VOICEPrints - Matthew Hoch · technical standpoint. But the third sang “Stizzoso, mio stizzoso,” and it was “just right”—she hit it out of the park and won the competition

Vol. 16, no. 4, March-April 2019 NYSTA©

VOICEPrintsJOURNAL OF THE NEW YORK SINGING TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION

March-April 2019

Spring Event: College Audition Workshop with Lorraine Nubar.................................................................61

President’s and Editor’s Messages.......................................................................................................62--64

2019 Events Calendar....................................................................................................................................65

NYSTA Professional Development Program .........................................................................................66

Feature Article: Teaching the World to Sing—Cross-Cultural Considerations by Dr. Sherri Weiler.....................................................................................................................67-74

Book Review by Lauren M. Weber: Cross-Training in the Voice Studio: A Balancing Act by Norman Spivey and Mary Saunders Barton....................................................................75-76

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Spring Event

College Audition Workshop with Lorraine NubarSunday, April 28, 2019 1:00-3:00 PM EDT (Note New Time)

Pearl Studios, 500 Eighth Avenue, New York CityFree for NYSTA members, students, and guests. Donations welcome.

61

Lorraine Nubar is head of the Juilliard School’s Pre-College voice departmentand a member of its faculty since 1978. She has taught at New EnglandConservatory since fall 2003. Ms. Nubar studied with Jennie Tourel, serving asher teaching assistant while still a student. She also worked with WilliamVennard, Daniel Ferro, Martial Singher, Frank Corsaro, Gerard Souzay, EllyAmeling, Jeanine Reiss, and Dalton Baldwin.

Ms. Nubar enjoys a long time association with collaborative pianist DaltonBaldwin and conducts annual masterclasses with him at Vermont OperaTheater’s “Foliage Art Song” festival.

In our first event specifically designed for high school voice students, Lorraine Nubar from the JuilliardPre-College Division will work with five singers on how to prepare for your college entrance auditions.

An established presence in France, Ms. Nubar is the first American to be appointed to the voice facultyat the Conservatoire Nationale Supérieure de Musique in Paris. She has prepared singers for the ParisOpera and Lyon Opera and regularly conducts summer masterclasses at La Fondation Royaumontin Val-d’Oise, the Centre International de Formation Musicale in Nice and the summer vocal chambermusic program at Les Azuriales Opera.

Several of her students have been honored as Presidential Scholars in the Arts, and have sung atthe White House. In demand as an adjudicator, she has been a juror for the Young Concert ArtistsInternational competition, the Paris Concours, and the Marseille Concours. She received her BM andMS from the Juilliard School

Vol. 16, no. 4, March-April 2019 NYSTA©62

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEApplying the Goldilocks Principle

to Voice PedagogyIn the classic nineteenth-century fairy tale The Story of the ThreeBears, the character of Goldilocks tastes three bowls of porridge:one of them is too hot, another is too cold, but one of them is justright. This idea of “just the right balance” has been applied tomany fields, including cognitive science, developmentalpsychology, astrobiology, medicine, economics, communication,and mathematics, but I have never read an article that appliedthe Goldilocks principle to singing and voice pedagogy. I amgoing to devote this month’s editorial to doing just that.

In our lives and careers, the importance of finding the rightbalance cannot be understated. First and foremost, what is theproper work/life balance? Do we live to work, or do we workto live? Singers tend to have workaholic tendencies, and the factthat our schedules are full many evenings and weekends makesus a very different breed than people who have a traditional“9 to 5” career. This is especially taxing on those of us who havespouses, and also children who tend to be young, while we arein the prime of our careers. I have great admiration for singersand teachers who find the time to be wonderful spouses andparents and still fulfill their many desired singing and teachingcommitments. Not everyone is equally successful, but thosewho are understand the importance of the Goldilocks principle.

