Contemporary Musical Theater, Part One
2:30 PM-5:30 PM David Sabella-Mills: Contemporary Musical Theater, Part Two
Registration includes BOTH on-site attendance and 24/7 on demand viewing for
four months.
This groundbreaking course establishes methods and criteria for selecting
repertoire appropriate to different voice types at various stages of development. All vocal categories (SATB) in both classical voice and musical theater
voice will be discussed. The Music Theater section will also include a detailed
examination of contemporary Pop/Rock shows and the vocal demands they
make on the singer, and will address choosing appropriate character
driven audition material.
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MESSAGE from the President
It’s a Business...
An old adage among working professionals in theater is
the term “in ‘show business,’ the word ‘business’ is longer
than the word ‘show.’” This reminds us that during an
eight-show-a-week schedule, there will be times you
simply will not want to go out on stage, but it is your job.
It’s your business! “The show must go on.” This work
ethic has defined many a great performer and is the
standard by which we all (on Broadway) strive to live.
It occurs to me that among voice teachers (both
institutional and independent) the work ethic is the same.
We teach all those who walk through our door, helping
all those we can—not just the ones we want to—to reach
their vocal and or performance goals. As independent
teachers, we acknowledge that we work for the client,
we are in service to them. In the case of university
teachers, we commit ourselves to the curriculum and
standards of the institution we work for.
We are a very professional lot, at least when it comes
to our CRAFT. For some of us, however, our BUSINESS
savvy may need a little boost. I am in contact with
hundreds of independent voice teachers, many of whom
often ask my advice on propagating their business; they
relate (especially during the past recession) that their
“business” is faltering. They need help. University
professors have been spared (a bit) from the brunt of the
recession. But those who have been adjuncts have certainly wondered about job security. As we are reminded
each week, It’s not over! Perhaps you are still feeling this
crunch in your studio? If so, here are some suggestions
successfully employed by our business-minded colleagues.
ADVERTISE. Too often voice teachers rely on “word of
mouth” for referrals and new clients. But there are many
other cost effective options to consider.
■ Get a Website. Many teachers now have a website.
It’s the standard. Mine is practically my personal assistant,
accepting appointments, processing payments, and most
of all being the virtual face of my business. If you don’t
have a website, GET ONE. It’s your lifeline to the outside
world. There are many options.
Our friends at www.thrivingwebsolutions.com which
built and administrates both my and the NYSTA website
would be happy to help you place your business into the
virtual marketplace. As a NYSTA member, you will receive
a discount for their services. Another option is
www.godaddy.com. With both companies the templates
are easy to use. GoDaddy is a self-service site where you
build your own website (either you can do it, or perhaps
barter with a client who is more tech-savvy). Thriving
Web Solutions has the same self-service platform, or our
representative there, Joe Abraham, will also be glad to
build your site for you.
Another great option specifically for our profession is
www.musicteachershelper.com, a “one-stop shop” for all
your needs. Your studio receives a dedicated web-page
and tools to help with everything from scheduling
appointments and payment processing to remembering
who borrowed what music and needs to return it.
I’d be remiss if I did not mention our own Find a
Teacher Profile Pages. NYSTA offers a dedicated web page
on which you can place all relevant information, photos,
calendar widget, and payment processing buttons. And
the URL address is unique to you, so you can use it to
direct prospects to YOUR PAGE first. At only $70 per year,
this is by far the most cost-effective option.
■ Google Ad Words and Ad Words Express. For
a monthly fee that you determine, you can set up your
own ad to enhance your visibility on internet searches.
You create your ad (very easy), set the budget that you
can spend per month, and click! And, if you do not have
a website (or NYSTA Profile) to direct clients to, you can
create a Google Places page with your listing including
photos of your studio, reviews and relevant information.
■ Social Media. Social Media is the new advertising
and publicity mode and standard. Even Fortune 500
companies who bought time to advertise during the
Super Bowl amortize the success of that ad upon the
MESSAGE from the Editor
Dear Colleagues,
Spring is already upon us, and March and April may
indeed be NYSTA’s busiest months of the entire 2012–
2013 calendar. And this issue of VOICEPrints is loaded
with information about these events. In addition to the
Martin Katz Great Coaches Master Class (on March 27)
and the Singer’s Developmental Repertoire PDP course
(which was rescheduled from last fall to April 13 and 14),
NYSTA will celebrate World Voice Day during the week of
April 15–19. Please see page eight for more information
about the physicians who are offering free screenings to
NYSTA members.
Dr. Michelle Yagoda, one of the three participating
doctors, has also contributed an article to this issue of
VOICEPrints, which serves as an ideal complement to our
annual World Voice Day issue.
I am grateful to musical theater pedagogue and
NATS member Mary Saunders Barton for contributing
an insightful article on training young musical theater
singers. I know that all of our readers who teach this style
will recognize the challenges that she presents and will
appreciate her practical advice and creative solutions.
NYSTA Member Henry Moore, the newest graduate
of the five-course Oren Lathrop Brown Professional
Development Program, also offers a testimonial on the
thrills and frustrations of earning his Distinguished Voice
Professional certificate from the far reaches of Indonesia. I
find it exciting and inspiring to hear stories like this, as
they indicate to me that NYSTA is truly living up to its
tagline: “Educating Voice Professionals Worldwide.”
