Back in the Blog

Yikes!  It's been ages since I wrote anything.  What a strange summer it was and how detached I felt from the world of singing.  Of course many voice teachers who work with young people experience a drop off of attendance at lessons and many plan ahead by going to workshops, going on vacations, performing in summer theatre or opera companies, etc.  This summer was a little different for me.  Rather than performing in "stock" or studying with a great master teacher, I along with my boyfriend and two other friends set about producing, writing, directing and acting in a web series that just made its debut.  It's called "50 to Death" and is about the lives of three "boomers" and their attempt to joust with the 21st Century.  The web address is "50todeath.com."  I've never been a producer/writer/actor before and it's pretty scary and very exciting.  The marketing aspect of all of this is teaching me new things every day.  And it makes me more grateful than ever that fall has come and with it the opportunity to return to the solace of music and teaching, which feel so pure and sure in their special way.  If you are a reader of this blog and would like to go to "50todeath" I guarantee a laugh.  I promise the next post here will be about singing.   

OLD BROADWAY/NEW BROADWAY

Well, the Tony's are all passed out and the Broadway season is over.  How wonderful that the musical theatre awards went to singers with distinctive, unique voices.  Let's face it . . . when you hear Patti Lupone sing, whether you like her voice or not, you know it's her.  The same can be said for the lovely Laura Benanti, who I have known since she was 19 and Kelli O'Hara, both of whom are "New Broadway" stars but are equal in individuality to the ingenues and leading ladies of the past.  Unlike so many of the thousands of kids being ground out of MFA Musical Theatre programs all over the country designed to "fit" the current sound or the screechy little "Legally Blonde" wannabe's who you basically cannot tell apart.  This leads me to speak about a reading I did last week of a new musical based on the hilarious Susan Seidelman film, Boynton Beach Club.  It featured a cast of fifteen actors, most "of a certain age" (including Tony nominees and winners), each and every one  with a distinctive, unique,  voice.  No cookie cutter techniques, no "chorus girl/boy" sound, everybody was an individual and together we rocked the joint!  Of course, we had no microphones and sound mixers to mess with our beautiful sound, but, I'll tell you, when I heard those six guys sing "Dirty Old Men" in four-part harmony and when we "girls" did three-part girl group singing, I was in heaven.  To bring this back to teaching . . . this is the kind of teaching I believe in.  Finding your true voice.  Your most beautiful, healthy, free voice.  

"AH HA" Moments

Yesterday I worked with a new student, a lovely young man who unfortunately had to quit college in the middle of his studies to take care of his family.  There is no question that this is a gifted singer who has already had excellent training and should be singing professionally some day and/or passing on his love of music to young people.  His passion and joy are infectious and we had a blast at the lesson.  The high points of the lesson were definitely what I call "Ah Ha" moments.  Something clicked.  But not just in his head.  In his whole being.  He "got it."  Or to quote "Stranger in a Strange Land" he "grocked it."  Every part of his instrument lit up and he had to pause to absorb the fact that what had happened had truly worked as completely as he felt it had.  So we did it again.  When the "ah ha" moment can be duplicated I know that we are on the right track.  Often whatever breakthrough we achieved  or principle I was teaching was something another teacher had tried to communicate before but perhaps the method the teacher was using wasn't right for him or he hadn't been ready to absorb the information yet.  That has happened to me as a teacher many times before.  I've had students come back to me and say "You know that thing you were trying to teach me when I was fifteen?  Well, now that I'm twenty-five and I'm working with someone else, I finally realize what you were saying works."  I'm always delighted when I hear that they have gotten it.  No matter who they get it from, as long as they get it and it sticks!

"AH HA!"