Although I have not used the term Goldilocks in previousarticles, the concept of balance does seem to be a recurring themein my editorials. One year ago, in the March-April 2018 issue ofVOICEPrints, I mused upon whether all voice teachers neededtraining in voice science, observing that there have alwaysbeen—and always will be—wonderful singing teachers who donot have training in vocology, but may have excellent ears anda thorough understanding of the art form that has been honedover the course of a successful career as performer or teacher. InNovember-December 2018, I discussed the importance of findingan “empirical middle ground” between applying evidence-basedknowledge of voice science and pedagogy while also allowingroom for our own idiomatic style in our teaching. We are allproducts of our own experiences and we all have unique person-alities and strengths. If we don’t share our individual gifts withour students, we run the risk of advocating for “cookie cutter”teachers—and possibly students as well.

When we become teachers, how do we find balance as artist-teachers? How much performing can and should take placealongside our teaching schedules? Should we stop performing

Matthew Hoch

Vol. 16, no. 4, March-April 2019 NYSTA© 63

altogether, and if so, when? And when we do so, how do we stayengaged with our art form? Although I am an “academic” voiceteacher—I have never attempted to have a full-time singingcareer—I still love to perform and I recognize its value. I realizethat my colleagues with full-time performance careers havesomething unique to offer their students that I do not. Howdo we build bridges between career academics and performers?I find the ever-increasing rift between these two communitiesworrisome, because we have so much to offer each other.

The Goldilocks principle can also apply to other choices we make,such as a young singer deciding upon a graduate school. Shouldthe singer go to a large opera program or a smaller grad schoolwhere s/he can get an excellent assistantship and teachingopportunities? Should s/he move to an urban market with lots ofopportunities to gig outside of the institution, or is a large stateschool in a cornfield sufficient because of the self-containedresources the university? Is a church job on the side a valuableexperience, or is it a time-consuming and vocally tiring distrac-tion that can hinder technical development? The answer to thesequestions will be as different as the student who is ponderingthem. Everyone has to find his or her own personal Goldilocksbalance that is “just right” for them.

Where I live, in the Southeastern United States, annual NATSauditions are a big event. They are a well-attended yearlyhighlight that my students always look forward to. Out ofall of the categories at undergraduate NATS auditions, I alwaysfind the sophomore women category to be the most fascinating.The sophomore year is the first year that opera arias are allowedto be used, and all of a sudden the competition becomes “deathby aria”—with nineteen and twenty year olds! Last year, the threefinalists were young women who were all fine singers. The firstsang “Un moto di gioia” beautifully, but the aria was easy (as faras arias go) and not a great competition piece. The second sang“So anch’io la virtù magica.” She had a terrific voice, but thepiece was a bit beyond her technique for where she was from atechnical standpoint. But the third sang “Stizzoso, mio stizzoso,”and it was “just right”—she hit it out of the park and won thecompetition. Goldilocks carried the day.

All of us—and all of our students—bring unique things to thetable as singers and pedagogues, and we need to strive to find ourown personal “Goldilocks” while we teach, perform, and live ourlives. As winter turns into spring, all of us at NYSTA wish you ahappy, successful season of performances and events.

Sincerely,

Matthew HochMatthew Hoch, DMAPresident, New York Singing Teachers Association


EDITOR’S MESSAGEDear Colleagues,

When this goes to press, you will likely be (like me) on the homestretch before spring break—a much needed chance to rest (orcatch up!) after the first half of the semester. I hope the firstmonths of 2019 have been productive and fulfilling for you.

We have all taught students from cultures different from ourown, but Sherri Weiler has the unique opportunity to teachstudents from a different culture while being completelyimmersed in theirs. I’m grateful to her for giving us a windowinto her teaching experience in the United Arab Emirates.

Also in this issue, Lauren Weber writes her first review forVOICEPrints. She highly recommends a new book by NormanSpivey and Mary Saunders Barton about cultivating stylisticversatility in our students.