Happy Easter, Passover, and Vernal Equinox from all of
us at NYSTA. As always, VOICEPrints is YOUR publication,
so please send all questions, comments, and suggestions
for future articles to me at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Dr. Matthew Hoch
Editor-in-Chief, VOICEPrints
number of “hits” it receives on YouTube. Do you have a
YouTube channel featuring performances of your clients
and yourself? A Facebook page for your studio? Are you
“LinkedIn”? These are just three of the many social media
outlets that you can use to enhance your visibility and
attract prospective clients.
■ Chat rooms. Your clients (especially the
young ones) are sure to visit internet chat rooms for
performers. Backstage.com, Playbill.com, and
TalkinBroadway.com are just three of the many that are
available for Music Theater and I am sure there are many
for Classical music as well. Although self-posting an ad
for your studio is not permitted, one can certainly ask
clients to post an endorsement of your studio next time
they are online. This is the new “word of mouth.”
■ Dedicated Resources. Do you have a dedicated
phone line for your business? With it you will always
know when a client or prospective client is calling and you
can answer the phone professionally “Good afternoon,
so-and-so studios. May I help you?”A small thing, but it
sets your business as a priority, separate from your personal life (and phone line). Don’t want to carry around two
phones? You can get a dedicated PHONE NUMBER from
Google that will automatically forward to your existing
phone, with its own distinct ring so you will know when
it’s a business call.
Do you have a dedicated email address (or
addresses) for your business? Again, using a dedicated
address sets your business email apart from your personal
email. You can get a forwarding email address from
Google. (It must be obvious by now that I am a PC guy.
For all our MAC users out there, I am sure there are
equivalents, I am just not familiar with them. Sorry.)
Is your studio set up with standardized office equipment (Printer/Scanner, Computer, etc)? Being able to
provide the client with the necessary resources, either
online or in print, on the spot, is a valuable asset.
STAY CONNECTED. As a member of NYSTA you are
committed to the ongoing learning our craft requires. I’m
honored to have so many regular attendees at our seasonal events. Yet I wonder how much benefit might be
gained by others of our membership who do not regularly
come to these insightful and creative events. Like ALL
BUSINESSES, there are seminars and workshops (and
conventions) to attend, to be sure that one is operating
under the latest and best practices guidelines. Voice
teachers are no different in this regard. I encourage you
to participate fully in not only ours, but also the
wonderful events offered by our sister organization NATS.
■ Formalize and standardize your business
protocols . Do you have a standardized intake form
or vocal assessment for the first session? Do you keep
written records on each client, and assign concise
“homework” that the client understands? I try to start
each session with establishment of goals for the hour,
and assign specific homework tasks for the coming week.
These are just a few strategies that have inspired me
over the years. I hope they may be of use to you and I
welcome the opportunity to hear more of your own
business strategies and success stories. As tax time rolls
around this year and you are filling in the proper tax code
for your profession, take a little time to remember that in
the eyes of Uncle Sam…”It’s a Business.”
Sincerely,
David Sabella-Mills
President, NYSTA
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NYSTA CALENDAR 2013
JOSEPHINE MONGIARDO GREAT COACHES SERIES:
MARTIN KATZ Master Class
March 27, 2013, Wednesday, 7:00--9:00 PM
Room 179 Grace Dodge Hall, Teachers College, Columbia University, West 120th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, NYC.
NYSTA is deeply honored to present legendary pianist, conductor, and educator Martin Katz in a master class for five singer-pianist duos.
Martin Katz has been dubbed “the gold standard of accompanists” by the New York Times. His 40-year career has taken him to 5 continents,
collaborating with the world’s most celebrated singers in recital and recording. Marilyn Horne, Frederica von Stade, Kathleen Battle, David
Daniels, Karita Mattila, and José Carreras are among his regular partners, and he has recorded for RCA, CBS, BMG, EMI and Decca labels.
A member of the faculty at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor for more than two decades, he has chaired the program in collaborative
piano and coached vocal repertoire for singers and pianists alike. Also active as a conductor and editor, Mr. Katz has led opera productions for San Francisco’s Merola program, the BBC, Tokyo’s NHK, and innumerable performances in Ann Arbor, and his editions of baroque and bel canto operas have been
performed in Houston, Ottawa, and at the Metropolitan Opera. Mr. Katz’s first opus, The Complete Collaborator, has been published by Oxford University Press.
OREN LATHROP BROWN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM *
SINGER’S Developmental Repertoire
April 13 and April 14, 2013, Saturday and Sunday
On Site Location: Room 435 Horace Mann, Teachers College, Columbia University, West 120th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, NYC.
Instructors: Jeannette LoVetri (on demand only), Christopher Arneson, Judith Nicosia and David Sabella-Mills.
SATURDAY, APRIL 13
9:30 AM-1:30 PM Christopher Arneson: The Male Classical Voice
3:00 PM-7:00 PM Judith Nicosia: The Female Classical Voice
SUNDAY, APRIL 14
10:00 AM-1:00 PM David Sabella-Mills: Contemporary Musical Theater, Part One
2:30 PM-5:30 PM David Sabella-Mills: Contemporary Musical Theater, Part Two
Registration includes both on-site attendance and 24/7 on demand viewing for four months.
This groundbreaking course establishes methods and criteria for selecting repertoire appropriate to different voice types at various stages of development. All vocal
categories (SATB) in both classical voice and musical theater voice will be discussed. The musical theater section will also include a detailed examination of contemporary
Pop/Rock shows and the vocal demands they make on the singer, and will address choosing appropriate character driven audition material.
