Like many singers, my first introduction to Richard Miller was in a college voice pedagogy class. His book The Structure of Singing was our textbook. While I initially searched its pages because it was required reading, the book quickly became a favorite and a permanent fixture on my bookcase—a source of reference as a singer and teacher whenever I had a pedagogical need.
Not long after, and while still a student at the same university, I had the unforgettable opportunity to listen to Miller lecture and watch him work with singers for an entire week. I even got to sing for him. Watching and working with him live was even better than reading his book! His humor and wit, combined with his expansive knowledge of the human voice, made the hours fly. He always left us wanting more.
I shared these memories a few short years ago with the NATS Journal of Singing for its tribute issue to Miller in honor of his retirement from Oberlin Conservatory. I concluded by asserting that Miller would “continue to positively influence both singers and teachers alike, well beyond his mortal years.” When I wrote those words, I imagined that to be a distant reality, never guessing it would happen so soon.
With his recent passing, the CS annual teacher’s issue pays tribute to this remarkable man. Whatever your encounters with Miller and his work, take a moment to read more about him through the eyes of those who knew him best—his wife, his colleagues, and his students. His tireless devotion to the people and work he loved made him a dedicated family man, a brilliant scholar, a prolific writer, and an inspiring teacher.
This issue provides even more inspiration from other exceptional teachers. Inci Bashar, the 2009 Classical Singer Teacher of the Year, shares a glimpse into her philosophies on vocal technique and the art of teaching. David Small, an active singer and tenured professor at the University of Texas at Austin, writes in “Why I Teach” about his road to teaching and how he strives to give back to the next generation of singers that which his own teachers and mentors instilled in him.
For some additional food for thought for both the singer and the singing teacher, be sure to read the other pedagogy-related articles in this issue as well. Dr. Anthony Jahn weighs in on a hot topic among voice teachers—how young is too young to start studying voice—and offers insights on important considerations when dealing with the adolescent singer. And in the continuation of the Pedagogy 101 series, three voice teachers who specialize in Alexander Technique, Body Mapping, and Yoga discuss the importance of correct body alignment and posture and offer practical, specific advice for improvement.
CS salutes the phenomenal singing teachers everywhere who, like Richard Miller and others featured in these pages, devote their time and energy to the instruction, inspiration, and edification of those with whom they work. I hope you’ll also take a moment to thank the teacher in your life this month—for, as David Small notes, we never know how much time any of us have for the journey.
