January--February 2012 - The New York Singing Teachers

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VOICEPrints
JOURNAL OF THE NEW YORK SINGING TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
January--February 2012
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
February 2012 PDP EVENTS........................................................................................................ Page 1
Message from President David Sabella-Mills................................................................................Page 2
Message from Editor Matthew Hoch..........................................................................................Page 2
NYSTA 2012 Calendar of Events..............................................................................................Page 3
FEATURE ARTICLE: Discovering the Latin American Soul Through Song and Poetry:
The Latin American Art Song Repertoire by Patricia Caicedo, MD, MM..........................Pages 4--6
FEATURE ARTICLE: Online Studio Pro/Online Teacher Pro: A New Resource for
Independent Studio Teachers by David Sabella-Mills, President of NYSTA............................Page 7
IN MEMORIAM Daniel Edward Sesso......................................................................................... Page 8
FEATURED EVENT:
OREN LATHROP BROWN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM *
VOCAL ACOUSTICS & RESONANCE
with Dr. Scott McCoy
NEW CLASS FORMAT!
*Assisted On Demand Learning* Course, begins
February 13, 2012, with four Thursday LIVE ONLINE
Sessions 10:00 PM (EST) February 23, March 8, 22,
and April 5, 2012
Teachers College, Columbia University, 120th Street, between
Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, NYC.
This course is also available on demand at nyst.org/courses.
Dr. Scott McCoy makes this challenging topic easy to understand for all levels.
Information covered in this course includes
the nature of sound, acoustics and resonance of the speaking and singing voice,
practical applications of acoustics and
resonance in the singing voice. Also included will be an introduction to computerized voice analysis (Mac or PC).
Required text: Your Voice: An Inside
View by Scott McCoy, DMA.
Dr. Scott McCoy
*Assisted On Demand Learning*
This new class format gives the student 24/7 access to our on
demand course files plus 8 hours of instructor-guided sessions for
review and Q&A. Begin your course anytime on Monday, February
13. Instructor-guided sessions will be held on four Thursdays:
February 23, March 8, 22 and April 5, 2012 via WebEx video
classroom. You see and hear Dr. McCoy, and other members
of the class (it will be just like being there). And, if you have a
webcam they can see and hear you too! No webcam? Use the
chat box to ask questions and hear them answered aloud.
FEATURED EVENT:
OREN LATHROP BROWN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM *
MTD & PHONOTOXICITY:
“Do You Hear What I Hear?”
with Dr. Anat Keidar
February 21, 2012 Tuesday, 7:30-9:30 PM (EST)
via WebEx Video Classroom
NYSTA is proud to offer this groundbreaking ONLINE EVENT to
all our worldwide membership. Dr. Anat Keidar will present an
interactive lecture to our entire worldwide membership on MTD,
Phonotoxicity, and widespread myths, prevalent misconceptions
and common dilemmas about vocal function, technique, training,
rehabilitation, and wellness: what is required of teachers to help
students. This is an interactive event. Questions were submitted
to Dr. Keidar this past fall with an explanation
as to what motivates the particular question
and what the applicant hopes to learn from
the answer given.
This will be an unprecedented opportunity
to speak directly with, and learn from, the
leading authority on these issues. However,
this will not be a venue for private consultations or self promotion, but rather a knowledge and clarification-based discussion.
This event will be held via WebEx
Dr. Anat Keidar
video classroom. You see and hear Dr.
Keidar, and other members of the class (just like being there). And,
if you have a webcam they can see and hear you too! (No webcam?
Use the chat box to ask questions and hear them answered aloud.)
RSVP required to [email protected] for Dr. Keidar. When your
RSVP is processed you will receive the WebEx log-in information.
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MESSAGE from the President
Bringing the Independent
Studio into the 21st Century
Like many of us, throughout my career as
both a performer and teacher, I have always
maintained an independent studio. Over the
last 25 years that studio has seen great
changes. Those of us who are old enough to
remember recording our lessons on a
cassette tape player (not a Walkman—the
older, box kind), certainly now marvel at
what is possible in the world of technology.
Universities and conservatories throughout the United States have moved into online
formats in almost every curriculum offered.
This is due, in part, to the emerging technologies that allow this type of educational
delivery, as well as the financial necessity of
every institution to widen its reach and
attract students in geographically diverse
locations. Even our own PDP course curriculum has found a new and wider audience by offering our classes online and on
demand. Without this technological possibility, I am not sure how the program
would have survived the recent (and
hopefully past) recession.