Please send questions, comments, or article submissions to medirectly at [email protected]. As always, archives of past issuesare available on the NYSTA website.

Anna HerseyEditor-in-Chief

64

Anna Hersey

Volume 16, No. 4

Dr. Anna HerseyEditor-in-Chief

Dr. Loralee SongerAssociate Editor

Dr. Ian HowellAssociate Editor

John OstendorfDesigner

VOICEPrints


2019 EVENTS CALENDAR

65

Spring Event

College Audition Workshop with lorraine NubarSunday, April 28, 2019 1:00--3:00 PM EDT (NOTE change of time)

Pearl Studios, 500 Eighth Avenue, NYC

Free for NYSTA members, students, and guests. Donations welcome.In our first event specifically designed for high school voice students,Lorraine Nubar from the Juilliard School’s Pre-College will work withfive singers on how to prepare for your college entrance auditions.

CALL FOR SINGERSSpring Event: College Audition Workshop with Lorraine NubarSunday April 28, 2019, 3:30-5:30PM ESTPearl Studios, 500 Eighth Avenue, New York City

Interested high-school sophomores and juniors should send their resume, photo and audio/videorecordings of two contrasting selections from classical repertoire to [email protected] by March 28.Five singers will be selected.

Lorraine Nubar is head of the Juilliard School’s Pre-College voice department and a member of its facultysince 1978. She has taught at New England Conservatory since fall 2003. Ms. Nubar studied with JennieTourel, serving as her teaching assistant while still a student. She also worked with William Vennard,Daniel Ferro, Martial Singher, Frank Corsaro, Gerard Souzay, Elly Ameling, Jeanine Reiss, and DaltonBaldwin.

Ms. Nubar enjoys a long time association with collaborative pianist Dalton Baldwin and conducts annualmasterclasses with him at Vermont Opera Theater’s “Foliage Art Song” festival. An established presencein France, Ms. Nubar is the first American to be appointed to the voice faculty at the ConservatoireNationale Supérieure de Musique in Paris. She has prepared singers for the Paris Opera and Lyon Operaand regularly conducts summer masterclasses at La Fondation Royaumont in Val-d’Oise, the CentreInternational de Formation Musicale in Nice and the summer vocal chamber music program at LesAzuriales Opera.

Several of her students have been honored as Presidential Scholars in the Arts, and have sung at theWhite House. In demand as an adjudicator, she has been a juror for the Young Concert ArtistsInternational competition, the Paris Concours, and the Marseille Concours. She received her BM andMS from the Juilliard School


Since its earliest years, NYSTA has sought to foster standards inthe profession. In the 1920s and 1930s, the organization led effortsto require certification by the New York State government for allvoice teachers. While state certification was never implemented,its intent came to fruition with the establishment of our Profes-sional Development Program (PDP). The program was guided bynoted pedagogue Oren Lathrop Brown, and spearheaded by pastNYSTA President Janet Pranschke. Thanks to the continued ef-forts of Past President David Sabella, online courses were devel-oped in 2007. Every year, the NYSTA board strives to bring newand innovative courses to all who are interested in learning moreabout the teaching of singing, bringing the most up-to-dateinformation and filling the gaps that may be missed by traditionalpedagogy classes. Currently, 48 people have earned the honor ofbeing a NYSTA Distinguished Voice Professional.

NYSTA’s Professional Development courses are led by top expertsin the areas of voice pedagogy and voice health. The courses aredesigned to give a well-rounded education to those wanting tolearn more about fact-based teaching of singing.

After completing the five core courses (Vocal Anatomy andPhysiology, Voice Acoustics and Resonance, Vocal Health forVoice Professionals, Singer’s Developmental Repertoire, andComparative Pedagogy) and successfully passing the exams,registrants earn a Certificate of Completion and the honor ofbeing a NYSTA Distinguished Voice Professional. Congratula-tions to all those who have earned this honor!

