So I am back from the institute and ready to get back to teaching! I can't say enough how much I valued my time there and how much I learned. Jeanie LoVetri is truly a crusader for singers, for music, and for voice science and I am so grateful that I got to work with her, it definitely won't be the last time.
I have notes upon notes and video upon video that I will be using to write future blog posts getting more in depth particularly with what I learned in Level III from our 2 guest speakers: Dr. Michael Benninger the head of the Head & Neck Clinic at the Cleveland Clinic and David Chase Broadway musical director, arranger, and supervisor. Dr. Benninger talked about voice science, vocal health, and the new highly improved and amazing techniques used by laryngologists to work with pathological voices. David Chase talked about his process of sculpting the music for a show, the major things to look at when preparing a song for a show or audition, and how important acting, acting, acting is. He also gave a master class coaching singers (myself included!) on a 16 bar cut.
On the final day of the institute Jeannie asked to work with me on the song David had coached me on the day before, You Don't Know This Man, from Parade by Jason Robert Brown. I have a voice recording of the session which I will attempt to post either here or on my website/facebook page. We didn't do much with my voice technically but she got me to phrase the song more effectively and really get down into my body. A woman in Lucille's situation wouldn't be pulling up, she'd be pressing down. It was such an amazing moment to sing not only for Jeanie but for the 90 some other voice professionals that attended the institute.
In other news...I just finished my first day back to teaching using the Solution Sequence (sm) and I cannot tell you how big the smile is on my face. I reviewed the steps this morning before heading in and used the note cards while teaching to guide me but mostly I really listened, functionally, and watched, functionally, and was aware. What a difference. It was a parade of "That was so easy. The note just came out!" that finished with a new student who was holding jaw tension he wasn't aware of, his mouth barely opened when he was speaking normally, who turned out to have a beautiful crooner tone that he used on Michael Buble's "Home". What. A. Great. Day.
More vocal health and MT performance specifics to come so check back often! Happy Singing!
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