Creative Vocalises for Young Male Singers

I work with several young students (below the age of 16) including a couple of boys.  Most of these kids are professional actors already.  This is a challenging age to study singing.  The voice is changing or just about to.  Attention spans vary widely in length.  Musicianship, or lack thereof, can be a big issue.  In addition, there is the age difference between us and the balancing act of respect and friendship that occurs in any private lesson situation.  Most of my young female students have done just fine with either the classic vowel exercises that adult students use or the "fun" vocalises devised for younger singers, like "koo-koo-koo-koo-clock!"  But for boys . . . well, the embarrassment issue raises its ugly head here.  Who wants to sing about "koo-koo-clocks?" when you are doing everything you can to appear cool and masculine at the ripe old age of 10 or 12?  So, today I asked one of my young male students to make up his own vocalise.  Just come up with 5 syllables that make up a sentence.  "All chimpanzees rock" was the result.  You know what?  At least it got him to sing out and use his full voice for the first time.  The resulting flow of energy led to more enthusiasm from him for the rest of the lesson and more creative teaching from me.  ("Magic energy belt" and other space-age props were added to help my young sky warrior).  He improved vastly from his last lesson.  I had fun.  I think he did too.  He stayed cool and masculine.  Win-win. 

Any Questions?

It's been a very busy few months, with teaching, traveling, auditioning, rehearsing, filming and living.  I'm enjoying writing these blog entries a great deal and especially enjoy reading any comments or responses I've been receiving back from you.  I'd like to know now if there are any questions you might have for me.  As the summer arrives and many of my students take off for camp or summer stock or European gigs I find myself with more time on my hands and the desire to communicate more through this new creative outlet.  So, here I am.  Is anybody there?

Dancers CAN sing

I just got back from an exciting and challenging three days in Seattle, working for the Jerome Robbins Trust helping to cast the upcoming Pacific Northwest Ballet production of "West Side Story Suite."  Twenty-eight dancers, most of whom had not sung since they were in middle school chorus, if at all, were required to sing either "America" or "Cool" not only as a solo, but in front of a video camera!  Can you imagine if you were given a challenge like that in an art form you were almost totally unfamiliar with?  I had one and a half hour group lessons with each of four groups and then ten minutes with each individual to help them do the best job they could to portray Anita, Rosalia or Riff and tape the audition.  The group session proved a terrific way for everyone to learn with a feeling of comfort and playfulness and taught me how to teach them.  Then, when the individual auditions came, these magnificent artists, who amaze me with their physical genius and grace, came into the room with such vulnerability, terror, and insecurity all I could do was wonder at the strange and wonderful workings of Nature and the gifts of talent and courage.  As it turned out, many of the dancers actually could sing and act very well.  There wasn't a single one who could not sing at all.  One sweet girl had been kicked out of 6th grade chorus because her teacher said she couldn't sing.  There she stood at her audition, literally trembling; I put my arm around her and sang softly into her ear and she sang on pitch and in correct rhythm.  That dancer CAN sing!  They all could sing.  And most of them could act when given half a chance.  Let's all give ourselves a chance.  And give our kids a chance.  And when we are trembling, an arm around the shoulder and a sweet song in the ear couldn't hurt.

REVELATION OF THE WEEK

This week's revelation is about hard work, sweat, and laughter.  "Is it hot in here?" is the typical question for a woman going through menopause.  It's also a question for a student really working well in the voice studio.  I find myself stripping off layers of clothing during every lesson.  (Don't worry . . . there is a limit to how far I'll go!)  This week my studio was a veritable strip tease/comedy club!  "I'm exhausted!"  "Is your voice exhausted?"  "No."  "I'm tired too but let's take off a layer and keep going for a little while longer."  Then when I sense that the student's muscles can't support the tone anymore and/or they are singing "from their throat" we stop.  We rest and drink water and breathe easily and let the muscles recover.  But those supporting muscles are getting stronger each week and the beautiful, tiny vocal folds are protected and no one walks out unable to speak or sing at the end of a lesson.  They may need to take a nap or a shower, but that's OK by me.  

I have to be real careful with my younger students and constantly ask myself "How much can they take?  How much can they give?"  But they constantly surprise me.  So I had some revelations this week with a 13 year-old who hung in there for an hour of pretty demanding singing and with a sparkle in her eyes managed to make it through a song she never would have been able to tackle just two weeks ago.  Once again, the power of music working with the human body and spirit constantly amaze me.