Cinderella’s Castle. Hogwarts. Dolphins and whales. Orlando offers a wide variety of activities, but that wasn’t the focus for hundreds of teachers of singing earlier this month. Teachers from across the United States and the world convened at the Renaissance Hotel in Orlando at the bi-annual National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Convention June 28 – July 2.
NATS provided a great venue and forum to not only learn the latest in voice teaching techniques and idea and to discuss pertinent trends and current topics affecting the industry, but to also catch up with friends and colleagues, enjoy fabulous singing, enjoy a break from normal day activities . . . and visit amusement parks on the side.
Kimberlee Talbot, Assistant Editor and Auditions Manager for Classical Singer Magazine, attended the bi-annual NATS Convention in Orlando last month with other members of the Classical Singer & Auditions Plus Staff—thanks to all the great teachers who stopped by our exhibiting booth. Kimberlee was off attending classes and enjoying the presentations. Here are some of her notes:
Lectures: Topics covered a broad spectrum from assigning repertoire to theme park gigs to studies on vibrato. One of my favorites? Mindful Voice: The Singing Teacher in the Age of Cognitive Revolution. Why, you may ask? Because of comments like this: “Teaching that appears to create difficulties for learners often optimizes learning. Learning is messy.” That about sums it up, don’t you think?
Singing: A highlight for me was the 2012 Art Song Composition Recital where Melissa Dunphy’s composition Tesla’s Pigeon was performed in its entirety. Maybe not everyone’s cup of tea but I’m a big proponent of new music. Love it. Which means I also enjoyed listening to the new rep presented in the publisher showcases. Hal Leonard started early in celebrating the 100th birthday of Benjamin Britten. I think we’ll be hearing a lot more of him over the next year.
And the Latest and Greatest? The Carnegie Hall Royal Conservatory Achievement Program. There are achievement programs out there for most musical instruments, why not voice? An ambitious partnership between NATS and the Carnegie Hall Royal Conservatory presents the Achievement Program to help teachers and students stay on target for the next stage of training and development at every level.
As for catching up with colleagues, I recommend meeting at The Three Broomsticks in Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The frozen Butterbeer is delicious.
Alex Stoddard, Kimberlee Talbot, and Becky Baarz try to dry off after getting completely SOAKED on the Dudley Doo ride at Universal Studios.
If you're a fan of Harry Potter, you have to be amazed at what they've done at Universal Studios. Unbelievable!