In contrast, however, the independent
studio industry has not fully and effectively
embraced the use of these online delivery
technologies to expand its geographical
reach and attract new clients. And, there is
great potential for growth in this sector
that many highly qualified teachers are not
realizing. At present about 30% of my studio
business is done online, via ooVoo or Skype,
and that figure is increasing. Imagine increasing your studio roster by 30% or more?
That possibility does exist!
Many independent teachers are still
resistant to this possibility because the
technology seems daunting, or perhaps they
think it’s too expensive, or perhaps the slight
adjustments that do need to be made in this
format seem intrusive and antithetical to
their pedagogical model. But I remember a
time when the same argument was made
about learning (and using) all of the anatomical and acoustical information that so
many of us now regard as an essential
means to an artistic end.
Since I have been outspoken about the
virtues of online delivery technologies, I am
often encouraged to describe the online
teaching experience, and how to set up
one’s studio for optimum delivery of online
lessons. I have even been asked to teach a
course on this subject as a possible addition
to our PDP curriculum. That has gotten me
thinking: how could I get this information to
as many teachers as possible at the same
MESSAGE from the Editor
Dear NYSTA Members,
Happy New Year! With this issue,
VOICEPrints launches into 2012 with
great gusto.
We hope that you will be able to attend
two exciting opportunities in February, both
of which are available exclusively online: The
first event of the spring is entitled MTD and
Phonotoxicity: “Do You Hear What I Hear?”
with Dr. Anat Keidar. And Dr. Scott McCoy
reprises his perennially popular course, Vocal
Acoustics and Resonance. NYSTA President
David Sabella-Mills continues the “technology” theme of this event and PDP course in
both his President’s Letter and an article
about OSP/OTP technology. Our profession
is changing rapidly, and NYSTA is at the
vanguard of these new and exciting possibilities for voice teachers worldwide.
Our main feature is a double-length article
by NYSTA member Dr. Patricia Caicedo, a
renowned expert on Latin American art song.
I hope you will enjoy this introduction and
overview to this fascinating repertoire. Dr.
Caicedo has many resources available for
those who wish delve further into this fascinating and unjustly neglected genre of song.
Stay warm during this winter season, and
as always, please remember that VOICEPrints
time, and offer the kind of support and
guidance that I know a lot of teachers still
need in this regard?
With that in mind, I have written an
article to kick off 2012, and I would like to
introduce NYSTA members to
www.onlinestudiopro.com.
Full disclosure here: Online Studio Pro is an
online company that I have founded in order
to help other independent studio teachers
expand their business into the online market.
However, my intention with this article is not
self-promotion or solicitation. Rather, I feel
that a company like this truly complement’s
NYSTA’s tagline: “Educating Voice Professionals Worldwide.”
NYSTA has emerged as the vanguard
organization for the online education of
singing teachers, and as we begin 2012, our
leadership in this area is continuing to unfold
in new and exciting ways. Watch for several
new PDP courses in the near future as well.
Happy New Year to all! Please let me
know if I can assist you in any way. 2012
should indeed be an exciting year for
teachers of singing.
Sincerely,
David Sabella-Mills
President, NYSTA
is YOUR publication, so please send all
questions, comments, and ideas for future
articles to me at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Dr. Matthew Hoch
Editor-in-Chief, VOICEPrints
[email protected]
VOICEPrints
Matthew Hoch
DMA, Editor-in-Chief
Sarah Adams Hoover
DMA, Associate Editor
John Ostendorf
Designer
3
NYSTACalendar
of Events
2012
NYSTACalendar
2011-2012
OREN LATHROP BROWN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM *
VOCAL ACOUSTICS & RESONANCE with Dr. Scott McCoy
NEW CLASS FORMAT! *Assisted On Demand Learning* Course, begins
February 13, 2012, with four Thursday LIVE ONLINE Sessions 10:00 PM (EST) February 23, March 8, 22, and April 5, 2012
Teachers College, Columbia University, 120th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, NYC. This course is also available on demand
at nyst.org/courses.
Dr. Scott McCoy makes this challenging topic easy to understand for all levels. Information covered in this course includes the nature of sound,
acoustics and resonance of the speaking and singing voice, practical applications of acoustics and resonance in the singing voice. Also included
will be an introduction to computerized voice analysis (Mac or PC).