NYSTA Professional Development ProgramStudy 24 /7 at your convenience. Start

any time and receive four months of access.

NYSTA’s Oren Lathrop Brown ProfessionalDevelopment Program presents

SINGERS’ DEVELOPMENTALREPERTOIRE

ON-DEMAND LEARNING

Register at WWW.NYST.ORGFor information, contact NYSTA’s Profes-

sional Development Program DirectorFelix Graham at [email protected].

Judith Nicosia

David SabellaJeanette LoVetri

Christopher Arneson

This groundbreaking course establishesmethods and criteria for selecting

repertoire appropriate to different voicetypes at various stages of development.

All vocal categories in both classicalvoice and musical theater voice will bediscussed. The musical theater section

will also include a detailedexamination of contemporary pop/rock

shows and the vocal demands theymake on the singer, and will address

choosing appropriate character-drivenaudition material.


Teaching the World to Sing—Cross-Cultural Considerations

By Dr. Sherri Weiler

As technology continues to shrink the globe, voice teachers canbenefit from moving their sphere of expertise to a wider, more globalapproach. We already provide vocal training in multiple modes—musical theater, CCM, pop-rock, and of course art song and opera—but we often do not know how to teach singing effectively to studentswho hail from a non-Western culture, or whose primary musicallanguage is not European. Technological advances in communicationhave rendered nearly all global cultures instantly present andavailable. Voice lessons are now being taught on Skype; in fact, oneof the Gold-level sponsors at the recent 55th NATS conference in LasVegas (June 2018) was a start-up company whose marketing thrustwas a software program designed to make online voice teaching moreaccessible. This gigantic step forward gives voice teachers and theirstudents the option of being half a world apart. Global unrestcontinues, and newly-made refugee and immigrant populations arepopping up all across the Western world. Voice lessons may beperceived as elitist in some circles, but vocal music is universal andthe demand for hearing it, making it, studying it, and believing in itwill not go away. We can be a part of the change we want to see in oursplintered, jaded world by opening ourselves to teaching with a moreglobally-inclusive awareness.

In 2016, I accepted a position teaching voice at the AmericanUniversity of Sharjah (AUS) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).Sharjah is known as the “cultural and educational emirate,” whilenearby Dubai strives to be known as the “commercial, or businessemirate.” AUS has a higher percentage of international students thanany other world-ranked institution, according to an analysis of theUK-based Times Higher Education data. Some 84% of the university’sstudent body is made up of international students, who come fromnearly 100 different countries including but not limited to India, theUnited States, Canada, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Africa,Pakistan, Southeast Asia, and the UAE.

AmericanUniversityof Sharjah,UAE


Every lesson I teach, every learning interaction in or out of theclassroom, is encountered and shared through these multiculturallenses. This amazing experience has challenged me to reduce myteaching to the most universally accessible concepts I can find;consequently, I have created a way to reformulate my tried-and-true-in-the-US methods to encompass the diversity of thestudents I now teach.

Recognize Culturally-Based Learning Preferences and StylesThe first element in the process towards a more global pedagogyis a thorough understanding of our students’ own culturally-based success orientations. According to Dr. Paul Kurucz, authorof How to Teach International Students: A practical teaching guide foruniversities and colleges, there are numerous differences between“local” students and “international” or “foreign” students. Overa 17-year period of teaching international students, both abroadand in Canada, Kurucz developed a model which he calls theSuccess Orientations Model. We tend to be relationship-oriented;process-oriented; or goal-oriented.1 The model can be used to helpunderstand the motivations and behavior of any individual inany country, but is especially helpful in understanding howstudents from diverse cultural backgrounds go about the processof learning, the process of interacting with their teachers, and theprocess of achieving success in their educational goals. Diversecultural groups tend to have distinctly different motivationaland behavioral tendencies in general, and more traditional, non-Western cultures (anywhere outside of the United States, Canada,Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Western Europe) tend todefine “success” very differently than those of us who are fromWestern countries. Certainly, all people feel successful when theyaccomplish the myriad details of daily living; what differs is howwe go about achieving and “owning” these successes.