NYSTA CELEBRATES World Voice Day
April 15--19, 2013 LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT NYC AND NJ
WORLD VOICE DAY
April 16th
In an effort to raise awareness of vocal health issues, NYSTA has coordinated with several renowned New York metropolitan area physicians
in care of the professional voice who are offering FREE vocal health screenings to all NYSTA members, their students, and members of the
Actors Equity Association (AEA performers union). These screenings will take place on specific days during the week of April 15–19. The
doctors have chosen the days on which their office can participate, and the specific times and number of clients/patients they can see on
those days and times. Doctors participating in this event are listed below. (Physician participation is subject to change.)
Dr. Michael J. Pitman: Offering free screenings to 40 singers on April 19 from 12:30–5:30 PM with MusiCares,11 West 42nd Street, 27th Floor, NYC. All singers will need
to contact Jennifer Leff at MusiCares (212.245.7840) to be screened for eligibility. Eligible singers need at least five years of singing credits and must be financially eligible (no
insurance, etc.).
Dr. Michelle R. Yagoda: Offering a limited number of comprehensive voice evaluations in honor of World Voice Day on April 15 from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Dr. Yagoda
will assess your life-style, diet, allergies, social and sleep habits, medical history, speaking and singing habits, and their combined effect on your voice. The visit will also include
a full ENT examination including video endoscopy, photos, a complimentary copy of her brochure, The Professional Voice: Steps Toward Good Vocal Health, and an integrative
care plan to help you achieve and maintain optimal vocal health. Visits are by appointment only at her office across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, at 5 East 83rd
Street, Ground Floor, NYC. Contact: 212.434.1210 or [email protected].
Dr. Jared Wasserman: Offering free voice screenings by appointment only on Wednesday, April 17 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Hackensack office, 385 Prospect
Avenue, 2nd Floor, Hackensack, NJ 07601. Please contact the office at 201.883.1062 and ask for Alyssa or Mayleni to make an appointment.
OREN LATHROP BROWN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM *
COMPARATIVE VOICE PEDAGOGY Weekend 2013
June 8 and 9, 2013, Saturday and Sunday
On Site Location: Room 435 Horace Mann, Teachers College, Columbia University, West 120th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, NYC.
June 8 Instructors: Jeanne Goffi-Fynn, Matthew Hoch, and Cynthia Munzer.
June 9 Instructors: Jan Prokop, Melissa Cross, and Margaret Lattimore. During this course, six master teachers will present teaching demonstrations after
case histories of students have been discussed. Concrete links will be made between various teaching strategies and the scientific and medical information covered in other
courses of the PDP program. Specific topics and schedules TBA.
*All PDP courses are $250 ($220 for NYSTA members) and can be registered and paid for online at www.nyst.org. One graduate credit per course is available from
Westminster Choir College for an additional $150. To obtain a form or for more information, please contact Katherine Hoffman, PDP Director, at [email protected].
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BROADWAY BOUND: Teaching Young Musical Theater Singers in a College
Training Program
by NYSTA Member Mary Saunders Barton
I am on my way to a conference of the National
Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) when my
telephone starts flooding with excited texts. One of
our recent graduates has been told to suit up for the
matinee performance as Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway! I sit back and smile thinking of this young girl as
a freshman and of how much skill, poise, and confidence she has acquired in a few short years. Then I
think, what a wonderful job I have.
It is March 2012 and Penn State has just completed the last of its auditions for admission to its BFA in
musical theater program. Approximately five hundred
high school seniors have been seen on campus, in
New York, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles for
fourteen slots in the incoming freshman class. Every
year since I arrived on campus in 1999, the preparation and training needed to qualify for acceptance
has continued to rise. The skills required to compete in
musical theater are worlds removed from what was
expected 20 years ago. The current young musical
theater professional needs to be proficient in acting,
singing, and dancing. My young student covering
Elphaba had to dance her way into the ensemble first.
Then she had to be prepared to sing and act an exceptionally challenging role at a moment’s notice. If
and when she is asked to take over the role on a
permanent basis, she will have to have the vocal stamina to perform it eight times a week without fatigue.
All of us who teach singing for musical theater
know we are training vocal athletes in the same way
we would train a runner or a football player. Endurance and healthy technique are paramount. The approach we have taken at Penn State is to train “both
sides of the voice.” Over the years, I have come to
recognize the value of balancing classical vocal technique with the techniques specific to musical theater
singing and contemporary commercial music (CCM),
an approach I affectionately refer to as “Bel Canto
Can Belto.” Our students are required to sing two
classical songs every semester, one in a foreign language. Someone walking down the musical theater
hallway might be as likely to hear Schumann’s “Widmung,” Gluck’s “O Del Mio Dolce Ardor,” or Floyd’s
“The Trees on the Mountain” from Susannah as “Take
a Chance on Me” from Little Women or “Gimme,
Gimme” from Thoroughly Modern Millie.
First-year students begin with a group class to
help them assimilate some basic information about
singing and get used to each other. Creating a safe
environment is one of our key responsibilities. They
will learn how to support each other and how to give
and receive helpful criticism. A few weeks into their
freshman year, these students will add private voice
studio lessons to their schedule.
TECHNICAL TRAINING THEORY
Our goal at Penn State is to train versatile singers.
Every student begins with the same fundamental
techniques appropriate to classical singing. Breath
management, legato, vibrancy, clean onset and
release, and ease of production, for example, are all
skills every musical theater singer needs. Based on the
kind of training students have had prior to their
admission, technical work will be tailored to their
individual levels. And our students sing a lot. We are
engaged from the very beginning in building vocal
endurance. Every lesson is an opportunity to “work
out” a young voice and to tire it in a good way.