Required text: Your Voice: An Inside View by Scott McCoy, DMA. *Assisted On Demand Learning* This new class format gives the
student 24/7 access to our on demand course files plus 8 hours of instructor-guided sessions for review and Q&A. Begin your course anytime on
Monday, February 13. Instructor-guided sessions will be held on four Thursdays: February 23, March 8, 22 and April 5, 2012 via WebEx video
classroom. You see and hear Dr. McCoy, and other members of the class (it will be just like being there). And, if you have a webcam they
can see and hear you too! No webcam? Use the chat box to ask questions and hear them answered aloud.
OREN LATHROP BROWN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM *
MTD & PHONOTOXICITY: “Do You Hear What I Hear?” with Dr. Anat Keidar
February 21, 2012 Tuesday, 7:30-9:30 PM (EST) via WebEx Video Classroom
NYSTA is proud to offer this groundbreaking ONLINE EVENT to all our worldwide membership. Dr. Anat Keidar, will present an interactive
lecture to our entire worldwide membership on MTD, Phonotoxicity, and widespread myths, prevalent misconceptions and common dilemmas
about vocal function, technique, training, rehabilitation, and wellness: what is required of teachers to help students. This is an interactive
event. Questions were submitted to Dr. Keidar this past fall with an explanation as to what motivates the particular question and what the
applicant hopes to learn from the answer given.
This will be an unprecedented opportunity to speak directly with, and learn from, the leading authority on these issues. However, this will
not be a venue for private consultations or self promotion, but rather a knowledge and clarification-based discussion.
This event will be held via WebEx video classroom. You see and hear Dr. Keidar and other members of the class (just like being there).
And, if you have a webcam they can see and hear you too! (No webcam? Use the chat box to ask questions and hear them answered aloud.)
RSVP required to [email protected] with your written question(s) for Dr. Keidar. When your RSVP is processed, you will receive the WebEx
log-in information.
OREN LATHROP BROWN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM *
SINGER’S Developmental Repertoire Class
April--May, 2012
LIVE Online Class (via WebEx video Classroom) Dates: TBA. Instructors: Christopher Arneson, Judith Nicosia and David Sabella-Mills.
This 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 look at
contemporary Pop/Rock shows and the vocal demands they make on the singer, and how to choose appropriate audition material
16-BARClinic
Spring, 2012 Complete Information: TBA
Back by popular demand, twelve singers get to strut their stuff before a panel of industry experts who give candid and supportive advice often
not offered in the audition setting.
OREN LATHROP BROWN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM *
COMPARATIVE PEDAGOGY Weekend 2012
June, 2012
Teachers College, Columbia University, 120th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, NYC.
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.
Dates and Faculty: TBA. Please see website for details
*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. A form will be obtained at the class. For more information, visit [email protected] or www.nyst.org/courses.
4
DISCOVERING THE LATIN AMERICAN SOUL THROUGH SONG
AND POETRY: The Latin American Art Song Repertoire
by NYSTA Member Patricia Caicedo, MD, MM
We live in the search of beauty, the beauty
that is found in the word and in sound. And it is
songs which transport us to marvelous universes,
charged with emotion, fantasy, and especially
charged with reality—a reality that connects us
with our most intimate emotions, that is a balm
for our sorrows, helping us to be in contact with
our inner being at all times. Songs are like mirrors
in which we project ourselves, where the particular realities in which they were created are
also projected.
For me it is especially stimulating to study and
interpret Latin American art songs because in the
process I have gotten close to the history of the
society, language and culture of a region unrivaled for its richness and diversity. It is a region I
have loved since the moment I opened my eyes
to that world and its smells, colors and sounds.
Songs from different periods reflect the social,
historical, political, economic, and cultural processes of the societies in which they were composed. Songs are, above all, mirrors. And they are
also doors, magic doors, that provide access to
composers’ and poets’ pasts and inner selves, as
well as to our own being.
Art songs in Latin America began to be composed in the early-nineteenth century, an era of
wars of independence, marked by the beginning
of the search for identity of incipient nations.
Between 1810 and 1830, most countries that
had long been under the domain of Spain won
their independence.
The Creoles, or Spanish-Americans, became
the governing group of the young nations. White
Creoles used European government as a model,
especially France, the leader in terms of the aesthetic ideals of the time. The Creole elite were
inventing a new order, imitating other countries
and influenced by modern times. In their efforts,
they at first turned their backs on the native
Indian and African populations, completely denying their cultural presence and contributions.