Most people tend to be naturally oriented towards one partic-ular style, or a mix of two modes, when pursuing success in anygiven endeavor. Of great interest to me as an academic voiceprofessional is how singing students pursue and achieve successwithin their specific cultural paradigm. I read this book duringmy second semester teaching in the Emirates, and Kurucz’s thesissimultaneously completely changed and totally validated myown experiences as I sought to understand my students’ attitudestowards their achievements in singing. As with over-simplifyingany complicated process, there are obvious limitations in thesenarrow delineations, and we should be aware that this is only amodel—human beings are complex individuals. However, froma cultural perspective, this model can be quite enlightening andpoints the way towards a more informed world view.

Relationship-Oriented PeopleRelationship-oriented individuals consider other people to becentral to their success and happiness. They expect that friend-ships, associations, and interactions with other people will most

1 Paul J. Kurucz, How to TeachInternational Students: A practicalteaching guide for universitiesand colleges (Victoria, BritishColumbia: Success OrientationsPublishing, 2008).


likely be the route to success in their lives. (“Phone a friend” is thebuzz-word here.) Some specific cultures that demonstrate strongrelationship-oriented tendencies are India, Pakistan, Nepal, andBangladesh; Italy, Spain, and Latin America; Arab and MiddleEastern cultures. Students from these cultures will try to build aconnection with you; they are more focused on getting to knowyou as a teacher/person; to them, success will come from theirrelationship with you, not from their individual efforts. Theyenjoy a group endeavor, such as singing in a choir or operachorus. You will need to spend more personal time with them,asking questions about their families, their lives outside of class,even learning to pronounce their given names correctly, beforebringing them into the specific purpose of teaching them to sing.Only then will they be receptive to your agenda.

My students Sama and Esma, from Oman and Algeria respective-ly, clearly demonstrated their relationship-oriented bias early on.They began dropping by my open-doored office just to plop intoa chair and chat; they often brought small snacks to share; theyasked me questions about my adjustment to the AUS and Arabculture. Soon they were suggesting dinner at my house—I live oncampus in faculty housing—which they brought with them froma local restaurant. They asked if they could bring along a fewother friends, some of whom I taught and others whom I didn’t.They literally pulled me into a relationship with them and theirgreater circle of friends. At first I was suspicious—what did theywant from me? Better grades? Letters of recommendation?Gradually I realized that they only wanted to know me, and thatthey respected my years of experience and my American “other-ness.” There is an overall respect for age and older people in allrelationship-oriented cultures that we seldom see in the West.Even though I am probably the same age (or even a little older)than their parents, this presented no obstacle to their desire to bein relationship with me. Sama studied voice with me for only onesemester, and Esma for two, during my first year at AUS. Despitenot teaching either during my second year, they both continueto drop by and chat. We are all richer for that commitment.