The approach taken with young men and women
is essentially the same; the only difference is that the
primary register transition for males is higher in their
range, so that they spend more time in chest or modal
voice. The repertoire chosen for each semester addresses areas of weakness in the individual student. A
girl who has primarily performed in a contemporary
belt and belt/mix might have six soprano songs from
different eras, including two in the classical style. If the
soprano is strong and the middle voice already wellestablished, the repertoire can begin to include a wider range of styles, including an extended belt range.
A male singer who has sung only pop/rock juvenile
roles might have songs for “golden age” leading men
and classical songs which invite a more “vertical”
vowel production and a classical approach to passaggio. The issue of extending the singer’s range begins
right away for both men and women. It is important
to initiate the process of stretching and opening these
young voices early on. In only eight short semesters,
students graduating from a BFA training program will
need to be ready to meet the vocal challenges awaiting them in the profession.
Musical theater singing is speech-based, so the
first thing I evaluate in any student is his or her speaking voice. How freely does the singer express himself,
how much range is readily accessible in speech, and
how authentic is the “emotional voice” of this young
person? Speaking exercises, calling out, delivering a
Shakespeare monologue, are all ways to assess the
flexibility of the speaking voice. There should be no
feeling of “adjusting” in order to sing because the
speaking voice should be flexible enough to mix in
many different colors, high and low, to express different emotions. I think voice teachers and speech-language specialists would agree that the most common
cause of vocal pathology in young singers is misuse
and abuse of the speaking voice. Musical theater performers are usually a pretty enthusiastic, high-energy
bunch, and it can be difficult to get their full attention
on this matter until trouble has started. Teachers need
to be vigilant about encouraging healthy speech, and
have a good understanding of the importance of
register balancing to prevent erosion of the instrument.
TRAINING THE MALE SINGER
I have found that the easiest way to ascertain male
range is again with speech exercises. A young man
calling out energetically on an open vowel, as in
“Hey!” will land on or around his register transition.
The location of the passaggio in the male voice is
pretty much a question of career or no career: A
register break around D4 that seems immutable is
going to make it virtually impossible to sing musical
theater. There are simply hardly any roles in such low
keys. There are tricks of register “matching” that very
low-voiced men can learn, but without the ability to
mix chest above F#4 (which is where the magic
happens in contemporary musical theater), these men
will encounter frustration.
A true bass, however, is a rare phenomenon. The
vast majority of men fall into the very workable group
called “lyric baritone” which is by far the most flexible
voice type because it can encompass a wide variety of
characters from juvenile to leading man and “grows”
with the actor through his career.
Once the potential range of the young male singer
is determined, the goal is always to build a strong
“core” in the middle out of which the extended range
blossoms. The metaphor of a tree with strong roots is
my favorite. Leaves and branches can’t survive without
a trunk and roots. The approach I use for developing a
core to a male voice is virtually identical to that of my
classical colleagues. At the register transition between
E4 and G4 (for most of these young men), I begin a
process of register balancing (which is exactly what I
will use for girls at the E4 to G4 transition into the
middle voice). Exercises I find invaluable for young
men include a combination of speaking and singing
phrases I compare to “barre work” for the vocal
muscles.
Open vowels above the passaggio can, as with
women, become the male belt. Young men need to be
able to identify the sung pitch from the spoken one.
The following speaking exercises move from closed to
open vowels:
SPOKEN EXAMPLE:
“Hey guys!” (open)
This exercise should be practiced incorporating range
above the passaggio at F4 or F-sharp 4. The two vowels
should be of extended duration and floated, not yelled.
SUNG EXAMPLE:
“Hey guys!” (open)
Should mirror the top pitch range of the spoken call,
descending a fifth from G4 or A-flat 4.
By far the majority of young male singers come to
me with the tendency to open all vowels above the
passaggio. The next step is to introduce closed vowel
phrases in speech and singing.
SPOKEN EXAMPLE:
“You do!” (closed)
This is usually more difficult to speak with ease above
the passaggio and will feel pinched. It is critical to
develop the ability to release and lighten the high
closed vowels in musical theatre singing.
SUNG EXAMPLE:
“You do!” (closed)
Same as above. Should mirror top pitch of the spoken
exercise over a descending five note slur.
There are an infinite number of combinations of
vowels that help students develop facility in moving
easily through sung phrases. Here are several of my
favorites:
SPOKEN OR SUNG EXAMPLE:
“Oh, no you don’t!” Apex of phrase is “No.”
Ascending-descending five note slur starting at B4.
SPOKEN OR SUNG EXAMPLE:
“How dare you!” Apex of phrase is “dare.” Can be
practiced same as above.
What makes these phrases useful is that the
dramatic intention is so clear.
5
The next exercise involves moving from closed to
open vowels in sequence, including falsetto bookends.
If the falsetto is weak, it needs to be exercised and
carried down as low as it will go. ”ooh”—”you”—
”ah”—”ooh” (falsetto)—(closed in speech)—(open
in speech)—(falsetto). All sung on one note: E4–G4.
The above exercise can be unbelievably challenging for a beginning male singer. Most of our students
come to us with quite a bit of training and grab onto
this pretty fast. The only difference between the
closed “you” and the open “ah” is acoustic. The open
vowel has the option to become a belt above the F4
passaggio as it does for women. It is important to
keep working the extended range in order to accomplish a seamless transition between these qualities.
The right repertoire can work magic in minutes,
solidifying these concepts in a young male singer.
