Recently, as I was leaving a grocery store, I happened to walk past a car with four young children in the back seat. I couldn’t hear what was going on in the car over the racket of rolling grocery-cart wheels on asphalt, but the looks on their faces intrigued me: mouths open wide, heads thrown back, and their arms extended. Indeed, it looked to me as though these kids, to keep themselves occupied that afternoon, were singing opera—and thoroughly enjoying themselves!
As I rolled my cart to a stop near my car, strains of Phantom of the Opera wafted through the air. A-ha! Now that the audio accompanied the visual, the picture was complete.
I mused over the experience as I drove home, remembering the reckless abandon and playful looks on the kids’ faces. Seeing young children experimenting with their singing voices—for fun—was thrilling! I thought of some of my own students who could use a little more abandon and playfulness in their singing—for often it is only when we tap into the playful, carefree part of ourselves that we also tap into our best sounds.
This month we salute the many exceptional voice teachers whose knowledge and skill have a positive impact on singers. Because singing is a complex activity that involves both the body and the mind, a voice teacher’s job description can include everything from technician and pedagogue to advocate and even quasi-therapist. In addition to explaining the physiological and kinesthetic processes of singing, teachers must also know how to free their students from the physical and mental inhibitions that hold them back.
Elizabeth Nohe Colson, our 2005 Teacher of the Year, has been teaching for 60 years. Her variety of experiences—from teaching children’s choirs in public schools to molding talent such as Stuart Neil and Indra Thomas—show her remarkable ability to teach anyone to sing. In this issue, she shares her philosophies for helping singers tap into their real voice and their full potential.
Teachers are one of many sources of feedback for singers. Feedback is essential—and yet at times you might feel as if you’re swimming in a sea of voices, all giving advice, many times conflicting advice. Knowing which voice or voices to tap into can be extremely difficult. Maria Zouves’ article, “Attracting the Right Feedback,” offers helpful tips for sorting through the myriad of voices and tapping into the right ones.
I had the wonderful opportunity of seeing Audra McDonald, the subject of this month’s cover story, in concert last Christmas. She was spectacular! Her complete commitment to communicating with her audience, to delivering the message of what she was singing, was remarkable. The result was a thrilling and entertaining performance—and an awe-struck audience. In her interview with Eileen Strempel, Ms. McDonald speaks candidly about the challenges of juggling career and family, about her own insecurities as a singer, and how she taps into the deeper meaning of what she sings.
Another feature of this issue is the Second Annual Classical Singer Convention Report. One attendee, Lisa Houston, shares her experiences at this year’s convention, telling a tale of concepts learned, opportunities discovered, and singing jobs landed—all the result of this year’s convention. CJ Williamson’s vision of bringing singers and top professionals together to help singers tap into their full potential blossomed into reality this year—and we are already planning bigger and better things for next year’s convention!
From opera singing kids in a grocery store parking lot, to dedicated teachers, to the annual Classical Singer Convention, opportunities abound for finding the knowledge and inspiration to tap into your full potential. Start by reading this month’s issue—and then by thanking that inspirational teacher in your life.