In nineteenth-century Europe, the struggle for
hegemony between the new powers—the AngloSaxon and the French—was taking place. France
proclaimed itself the heir of the Roman Empire
and called itself “Latin.” At this very moment the
idea of “Latin America”was developing among
the Creole elites, who by proclaiming themselves
Latin Americans felt themselves a part of the
Europe they aspired to.
This is how the concept of Latin America
began. Today in 2012, forty-one countries are
considered to be Latin American. They are a
melting pot of cultures, languages, and races
that has experienced a continuous flow of immigration and constant political and cultural change
due to the search for and development of national identity.
During the long period of struggling for
independence, many patriotic songs were written.
However, due to their lack of synthesis between
music and poetry, they are generally not considered art songs. The Latin American art song
began to be composed at the same time as the
nationalist movement. Latin America’s musical
nationalism revealed itself relatively late compared
to the development of the same movement in
Europe. There are several reasons for this, but the
principal one is the fact that classical music in
Latin America was a reflection of what was happening in Europe. The “latest” trends took time
to reach the American lands: local composers had
gone to Europe to study and it was they who
brought them back.1 It is interesting to note that
this same phenomenon was simultaneously
taking place in the United States.
This process of re-accommodation took years
and resulted in the slower musical development
of the Latin American countries with respect to
European musical life. “This was a transition
period during which the nationalist feeling took
shape.”2 Therefore, it wasn’t until the last years
of the nineteenth century that Latin American
nationalist music began to emerge.
Thereafter, the cross-pollination between
music coming from Europe and Latin American
music continued. At first, the art songs written by Latin American composers were totally
European in style. But gradually these songs,
performed in urban salons, began to reflect
influences from folk and popular music, mainly
from rural areas, resulting in a “mestizo” music.
Examples of these rhythms were the pasillo in
Colombia, the vals and the joropo in Venezuela,
the lundú and the modinha in Brazil, the danza,
the danzón and the Habanera in Cuba, the jarabe
and the contradanza in Mexico, the zamba, the
gato, the triste, the vidalita, the cielitos and the
huellas in Argentina and Uruguay.3
There followed an era known as Pre-Nationalism, where composers who were trained in
Europe—Alberto Nepomuceno (1864-1920),
Manuel Ponce (1882-1948) and José Rolón
Alberto Nepomuceno
Manuel Ponce
(1886-1945), among many others—felt the need
to look to their own traditions and then express
themselves via the musical language they had
experienced in Europe. Adapting European
techniques, they turned to folk and popular
sources (either real or imaginary) to create
compositions with “national” ingredients.
As noted, the songs created were initially
limited to European compositional techniques
and languages; they did not really express much
“national” Latin American identity. They did
reflect the search for a national sound, but still
lacked distinctive elements to distinguish them
as true products of Latin America.
During this period, Brazilian composer Nepomuceno succeeded in introducing singing in
Portuguese in Brazil as a result of a promotional
campaign that started in 1895.4 He declared:
“Não tem patria o povo que não canta na sua
própria língua” (“The people that do not sing in
their own language do not have a mother
country.”) 5 He encountered strong opposition
from music critics and intellectuals who believed
that bel canto music should be limited to singing
in Italian, German and French.
Classical or European music had long been
confined to the bourgeois strata of society. Composers with nationalistic tendencies, trying to
represent characteristic regional features, had
turned to folk and popular music to employ any
indigenous or African styles.
Toward the end of the nineteenth century,
classical repertoire that reflected the style of
folk and popular music began to be composed.
Movements in favor of and against romantic
nationalism flourished until the second and third
decades of the twentieth century. It was only at
this point—a full 100 years after national independence—that the principal intellectual and
artistic discussion in Latin America was modernist
nationalism.
The welcoming of nationalistic ideologies in
the musical field in the twenties and thirties in
Latin America stimulated a generation of
composers and performers of the popular music
José Rolón
5
repertoire employing an essentially national
theme. This search for, and discovery of, their
own sound was achieved by setting to music
poems written by poets of their own countries. It
opened the door to endless new possibilities and
experiments. Their art songs were still influenced
by the European genres—the German Lied and
French mélodie—but their music now had a
distinct Latin American identity.6
Composers began to set the poetry of native
writers in the vernacular language, including
archaisms, rural terms and even indigenous
languages.7 In Chile, for example, poetry had an
active presence in music through the work of
Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957). From 1918 her
work inspired profound changes in music,
inspiring composers to pay attention to texts
written in Spanish and to defend singing in their
Nobel Prizewinner, Chilean
poet Gabriela
Mistral
own language.8 In the same way, in Argentina,
Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Chile, Mexico, Peru, and
Venezuela, composers were setting music to texts
by native poets. “The affinity between composers
and local poets shows a characteristic situation of
a common issue between music, poetry and art in
Latin American countries: the process of searching for and consolidating their cultural identity.”9
While the nationalist movement began later
in Latin America than in Europe, it also lasted
longer, manifesting itself until the end of the
1950’s and boasting an ever-larger number of
composers. In spite of this, it never truly eclipsed
non-nationalist music, which was abundantly
composed—often by the same composers who
wrote in the national style.10
In conclusion, art songs in Latin America
reflect the different moments of musical development of the countries they were composed in.