Several examples of using repertoire to teach acoustic
flexibility: “At the Fountain” from Sweet Smell of
Success. The last bars of the song, “it’s time now to
soar,” traverse the male passaggio and provide an
opportunity to practice a closed and belted (open)
quality on the word “soar” which can be very
instructive. “Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair”
by John Jacob Niles, key of G minor: each verse provides an opportunity to lighten the voice above the
passaggio and to practice a classical “head voice”
quality.
Men have an easier time in musical theater than
their female counterparts because they do not have to
manage register balancing to the same degree on
every note they sing.
TRAINING THE FEMALE SINGER
For women singing musical theater, register balancing is a primary consideration. Young women
come into a training program with a variety of vocal
habits and predilections. Some have been emulating
the wrong role models. Some are infatuated with the
contemporary pop sound to the exclusion of all else.
Some have spent so much time in choirs and classical
voice training they are concerned they will damage
their voices if they belt.
So, first and foremost, we have to try to gain their
trust. They have to believe that the best singer is the
most flexible singer. Even more critical than with men
is where a girl’s speaking voice is centered. If a young
woman is unable to speak comfortably above her
primary passaggio (at around F4), then singing in a
speaking quality and belting in that range will be
impossible. Most women have difficulty releasing
speech habits that define them socially, but musical
theater students are a breed apart and can usually be
encouraged to relinquish any behavior not in the
interest of their growth as artists.
The life, beauty and buoyancy of a woman’s
voice in musical theater depends on the coordination
of her middle voice. From an opulent classical timbre
to Adelaide’s lamenting, women need to have complete acoustical control of their instrument, speaking
and singing.
If the head voice is weaker than the chest voice, I
will always start there and work on building a bridge
between the upper and lower registers. The headdominant mix is usually the most difficult quality for
young women to achieve because the chest will tend
to overpower it. The best songs for developing a headdominant mix in women would invariably include the
“golden age” repertoire of Rodgers and Hammerstein,
Lerner and Loewe, and their ilk. “Show Me” from My
Fair Lady will challenge girls because they need to retain a speech-like quality in their head mix at a breakneck pace! If this proves too difficult, I would back up
to slower songs like “My Ship” from Lady in the Dark,
“Mr. Snow” from Carousel or “Many a New Day”
from Oklahoma! I find classical Italian songs to be
very helpful in opening up the head voice in women
who are often more willing to enter a new vocal world
when they are singing in a foreign language. Classical
songs ultimately thrill them.
Once the head mix is stabilized and coordinates
well with the chest voice, girls can begin moving to
more chest-dominant singing and belting. I approach
the process of developing the mixed voice in women
very much as I do for the men. Like men, women can
begin to move from speaking phrases to sung phrases
to reduce the transition break and to develop an
effortless belt. Laryngeal and acoustical flexibility are
essential characteristics of musical theater singing.
Palatal control (isolation of the soft palate from the
movement of the larynx) is a key element in acquiring
technical proficiency. Panting like a dog, thinking of
the incipient yawn or sneeze, can intro-duce sensory
awareness of the soft palate tissue.
Speech and speech-to-singing exercises can help
train the muscles of the vocal tract and larynx much
more effectively than diagrams or anatomical models.
Here are a few of my favorite speaking exercises
for a mixed quality in women. These exercises should
cover the middle voice range and extend down to
middle C and up to E-flat 5:
“Never, never no!”(great for balancing the
middle voice)
“Where are you going?” (accusatory)
“Oh, no you don’t!”
“Damn cat!” (don’t be offended, I love cats!)
“No way!”
The above exercises can be sung in the same range.
The results can be impressive in terms of establishing a
light and buoyant mix. Start high and descend a fifth
or so for the best effect. Eventually you can move her
from low to high.
Here is a speaking exercise to practice chest-tohead transitions:
“Yah hoo!” (“yah” in chest quality, “hoo” in head)
As with male singers, women can move from closed to
open vowels in the middle voice and the belt will generally “pop “ out naturally on the open vowel, as in:
“ooh”—”you”—”ah”—”ooh” (head voice)—(speech)
— (belt)—(head voice)
It is important to make the biggest possible contrast
between these sounds.
As with male singers, some young women will find
this incredibly challenging, but if they stick with it, before you know it they will glide through these changes
on every pitch! Then, they should practice the same
exercise using head voice on all the vowels, then soprano mix, and finally speech mix (with no belt). They
will begin to recognize the belt as an optional color.
Belting exercises are just plain fun. Stay in the
upper middle range and move up from there. Any
energetic call will do:
“Hello!” (sarcastic lilt, “duh!”)
“Phone call!”
“Yikes!”
“Holy cow!”
This brings us to the woman’s “high belt”—currently a huge trend in CCM and musical theater (and a
very exciting sound indeed). I have found it best to approach E-flat 5 and up in speech to begin to feel the
“tenor” quality women achieve in this range. Too
much squeezing and pressing can be a trap for either
gender. The vowels are all closed in quality in a high
belt range and if the balance is right, there is really no
ceiling to this quality as it is a very balanced, highly
energetic form of calling.
Any vowels will work in this range (E-flat and up):
“Why not?” (spoken and sung in a descending slur)
“No way!”
“Taxi!”
Students entering Penn State’s musical theater
program have fought hard to get there. They are hungry to learn and that is one of the reasons teaching
them is so rewarding. The voice studio is an exciting
place to be! I have come to believe that for most
eighteen-year-olds dreaming of a Broadway career, a
four-year training program after high school is the
best plan for them. They need time to grow up. These
four years provide an opportunity for personal and
artistic growth that can be very difficult to achieve
under the constant pressure to audition and perform.
