<p>The lead story in the Arts & Leisure section of today's Sunday NY Times is headlined "The End of the Great Big American Voice." It's about problems with the current system of opera training, but there's a lot in it that's also very relevant to MT singers (including those, like my D, who are not of the "great big voice" variety).</p>
<p>A few examples: the importance of learning the fundamentals, especially breath support...what's good for business in a training program may not be good for all the students there...finding the right voice teacher for each student and her/his particular voice is absolutely critical, and that doesn't necessarily mean a big-name teacher...the conventional wisdom about the path that students should follow in order to "make it" isn't right for everyone...singers differ from instrumentalists in that they have to build their instrument at the same time that they're learning to use it. That last point is especially pertinent for MT students, I think, because it also applies to "building" their bodies as dancers and actors. </p>
<p>I also love the way the article ends (the quote is from opera singer Dolora Zajick):
"In the end, artistic success depends, as it always has, on intangible factors that no training program can provide. One is luck. Another is stubbornness.</p>
<p>"'People who really persevere,' Ms. Zajick said, 'find themselves in lucky places.'" </p>
<p>GREAT article, Artsymom. Thank you so much for posting it. I've always had trouble because I don't fit into a specific "type," because my voice doesn't match my face/body. Articles like this really inspire me to embrace my unique qualities and contradictions, and persevere. Thanks again. :)</p>
<p>"People who really persevere," Ms. Zajick said, "find themselves in lucky places." </p>
<p>I think this is my d's personal motto because she is also a stubborn, persistent one (Soozievt: lol).</p>
<p>What I found curious in the article was the suggestion to forego a BM in VP. I took a look at the course requirments for a VP degree at OCU, to get an idea of what a student would be missing by majoring in English and taking voice "on the side." Hmm. English diction, Italian diction, French or German diction, piano, history of music, aural skills, acting, etc. I'm not a voice expert, so I can only imagine what a student would be missing. As we've discussed many times, there are many paths to every goal. People publish best-selling novels who have read very few books themselves. Nevertheless, a background as a voracious reader certainly helps a writer. Does one have to study those books in school? No, but it takes a lot of time. Would someone study diction and piano on one's own like one reads books on one's own? I doubt it; a teacher would be needed. I suspect this subject could be hotly debated by people who really know the subject (NOT ME) because it makes me wonder how central these other classes are to really learning to sing. </p>
<p>Does this connect with MT? I'm not sure. An MT degree dilutes in part the vocal training aspect because time needs to be spent on acting and dancing. Every time we add a new subject to a second grade curriculum, we risk teaching less of the other subjects, right? I've referred before to the one-stop shopping idea of an MT degree for my daughter. She wants to keep training in all three areas (and hopefully to add piano back into her schedule--she hasn't had time for it in several years) and how better to do it than to find a place that offers all 3 or 4 subjects at one location and even sets them up without a major schedule conflict (and mom and dad and hopefully a scholarship pay for it!)!! But if one wants to piece together the training or feels the training is finished, one would only go to college for a diploma, I guess.</p>
<p>Mtmommy, you make a good point about vocal training possibly being "diluted" in the course of pursuing an MT degree. But what's the alternative if these kids want to hone their triple-threatedness as much as possible? If they could clone themselves twice over and then triple major in voice, dance and acting, they probably would. Or how about 12 years of college, four for each major? ACCCKKK!!</p>
<p>As with everything else, the best we can really do is hope that our kids not only wind up in programs that appeal to them but also work closely with teachers who are attuned to their individual talents and needs. I fear that what the NYT says about opera conservatory training -- that "the most important component of vocal training, the student-teacher relationship, is often the most arbitrary, or neglected" -- may too often be the case in MT programs as well.</p>
<p>I'm happy to report, though, that after a bit of a bumpy start, my D now feels that her voice teacher at College of Santa Fe fell right from heaven!</p>
<p>Hi Artsymom! I'm glad your d has a great voice teacher! BTW, I sent you an email. Yeah, well, my d has been cloning herself for quite a while now and she gets exhausted sometimes from that feat.</p>
<p>You said, "I fear that what the NYT says about opera conservatory training -- that "the most important component of vocal training, the student-teacher relationship, is often the most arbitrary, or neglected" -- may too often be the case in MT programs as well."</p>
<p>I know what you mean and agree. But I'm not sure how this could be an ideal situation unless an MT program has access to a huge assortment of wonderful voice teacher and even then how would it work if all the students "shopped around" to find the right voice teacher? A college might end up with a tenured professor that doesn't have any students? I'm being a little silly here, taking it to the nth degree, but I think that might be something that gets sacrificed by this one-stop shopping (sorry to keep bringing that up) idea of an MT program. Students choose a program by the overall program and therefore, the individual voice teachers or acting teachers or dance teachers might not be the first choice of an individual student. That's college. So if I take that reminder back to the article, well, then I guess I can understand why for some singers it might be better not to get a VP degree at a college, but to train individually.</p>
<p>It's SO true. I had two graduate students as my voice teachers at U of A - the first one was a great teacher classically speaking, but she insisted that I was a soprano and made me sing arias that weren't really in my range and really sort of hurt my voice. The second one I had was just completely...let's just say we didn't get along. It was not good. I was constantly frustrated in lessons and didn't feel I was learning anything.</p>
<p>I'm definitely one of those "great big voice" types, and I really don't think those teachers knew how to deal with that. I mean, as far as classical repertoire goes, I do everything wrong. I sang a bit of "Cuando men vo" for my piano-performance major friend the other day (she has her degree and teaches English here in Korea now) and she just about had a heart attack at my apparent defiance of tradition, haha. She said it was way too personalized and dramatic, way too musical theatre. I just sing songs the way I think they should be sung, and the opera world HATES me for that. I don't really understand the idea that a lot of schools have that classical training alone is enough to cultivate a musical theatre voice. You definitely need a vocal coach as well as a voice teacher, in my opinion.</p>
<p>How in the world does anyone go about finding the "right " voice teacher for developing their kind of voice? My daughter has had a voice teacher for 4 years and she seems good, but who really knows if there is not someone nearby who could do a better job. How long do you have to spend with someone to know weather they are right or not? Are there any guidelines for judging this?</p>
<p>I suspect you will get umteen different responses to this as picking the "right" voice teacher is much like picking the perfect pair of shoes.</p>
<p>The first voice teacher my sons had was blind. She was a gifted classical singer. She taught them the basics of good healthy singing (and very humbly I will tell you, she taught them to sing...period). </p>
<p>After 5 years with the same private voice teacher, my sons' dear high school choir director approached me about changing voice teachers. Although Ss had become exceptional singers, the teacher felt they could become even better...that Ss had become stagnent and weren't taking that next big step to be ready for a MT major. It was not being able to see the forest for the trees type of syndrome. </p>
<p>There just so happened to be a fantastic woman who lived in our area who at the time was beginning to take voice students. She had her PHD in vocal performance/emphasis on opera. BUT she taught them a variety of things....including Alexander Technique and Cranial. They studied with her the last 3 years of high school and she helped them prepare for auditions.</p>
<p>My suggestion to you would be to find someone who cares about proper training....not one who teaches to only belt...those types of teachers are out there and I have seen them create more vocal problems for kids than I care to think of. A good singing coach should know much about the body and how to sing properly. Perhaps there is a college near you...I would seek someone from there or ask the faculity to refer someone to you.</p>
<p>I believe the big lesson we learned which I would share with you is to bless yourself with a kind of devil's advocate....someone who can give you an honest opinion on how S or D are progressing. As an MT major, vocal training is so, so important.</p>