There are songs from the pre-nationalist, nationalist and post-nationalist periods, and those from
the 1950’s and 60’s, which reflect the most modern composition trends, focused on international
tendencies with the intention of blending into the
universal movement of music.
Art songs written today in Latin America
reflect an eclectic mixture of neo-classic, dodecaphonic, polytonal elements, etc. They are written
for electronic instruments and use melodic and
rhythmic motifs which originally came from
popular and folk music. The production of art
songs, which began in the nineteenth century,
continues today and composers from all over
Latin America continue to enrich its repertoire.
Finding the Scores:
A Never-Ending Challenge
After years of researching Latin American art
song repertoire, it is still difficult to actually locate
scores. Taking into consideration the complex web
of historical and social situations this broad region
has undergone during the last two centuries, one
can understand this challenge.
I imagine the reader’s first thought might be:
In light of all this history, why is it so difficult to
find Latin American art song scores? To answer, I
share my own personal experience of more than
fifteen years of investigation. My interest in this
repertoire was not really inspired by my classical
singing studies. My own curiosity drew me away
from the usual curriculum to look for “new”
repertoire.
A classical singer’s focus in Colombia, my
country of birth, at the conservatory or university
level, is centered on three main areas in terms of
repertoire: opera, song, and oratorio. Most works
studied come from Italian, German, and French
repertoire. Songs from the Spanish repertoire are
less intensively studied, as are, only rarely, Latin
American songs. This curriculum occurs with little
variation in all Latin American conservatories and
is echoed in American and European conservatories as well, where few Latin American composers’ works are known—mainly those of Alberto
Ginastera (1916-1983), Heitor Villa-Lobos (18871959), and Manuel Ponce. The system is designed
to teach what is considered to be the “central
repertoire” of art music, basically comprised of
European repertoire from the above-mentioned
countries and reflecting European-centered
musical values.
Several factors contribute to the lack of knowledge of Latin American Art Song repertoire. First,
the lesser value placed on the work of native
composers in Latin American countries results in
limited publication, fewer performances, less
promotion. The general Latin American population is less aware of classical music, and there is a
prejudice that when this type of music is composed in a Latin American country, it is of lesser
quality than European work. Ethnomusicology, a
discipline which has concentrated on Latin
American popular and folk music, as opposed to
its art music, has only reinforced this point of
view. The fact that scores are not published is,
of course, a contributing factor to this lack of
knowledge. When performers do not have access
to the music, the vicious circle continues: it is
very difficult to break.
No
Publication
No
Value
No
Recording
Lack of
Knowledge
Author Patricia Caicedo with a student
During the first thirty years of the twentieth
century (when most Latin American composers
where still educated in Europe), some works were
published and became well-known. However,
they were not internationally distributed, and
their print run was so small that what little impact they had was hardly noticeable. Many of the
songs published during that time were not reissued. Many were bound to contracts still in
force today. Unfortunately, the publishing houses
are neither motivated nor interested in reprinting.
Art Song is not a genre that appeals to a large
audience—not even the songs of Schubert,
Schumann, and Fauré, arguably the form’s most
well-known composers. The situation with the
Latin American art song is even more dire. Since
most of its performers have little knowledge of
the composers, the repertoire is seldom included
in singers’ curriculums in conservatories.
Indeed, most of the repertoire has never been
published at all and sits in family libraries or in
specialized archives in Latin American countries,
the United States and Europe. Multiple economic,
political and social factors continue to postpone
their publication.
