Latest Articles

Musings on Mechanics : Ribs Aloft, from Sternum to Bow

Your voice teacher has most likely told you, perhaps more than once, to keep your sternum high and rib cage expanded. But do you really know what this means and how to execute it? A better understanding of the muscles involved and physical skills required will lay the foundation.

Feb 01 Claudia Friedlander

The Doctor is In : Acupuncture: A Useful Option for Singers

Dr. Jahn lays out the benefits of acupuncture, including when it is useful, the advantages for singers specifically, and how it can aid with everything from
pain to stress relief.

Feb 01 Anthony Jahn, M.D.

From the Editor : The Price You (Still) Pay

In recent months, we have a run a series of articles on audition fees for singers. And in this issue, Cindy Sadler continues her discussion on the topic, outlining what singers specifically want to change about the current audition scene (p. 14). One argument that always emerges in such a discussion—and Sadler’s article is no exception—sums up like this: “Musical theatre auditions never require a fee!” An editorial I wrote in August 2009 is just as relevant today as it was then.

Feb 01 Sara Thomas

Getting More Out of Summer Programs Then Even They Know

By Mark Stoddard, author of Marketing Singers, a business and marketing guidebook written specifically for singers. Some call them “Pay-to-Sing” programs. That’s just cynical and useless banter. Yes, they charge

Jan 28 Auditions Plus

Point A to Point B – How to Move Toward Your Dream Without Overwhelm

By Angela Peterson Winter A recent study at the University of Scranton, as reported by the Journal of Clinical Psychology finds that of the 45% of people who usually make

Jan 22 Auditions Plus

A Healthy Note: Kick That Cold!

By Susan Brownfield Winter can be an anxiety-producing time for many singers. Trying to stay healthy to be able to sing in engagements can induce stress, which can also, ironically,

Jan 15 Auditions Plus

Collect and Reset Yourself

By Carol Kirkpatrick, author of ARIA READY, The Business of Singing Has there ever been a time when toward the end of an especially challenging day, you felt compelled to

Jan 12 Auditions Plus

You: the Singer, the Performer

By Mark Stoddard, author of Marketing Singers, a business and marketing guidebook written specifically for singers. Next time you hold a recital, loosen it up and start practicing performing.

Jan 09 Auditions Plus

Selfless Singing

By Jonathan Blalock of Encompass Arts Classical singing seems like a horribly egocentric endeavor. In one way it’s true. As a musician, I am the instrument. Over the past few

Jan 07 Auditions Plus

Idina Menzel's New Year's Eve Performance: A Voice Teacher's Perspective

By Claudia Friedlander Pop goddess Idina Menzel joined the Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve gang in Times Square last week to sing “Let It Go,” her signature smash

Jan 05 Auditions Plus

Be Italian: : Learning a New Language and Culture

Sometimes getting the education you need requires thinking outside the American college experience box. Read about how one singer traveled abroad to get the language skills she needed by combining an Italian university experience and a summer program.

Jan 01 Blair Ball

Lessons of a Lifetime : Sherrill Milnes

The year 2015 marks two remarkable milestones for the legendary Sherrill Milnes. This month the baritone celebrates his 80th birthday, and in December it will be 50 years since he made his Metropolitan Opera debut. Since then, he has sung nearly all of the major baritone roles on stages the world over. Always committed to teaching and education, he continues to draw on his vast experience to fill a void for the next generation of singers through his VOICExperience Foundation. Read about Milnes’ life and career, what he considers the “golden age,” and his newest endeavor: the Savannah VOICE Festival.

Jan 01 Greg Waxberg