The support and supervision provided in a university or
conservatory setting builds confidence, character and
a sense of community these young performers carry
into the profession.
Mary Saunders Barton is head of voice instruction for Penn State's BFA in musical theater. She has an
MA degree from Middlebury College and the Sorbonne,
Paris in French language and literature, studied French
art song with Pierre Bernac and received a diploma from
the École Normale de Musique. She also earned a BA
cum laude/Phi Beta Kappa in French /music from Mount
Holyoke College.
An active performer with Broadway, off-Broadway,
film, and television credits, Saunders Barton has recently
concentrated on the creation and performance of onewoman cabaret shows, the first of which, Stop, Time,
played to sold-out houses in New York City. She
maintains a studio in Manhattan for professional singers.
In this and recent seasons her students have been seen
on Broadway in: Wicked, Hairspray, Rent, Mamma Mia,
The Lion King, Ragtime, West Side Story, How to
Succeed in Business, Nice Work if You Can Get It,
Newsies and Book of Mormon.
In 2007, she published a video tutorial “Bel Canto/
Can Belto: Teaching Women to Sing Musical Theater,”
which has been well received by the professional
community. She is frequently invited to present
workshops and seminars on musical theater vocal
technique for convocations of singers and teachers of
singing in the United States and Europe.
In 2009, Mary was inducted into the American
Academy of Teachers of Singing in New York City. In
the fall of 2011 she launched a new MFA in the pedagogy of musical theater singing at Penn State, the
first ever of its kind.
6
WHAT TO LOOK FOR When Choosing a Doctor
By NYSTA Member Michelle Yagoda, MD
The voice is an unusual area of the body, in that its
complicated anatomy and physiology can be responsible for one’s vocation and livelihood. As a result, the
voice should be treated with a comprehensive, team
approach so that the ENT/voice doctor, vocal coach,
singing teacher and even a speech pathologist can
work together to provide the ultimate in knowledge
and care.
When choosing a voice doctor, remember that
whom you pick may be even more important than
whom you select as your agent. The best way to find
a good doctor is through word of mouth, but there
are also many other important aspects to consider.
Answer the following questions before selecting your
voice doctor:
YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE
PHYSICIAN’S STAFF:
✧ Does the staff answer calls promptly and
courteously?
✧ Are emergency appointments available?
✧ Are routine appointment wait times reasonable in
relation to the nature of your problem?
✧ Are calls returned promptly? Do email and voicemail
messages get callbacks within one business day?
✧ Does the staff know when to forward your medical
questions to the doctor? Or does the staff “practice
medicine” itself?
✧ Are insurance-related issues handled appropriately?
✧ Are all fees explained in advance to avoid surprises?
✧ Is a payment plan policy offered for those with
financial hardship?
✧ Are billing reductions offered for uninsured and
under-insured?
✧ Is the doctor or a covering physician available for
nights, weekends, and holidays?
✧ Is there prompt follow-up on lab tests and
outstanding results?
YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE PHYSICIAN:
✧ Does the doctor give you enough time during your
visit for you to ask questions without feeling
rushed?
✧ Does the doctor takes a full medical and social
history, even on areas other than those of concern,
in order to address the whole you?
✧ Does the doctor ask detailed questions about your
lifestyle, including diet, sleep, smoking, alcohol,
drugs, sex, and psychological history?
✧ Does the doctor liaise with your singing teacher,
voice coach, and speech pathologist to keep them
informed of his/her findings and to offer explanation and even suggestions for your care?
✧ Does the doctor discuss an entire range of treatment options with you, including natural/alternative, herbal/complementary/holistic, non-surgical,
laser and surgical procedures?
✧ Are the waiting area, office and exam rooms clean?
✧ Is the equipment in the exam room up to date?
✧ Does the doctor explain to you why all tests will be
performed? Does the doctor seem to order unnecessary diagnostic tests?
✧ Does the doctor explain things in a way that you
can understand?
✧ Are you given the chance to ask questions? Are
those questions answered to your satisfaction?
YOUR PHYSICIAN’S CREDENTIALS:
✧ Does the doctor have appropriate training from
nationally recognized experts in voice care?
✧ Has he/she been recognized by peers, including
voice and singing teachers as a vocal expert?
✧ Has he/she been quoted as a source in national and
international journals?
✧ Does he/she have experience and practice in every
area of your concern?
✧ Can he/she give you a recommendation if you
choose to get a second opinion?
✧ Does he/she know what to recommend for alternative therapies, herbal complementary and holistic
therapies, as well as the most up-to-date medical,
laser and surgical options?
✧ Does he/she have hospital privileges, which ensure
validation of expertise by peers, diagnostic skill,
surgical competence, and updated licensure; and
which verify no significant history of malpractice,
substance abuse or other legal problems? Does he/
she participate in continuing medical education and
ongoing training?
If the answers to any of these questions raise
concerns, you may want to reconsider your choice of
voice doctor. Make sure that you are getting the best
possible care by asking questions, paying attention to
the details, and following your gut instincts.
Dr. Michelle Yagoda
received her medical degree
magna cum laude from the
six-year combined BA-MD
program at Boston University.
She completed two years of
general surgical training at
Lenox Hill Hospital in New York
City. Her subsequent four-year
residency included two years as
Chief Resident and six months as Fellow in Otolaryngology, Head, and Neck Surgery and Facial Plastic and
Reconstructive Surgery at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat
Hospital, New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical
Center, Lenox Hill Hospital, and Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center. Currently, she is on staff as
Associate Adjunct Attending and Clinical Instructor at
Lenox Hill Hospital, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, and
Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital.