In my own quest to search for and catalogue
these works, I have had trouble finding editions
and difficulty locating and contacting the composers’ descendants in my attempt to gain access
to family archives. It must be said that musicologists have not taken much interest in the subject
either—only the works of internationally renowned figures such as Ginastera, Ponce, and
Villa-Lobos. Recently, however, doctoral dissertations have appeared on Carlos Gustavino (19122000), Alberto Nepomuceno, and Juan Bautista
Plaza (1898-1965), suggesting at least some
progress in this arena. At last Latin American art
songs begin to be taken seriously as an expression
of sensitivities deeply bound to national identity.
New Facilities and Resources
Give Exposure to Latin American Vocal Repertoire
Fortunately, in the last years and as the result
of the efforts of a group of people who love this
music and believe in its importance and value,
new alternatives, facilities and resources are being
generated and a virtuoso circle is starting to be
formed whose intention is to bring this repertoire
and its composers to light. Investigation and tools
6
like the Internet have finally managed to give life to this important repertoire, enriching the vocal repertoire
of classical singers who, like me, were searching for alternative repertoire.
I have assembled a dedicated team to concentrate on the following elements: research, publication,
recording, performance, teaching, creation of new spaces for performance, study and reflection and finally
the use of the Internet to allow easy access to all the materials, tools and resources available. I have published several articles and three books with scores, to provide a resource for singers and voice teachers. The
books, which have well-received in past editions of this journal, are: The Latin American Art Song: A Critical
Anthology and Interpretative Guide for Singers and The Colombian Art Song—Jaime León: Analysis and
Compilation of his Works for Voice and Piano, Volumes 1 and 2.
My intention with these books has been to facilitate a strong student and teacher approach to the repertoire by providing access to information about composers and poets, diction tools like IPA phonetic transcriptions and translations of poems into English. I have also made five recordings and in 2005 founded a
Summer Course and a concert series dedicated to the study of the history and interpretation of Latin American and Spanish vocal repertoire, which we study in three languages: Spanish, Brazilian-Portuguese and
Catalan. I have incorporated the study of Spanish and Catalan music due to the fact that I have lived in
Barcelona for many years and am a Spanish citizen—which has given me the opportunity to get to know,
study and perform this repertoire closely and discover its beauty. The course is the Barcelona Festival
of Song, which enjoyed its seventh season in 2011. The festival also aims to encourage contemporary
composers, so it commissions the writing of new cycles every year, which are performed during the festival.
In 2010, we launched www.mundoarts.com, a website where singers can find scores, MP3 recordings,
IPA transcriptions, biographies, classes, tools and resources necessary to bring this music to life. Our
ultimate objective is to allow this repertoire to form part of the university curricula and to offer singers
worldwide the opportunity to broaden their musical horizons and incorporate these composers into
their repertoires.
To continue this mission we seek the help of lots of people. Most especially, we need singers and
their teachers with open, creative minds who are ready to explore new territories and discover new ways
of expressing universal feelings shared by us all.
What we really want is to create a revolution. Our doors are open to everyone wanting to participate
in the realization of this dream. Singers, welcome to the magical universe of Latin American and Spanish
art song!
ENDNOTES
1
Béhague, Gerard: Music in Latin America: An introduction. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice-Hall, 1979, p. 96.
2
Ibid.
3
Outstanding composers of this period include Emilio Murillo (1880–1942) and José Rozo Contreras (1894–
1976) in Colombia; Ernesto Elorduy and Felipe Villanueva in Mexico; Manuel Saumell and Ignacio Cervantes
in Cuba; Francisco Manuel da Silva in Brazil; Federico Villena and Sebastián Díaz Pena in Venezuela; and
Andrés Sas in Peru, to mention only some of the most active composers of the time.
4
Mariz Vasco: A canção brasileira: erudita, folclórica, popular (Fourth Edition). Rio de Janeiro, Editora Cátedra,
1980, p. 20.
5
There are two songs in this anthology that belong to Alberto Nepomuceno with texts in Portuguese written
by the Brazilian poets Machado de Assis and Hermes Fontes.
6
Some outstanding composers of this period are: Carlos López-Buchardo (1881–1948), Gilardo Gilardi
(1889–1963), Alberto Ginastera (1916–1984) and Carlos Guastavino (1912–2002) in Argentina; Heitor VillaLobos (1887–1959), Mozart Camargo Guarnieri (1907–1993) and Francisco Mignone (1897–1986) in Brasil;
Carlos Chávez (1898–1978), Silvestre Revueltas (1899–1940), and Blas Galindo (1911–1994) in México;
Hector Campos Parsi (1925–1998) in Puerto Rico, Alfonso Broqua (1876 –1946), Luis Cluzeau Mortet (1889–
1957) and Eduardo Fabini (1882–1950) in Uruguay; Theodoro Valcárcel (1902–1942), Roberto Carpio (1900–
1986) and Carlos Sánchez Málaga (b. 1904) in Perú, Guillermo Uribe Holguin (1880–1971) and Antonio
Maria Valencia in Colombia (1902–1952); Vicente Emilio Sojo (1887–1874) and Juan Bautista Plaza (1898–
1895) in Venezuela; and Eduardo Caba (1890–1953) in Bolivia.