Dr. WeilerwithAmericanUniversityof Sharjahstudents


Process-Oriented PeopleThese individuals like instructions, directions, policies,rules, outlines—they believe that following a trusted processwill lead to success. If no clearly outlined procedures are inplace, a process-oriented person will feel cut-off, lost, unableto complete the assignment. Working within a well-definedstructure will provide the best chance of success for thisstudent. One of my favorite students is Mohammad, andwhen I began to teach him how to breathe for singing, myinstruction had to become very process-oriented because ofhis computer engineering major. He had a genuine desire tounderstand the science behind it; he enjoyed hearing howthe velocity of airflow must remain constant in order toapproximate the vocal folds for clean adduction. Structuredcommunication skills are important to a process-orientedindividual. I allowed my language to change, becomingextremely detailed and specific. I used terms to delineate theprocess for him: First, we need to release the tension in theabdominal muscles. Second, we must allow the pharynx torelax in order for breath to be drawn into the lungs by thenatural vacuum created when the diaphragm is allowedto do its work. Third, we must establish new abdominaltension to impact the diaphragm so that the airflow maybecome constant. These instructions were accompanied withexercises designed to bring about the desired effect, and Ihad a very successful singer on my hands within a few shortweeks of beginning instruction. Mohammad continues togrow and improve and has begun to build a relationshipwith me. Mohammad was not taking applied voice lessonssimply to have fun or “explore” the possibilities; he neededa high degree of structure with a set path for success.Although Mohammad, as an Arab male, is alreadyrelationship-oriented, with me (a Western female) therelationship-building took a back seat until I had establishedmyself as “legitimate,” someone he could learn from andhave confidence in. Ancillary to my relationship withMohammad is the fact that he suggested his younger sistercome sing in my no-audition, all-volunteer women’s choir. Iunderstood this to be the mark of respect that it clearly was,and it increased my esteem for Mohammad as well.

Rankings, titles, and social hierarchies are very important toa process-oriented person; clear assessment structures arelikewise important. My process-oriented students arecareful to address me with respect, calling me “professor” orDr. Sherri. They will ask for clarification of the procedures;they won’t open up to me to establish a relationship untilthey’re sure of reciprocity. When I assign a new song, oreven introduce a new exercise, I am careful to explain inprecise detail exactly why I am making the assignment andwhat the desired outcome is. Cultures that demonstratestrong process-orientation are often found in Germany,

Mohammad


Switzerland, and Austria; China, Taiwan, Japan, and SouthKorea; and other cultures that tend to have a long historyand an isolation from other cultures, both in business andin marriage.

Goal-Oriented PeopleFocusing with unwavering attention on a goal shimmeringin the distance is what motivates these individuals. Theirgoals are often outlined with maximum exactness and alltheir energy is directed towards achieving this specificdream. These people love a challenge, a competition, anddoing things on their own. They are self-motivated andwill use relationship- and process-oriented people to theiradvantage; then, when the goal is achieved, they will oftenturn away from the “friendships” that helped them achievethe goal. Goal-oriented students need to see the prize atthe end before they begin working for it. Goal-orientedvoice students will love choosing music for an upcomingcompetition; they will thrill to the challenge of knowingthey only have a limited amount of time before they mustcompete. They will be less enamored of the assigned “bigaria” that may take years to grow into, because they won’thave the patience and cannot “see” the goal clearly. Thesesingers crave recognition for superior performance andachievement. It will come as no surprise that the culturemost clearly associated with strong goal-orientation isthe USA. Other cultures have pockets of individuals,particularly in certain leadership fields, but not manycultures have the overall extreme goal orientation that theUS has on so many diverse levels of society. Any kind ofleadership in general is attractive to a goal-oriented person;individualism and standing out in a crowd of contendersare key concepts for the goal-oriented person.

Some cultural factors which contribute to a society richin goal orientation include a population which believesstrongly in individualism, personal freedom, self-reliance,self-determination, and personal wealth; large, open spaceswhere freedom of movement is possible; a culture withfairly low religious impact due to religious diffusion;and intense satisfaction from being Number One. Thesestudents are likely to want to call you by your first name,not your title; they will seek to clarify goals so that they canbypass the rules and regulations, not follow them; they areopen about their feelings and experiences and willinterrupt you to ask a question; they will most likely enjoyworking alone and will try to avoid group projects.Teachers of these students will be able to cut to the chasevery quickly; will be able to discuss the student’s futureand help them make a plan to achieve their goals. Feedbackcan be structured around how their actions have fallenshort of achieving the goal, because it will give them a clearunderstanding of exactly what it will take for the goal to be


achieved next time. As teachers of goal-oriented students,our students will love hearing about our own past musicaltriumphs and accomplishments, and they will want to useour success strategy as a blueprint for achieving their ownsuccesses. Taking a mentorship role will garner us respectand understanding from our students, who will want tomodel themselves on us.