TESTIMONIAL: Long-Distance Learning
by NYSTA Member Henry Moore
We like to joke that although we do not live at the end of the world, we can see
it from where we are: the easternmost province of Indonesia. Our town hangs at the
edge of a vast interior of mountains, rainforests, and meandering rivers. Internet is
available where we live, but is either limited in bandwidth or prohibitively expensive.
So, how did I complete the Oren Lathrop Brown Professional Development Program,
doing much of it from so close to the end of the world?
The first obstacle was simply getting the textbook, Scott McCoy’s Your Voice: An
Inside View. In some places in the world it is not possible to place an order and have
items shipped directly to you. I had the book mailed to a US address and then found
someone to hand-carry it to me in Indonesia. It then took time to set up an Indonesian PayPal account, but once that was accomplished I could register and start looking for enough bandwidth to view the lectures.
It was not practical to try to do the courses from my home with our limited
Internet access. But at the hangar where I am an avionics technician, I was able to
attain the requisite bandwidth via satellite. And even that slowed down during the
day, since we share the satellite bandwidth with a number of other customers. After
some trial and error, I found a personal schedule that worked. Fortunately, I did not
have to do it in the middle of the night: I got in the habit of rising early, viewing the
lectures at 5:30 in the morning.
After viewing Vocal Anatomy and Physiology and Vocal Acoustics and Resonance, I returned to the US for a six-month furlough. I signed up for the Vocal Health
for Voice Professionals and Singer’s Developmental Repertory. Here there were no
bandwidth issues. The furlough quickly passed and it was soon time to return to
Indonesia. I had to go to Singapore to complete my visa process. The two weeks
there turned out to be ideal for viewing the final course. At a local seminary I found
good bandwidth available and was able to view Comparative Vocal Pedagogy. Since
my password for Singer’s Developmental Repertory was still valid, I reviewed that
course as well. Two weeks later, back in Indonesia. I returned to my 5:30 AM viewing
time. I still needed to listen to some songs from Singer’s Developmental Repertoire.
Although it was still rather slow, wireless Internet had become available, and I
downloaded the files from home during the early morning hours. I bought the
necessary wireless device and worked diligently until I completed my finals. I felt a
sense of great accomplishment when I was able to mail those in.
We have heard that next year a fiber optic cable will reach us. That will certainly
simplify life for other people who want to do distance learning, but I will never regret the early morning bike rides to my place of work and never forget the joy of
receiving my certificate in the mail. I am very thankful to those who have made the
online PDP courses available. The “on demand” feature makes distance learning
practical—even half a world away in Indonesia! I was also pleased to find that my
electronics background gave me a head start in understanding spectrograms,
resonance, and tuning. I recommend the NYSTA program without reservation to all,
wherever you may be. What a gift you have given, especially
those of us who live in remote regions of the world.
Henry Moore holds a BA in psychology from Louisiana
Tech University. He is currently a support worker with Wycliffe
Bible Translators. Mr. Moore often sings in local concerts
sponsored by the International School of Indonesia. In
addition to his involvement with NYSTA, Mr. Moore is also an
associate member of NATS.
7
NYSTA New Members 2013
Nancy Bos lives and teaches in Bellevue, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. She is the author of Singing 101 and Vocal
Workout: Strength and Flexibility, a vocal instruction and exercise CD set built on pop, rock, and the blues. She has been teaching
since 1995 as an independent teacher and briefly as adjunct faculty at Cornish College of the Arts. Nancy serves as a voice
clinician for international singer/songwriter workshops and music theater master classes. She is associate editor for the Journal of
Singing, a member of the NATS Membership Committee, secretary for the Northwest Chapter of the Voice Foundation, and
treasurer for the Eastside Vocal Federated Music Club. Nancy is an active professional performer in music theater, rock, and
classical music, and has participated in several solo and group recordings. She is an appreciator of all singing genres, and enjoys
stretching her voice and having performing experiences that she hopes her students will enjoy.
Kenneth Bryson, tenor, maintains a full private vocal studio in New Jersey and serves on the adjunct faculty of the Pingry
School in Martinsville, New Jersey. He is a full and active member of NATS and was a participant in the 2010 NATS Intern
Program. Mr. Bryson received his BM degree from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and went on to earn an MM
degree at The Juilliard School. Mr. Bryson is also an active soloist and recitalist with 100 recitals to his credit. He has sung the
roles of Normanno in Lucia di Lammermoor, Macduff in Macbeth, Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, and John Adams in The Mother
of Us All, as well as the title roles in Oedipus Rex and La clemenza di Tito. Additionally, Mr. Bryson is the founder of Singing for a
Cure, an annual vocal music concert series now in its eighth year whose proceeds have benefited ALS and cancer research and
treatment.
Russian-born soprano Nika Leoni has been an active performer, teacher, and producer for over ten years. Her performance
credits span from Europe to the United States. She appeared on opera stages in the Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria, and
performed concerts at Carnegie Hall and with the Munich Philharmonie, Berlin Philharmonie, Walbrzych Filharmonia Sudecka
(Poland), One World Symphony (New York), as well as recorded with Prague Stern Orchestra in the Czech Republic. She was a
Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in San Francisco and a recipient of first prizes and other
awards from several prestigious singing competitions. Currently, Ms. Leoni is a faculty member at the 92nd Street Y Music School
where she teaches vocal technique, repertoire, lyric diction and acting for singers, and coaches chamber groups. She is the
founder, producer and artistic/musical director of an international performance company, Classical Presentations, for which she
also writes and co-directs various educational productions about the classical music and opera genres.