7
That is the case of Cuatro canciones incaincas, written in Quechua and Aymará by the Peruvian composer
Theodoro Valcárcel. These songs play a very important role in consolidating the identity of Peruvian music by
including the Quechua language and incorporating indigenous musical material.
8
Torres Alvarado, Rodrigo: “Gabriela Mistral y la creación musical de Chile.“ Chilean musical magazine, year
XLIII. Santiago de Chile, Jan/June 1989, No. 171, pp. 42–65.
9
Ibid.
10
Labonville, Marie E.: “Musical Nationalism in Venezuela: The work of Juan Bautista Plaza (1898–1965)”
(PhD Dissertation, University of California, 1999). Switzer, Harry M.: “The published art songs of Juan Bautista
Plaza“ (DMA dissertation, University of Miami, 1985).
Patricia Caicedo, MD, MM
Colombian-Spanish soprano, musicologist,
and physician Patricia Caicedo is
devoted to the research, performance, and
the promotion and recording of vocal works
written by Latin American and Spanish
composers. She is the author of the
pioneering book The Latin American Art
Song: A Critical Anthology and Interpretative
Guide for Singers, published in 2005 by
Edicions Trito. In 2009, she published the two
first volumes of Latin American and Spanish
art song collections entitled The Colombian
Art Song - Jaime León: Analysis and
Compilation of His Works for Voice and
Piano, Volumes 1 and 2. These books are
published by Mundo Arts Publications. She
has recorded five CDs dedicated to Latin
American art song.
Dr. Caicedo is the founder and director of
the Barcelona Festival of Song®, a Summer
Program dedicated to the study of the history
and interpretation of Latin American and
Spanish Vocal Music, now in its seventh year.
She is the president of Mundo Arts, a
company whose goal is to promote Latin
American and Spanish Classical Music and
composers.
Patricia frequently offers concerts, lectures, and master classes at universities in
the United States, Canada, Europe, and
Latin America.
7
ONLINE STUDIO PRO/ ONLINE TEACHER PRO:
A New Resource for Independent Studio Teachers
by David Sabella-Mills, President of NYSTA, DVP & Founding Director OSP/OTP
At first glance, the internet seems a dearth of useless information and less than reputable “teachers”
promising quick fixes through online study. After discerning this, what I soon realized was, there is no
impartial organization where a student could search for any type of online instruction and be assured of not
only a quality education but also a high standard of online delivery—until now: Online Studio Pro /
Online Teacher Pro is that organization.
Online Studio Pro’s mission is two-fold—to educate and enable highly qualified independent teachers in
the use of online delivery technologies, and to serve as a go-to resource for students of all ages to find and
study with these master teachers.
All of the registered teachers on Online Studio Pro/Online Teacher Pro receive the Online Teacher’s
Guide, which includes important information on:
❦ Setting up a studio environment (optimum studio configuration);
❦ Choosing the right hardware/software;
❦ Which VoIP/video application is right for your studio needs;
❦ Additional third party software that may be beneficial to your studio;
❦ Choosing the right payment processor for online lesson payment.
Once your studio is fully optimized for online delivery of lessons, OSP/OTP will help you with:
❦ Successful advertising strategies in a global market, including a Professional Profile Listing
or Profile Page on the OSP site which can include scheduling and payment tools so you can
begin accepting credit and debit card payments from anywhere in the world.
Prospective students who visit our site know that all registered teachers on the OSP/ OTP site have
undergone an extensive vetting process in both pedagogy and technological readiness to deliver online
lessons, which ensures the student of not only a quality independent studio education, but also the highest
standard of online delivery possible. Students looking for an online instructor (registered on the OSP site)
will also receive (free of charge) the Online Student’s Guide. The Student’s Guide includes information on:
❦ What the student need to maximize the online lesson experience;
❦ What important questions to ask the prospective teacher;
❦ Choosing the right hardware /software for the student’s needs; and
❦ Other third party software that may be beneficial to the student.