Rosemary Murdy-Haber is a graduate of West Chester University with a BS in music education and earned her MEd from
DeSales University with a degree in computers in education. After retiring from public school education after 32 years as a choral
director, Rosemary is currently serving as an adjunct professor at Northampton Community College teaching music theory and
piano, as well as directing the college choir. She also serves on the Advisory Board at the Lehigh Valley Performing Arts High
School and continues to instruct voice, harp, and piano students in her independent music studio. She is the secretary of the
Lehigh Valley NATS chapter and designs and produces the local NATS gala recital. She continues affiliations with professional
organizations that include ACDA, PMEA, MENC, LV-PMTA, and National Guild of Piano Teachers. Ms. Murdy-Haber believes that
motivating and keeping student interest high is a priority for maintaining a successful music program. She encourages students
to be the best they can be, and in doing so, her students develop additional communication skills and build self-confidence.
Joan Tirrell has sung over 40 operatic, crossover, and contemporary roles and has appeared in concert with some of the
nation’s foremost opera companies and festivals, including the Opera Orchestra of New York, NYC Opera National Company, San
Francisco Opera’s Western Opera, Aspen Festival, Saratoga Festival, Chautauqua Festival, Dallas Opera, Anchorage Opera, NYC
Historical Society, and Playwrights Horizons. She has concertized widely, including oratorio performances at Carnegie Hall. Ms.
Tirrell was a finalist in the Luciano Pavarotti Competition, Gerda Lissner, Eleanor Steber, and Queens International competitions.
She has worked with many fine conductors, including James Levine, James Conlon, Richard Bonynge, Antonio de Almeida, John
De Main, Benton Hess, Ted Taylor, Ted Sperling, and Thomas Bagwell. Ms. Tirrell holds a BME degree from Temple University. Her
teaching experience includes work as a Vocal Instructor at Young Artists Institute at New Jersey Performing Arts Center and
NJPAC’s Summer Young Performers’ Workshop, numerous artist residencies across the United States, classroom teaching in New
York City and suburban New York, and private voice instruction from her home studio in Warwick.
Joseph Turro, tenor, earned his BM degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and recently received his MM degree in
vocal performance from NYU Steinhardt along with an advanced certificate in vocal pedagogy. While at Oberlin, he performed
numerous roles in the main stage operas and as a soloist with the Oberlin orchestra. During his time at NYU, he performed the
roles of Alfred in Die Fledermaus and Sam Kaplan in Street Scene. Outside of school, Mr. Turro is an alumnus of Brevard Music
Center and was a studio artist with Opera North. He spent two years as an adjunct faculty member at NYU while simultaneously
studying vocal performance and pedagogy under Dr. Brian Gill. Mr. Turro is grateful to NYU for helping him develop his teaching
skills with students possessing a wide range of vocal interests, giving him the versatility to teach singers in many different styles.
VOICEPrints
JOURNAL OF THE NEW YORK SINGING TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
March--April 2013
NYSTA, c/o Dr. Matthew Hoch
Department of Music
101 Goodwin Hall
Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849
www.NYST.org
VOICEPrints
Matthew Hoch, DMA, Editor-in-Chief
Sarah Adams Hoover, DMA, Associate Editor
Judith Nicosia, Associate Editor
Theresa Trieste, Associate Editor
John Ostendorf, Designer
will take place on specific days during the week of
April 15–19. The doctors have chosen the days on
which their office can participate, and the specific
times and number of clients/patients they can see on
those days and times. Doctors participating in this
event are listed below. (Physician participation is
subject to change.)
WORLD VOICE DAY
April 16th
NYSTA CELEBRATES
World Voice Day
Dr. Michael J. Pitman
Offering free screenings
to 40 singers on April 19
from 12:30–5:30 PM with
MusiCares,11 West 42nd
Street, 27th Floor, NYC. All
singers will need to contact
Jennifer Leff at MusiCares
(212.245.7840) to be
screened for eligibility. Eligible
singers need at least five years
of singing credits and must be financially eligible (no
insurance, etc.).
April 15--19, 2013 (all week)
LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT NYC AND NJ
In a groundbreaking effort to raise awareness of
vocal health issues, NYSTA has coordinated with several
renowned New York metropolitan area physicians in
care of the professional voice who are offering FREE
vocal health screenings to all NYSTA members, their
students, and members of the Actors Equity
Association (AEA performers union). These screenings
Dr. Michelle R. Yagoda
Offering a limited number of
comprehensive voice evaluations in honor of World
Voice Day on April 15 from
9:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Dr.
Yagoda will assess your lifestyle, diet, allergies, social
and sleep habits, medical
history, and speaking and singing habits and their
combined effect on your voice. The visit will also
include a full ENT examination including video
endoscopy, photos, a complimentary copy of her
brochure, The Professional Voice: Steps Toward
Good Vocal Health, and an integrative care plan to
help you achieve and maintain optimal vocal health.
Visits are by appointment only at her office across
from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, at 5 East
83rd Street, Ground Floor, NYC.
Contact: 212.434.1210 or [email protected].
Dr. Jared Wasserman
Offering free voice
screenings by appointment
only on Wednesday, April
17 from 9:00 AM to 12:00
PM at the Hackensack
office, 385 Prospect
Avenue, 2nd Floor,
Hackensack, NJ 07601.
Please contact the office
at 201.883.1062 and ask
for Alyssa or Mayleni to make an appointment.