With these suggested tools in place, students will be all set to receive the world class private instruction
they deserve.
Online Studio Pro /Online Teacher Pro is positioned in the marketplace to be the discriminating voice
of reason for all students seeking an independent online studio. And, as a registered teacher on the site,
your registration and acceptance onto the OSP/OTP website acts as an industry standard seal of approval.
This website is not just for voice teachers either. OSP/OTP is offering this information and assistance to
all independent teachers, performing arts teachers (voice, instrument, acting coaches and voice and speech
teachers), academic teachers and tutors, lifestyle enhancement teachers (yoga, life coaching, etc.), personal
and group therapists, and anyone who can teach what they teach online.
I am by no means suggesting that the online delivery of independent studio sessions can, or ever will,
surpass the on-site experience between client and instructor. Rather, it is our hope to bring this information
to the thousands of reputable independent studio teachers who have yet to discover how this technology
can benefit their studios and help the countless, geographically-distant students /clients who are desperately seeking their instruction and counsel. And in the virtual world of YouTube and Facebook (and whatever
trending application next becomes available), where the lesser-experienced, or even unscrupulous “teachers”
that I mentioned earlier can hang a shingle, it is our sincerest hope to populate the Internet with the
outstanding and professional independent studio teachers (yourselves in-cluded) that I know exist in the
world today.
If you are interested in learning more about how to make use of the various online delivery technologies now available, and increasing your online presence, please visit:
www.onlinestudiopro.com (aka www.onlineteacherpro.com) or email me or my staff at:
[email protected].
We will be more than happy to help you in any way we can.
David Sabella Mills is serving a second
term as President of NYSTA (a first in the organization’s history). He has been a member
of the Board of Directors since 2002 and
has served on almost every committee since
that time.
Mr. Sabella-Mills maintains private voice
studios in both New York City and New
Jersey, and offers online lessons as well to
students across the United States and abroad.
He has been a pioneer of this technology and
was featured in Crain’s NY Business as an
online entrepreneur in the world of voice
instruction. He has served on various
university faculties throughout the years
including NYU, CAP21, Mannes College
Prep, SUNY Purchase and New Paltz and
Ann Reinking’s Broadway Theater Project.
He has appeared on Broadway, and on
opera, oratorio and concert stages, but his
most notable achievements are his two
children, Iraina (eight years old) and Faith
(four years old).
VOICEPrints
JOURNAL OF THE NEW YORK SINGING TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
January--February 2012
NYSTA, c/o Dr. Matthew Hoch
Editor-in-Chief, VOICEPrints
7 Broken Arrow Trail S.E.
Rome, GA 30161
www.NYST.org
Dr. Patricia Caicedo
IN MEMORIAM Daniel Edward Seso
Where Words Cease, Music Begins
Daniel Edward Seso, age 69, pianist and vocalist,
died September 9, 2011.
A versatile pianist with a dazzling jazz technique,
tempered with eloquence from classical training, he
successfully designed and combined these two
musical traditions into his own unique sound. Vocally
and instrumentally, he had a knack for establishing
rapport with audiences of all age groups, transferring
his joie de vivre to appreciative music lovers everywhere. His repertoire embraced most musical genres
and styles including original compositions that he
performed at events attended by such well-known
names as former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Henry Mancini, and Ella Fitzgerald.
Mr. Seso started serious piano study at age eight.
Conservatory-trained, he planned a concert career
under the tutelage of Adelaide Banazynski, but in his
early twenties he was attracted by the spontaneity
and improvisational nature of swinging jazz, studying
with Sigmund Millonzi, Tommy Sheridan, and Gabriel
DiPiazza. After a successful music career in the midwest leading his own trios, he headed to New York,
continuing his education and voice training with Oren
Brown of Juilliard, Gian Carlo Menotti, Kurt Baum,
long time friend Phyllis Lynd, and internationallyknown Margarita Leila Bustamente.
His musical journeys took him to Canada and to
various United States locations such as the Catskills,
Poconos, Las Vegas’ The Tropicana, Atlantic City, and
Chicago’s Playboy clubs. New York engagements
included Windows on the World, Top of the Sixes, the
hotels St. Regis, Sherry Netherland, Helmsley Palace,
and a year-long stint at the New York Hilton, Hurlingham’s. In recent years, he performed at Mama
Leone’s, Giando on The Water, Café Mozart, and The
Yale Club, his last job, this past June.
Mr. Seso was a longtime member of NYSTA.