Moderation in all things is the key to success, and everysuccess orientation has its negative as well as its positiveattributes. After taking a quick glimpse through the lensof the success orientation model, it is my hope that wecan better structure our teaching strategies to help eachindividual student achieve the success he so dearly desires.

Keep the Student’s World at the Core of theTeaching-Learning Process

A huge positive to working with students from arelationship-oriented culture can be found in how themeaning of the lyrics is approached. My students often comefrom ethnicities that include ancient oral traditions, and theyare quick to pick up on the idea that performing a song ismore about communicating oral/aural value than aboutsinging correctly. Research has shown that the process ofteaching music performance in the West has typically beencentered on the development of technical skills, with lessimportance being given to teaching musical creativity. 2 Thisis something I have consciously chosen to change whenteaching my multi-cultural students by using an approachmore centered on learning than on teaching. Most of us varythe delivery from student to student, but basically rely onour tried-and-true teaching competencies that have alwaysworked for us. This is easy because our cultural milieu andlanguage is usually the same as our student’s. We can changeour cultural bias by structuring our skills training to be moreabout the learner’s needs than about our own comfort level.

In my own teaching, I find myself less geared towardsachieving “perfection” in my students’ singing than I amtowards giving them the tools to perform with confidenceand success. This means teaching the basics of posture andbreathing and allocating less time to teaching Western musichistory through repertoire, which I would totally emphasizewhen training American voice majors. For instance, I willassign a male student a highly-accessible, easy song bySchubert, such as “Der Neugierige,” to teach German dictionalong with a specific skill such as cultivating the partialbreath while maintaining legato, but not because I want himto thoroughly understand and experience Die schöne Müllerin,as important as that may be. Instead I will emphasize basicpedagogy and performance/emotive aspects at the same time.

2 Patricia A. Gonzáles-Moreno,“Performance creativities in highermusic education,” in Developingcreativities in higher education:international perspectives and practices,by Pamela Burnard (New York:Routledge, n.d.), 87-98.


I will use the songs I assign to help them develop skills ofmusical interpretation and to help them develop independenceand individuality as soon as possible.3 I want my students to takeownership of the song, even if it’s not perfectly executed, andlearn performance as a skill they can use throughout their livesin whatever fields of work they may find themselves. A fineexample of this concept is found with Nourhan, a shy Egyptiangirl who fell in love with “On My Own” from Les Misérables thefirst time she heard another student singing it in studio class. Forthis song, she became incredibly goal-oriented! She worked hardto perfect that song because she wanted so very badly to sing it—it had personal meaning for her and, because of that, everyonewho heard her perform it was brought into her created realm.There was a distinct break between her well-established, naturalbelt voice and her acquired Western-style head voice, but no onewho heard her sing was the least bit bothered by that. Nourhan’sconfidence grew immensely through that song and now shecannot wait to get back to lessons this fall—my biggest chal-lenge with her will be to find appropriate repertoire that boththoroughly engages her imagination and teaches her the vocalskills I need her to develop.

Another principle aspect that needs to be addressed is that non-Western cultures are usually much more conservative than thatof today’s average American families. The family as a unit isstill greatly respected, and its rules are adhered to in a way thatAmerican youth have been fighting for decades. There are alsoother socio-cultural elements in place with many of my inter-national students which sometimes foster, and sometimes inhibit,the development of musical creativities in performance. Chiefamong these is religion. Teaching students who comes from aconservative religious background, whether Muslim or Christian,always requires careful consideration and a sincere absence ofjudging on our part. There is a common thread in Islamic thoughtwhich states that anything which does not lead one towardsAllah is to be eschewed; likewise, any public calling of attentionto the self is also to be avoided. This has enormous consequencefor musicians and performers in the Arab world and is even moreimpactful for Muslim women who are singers. Certainly there isa large body of contemporary popular or folk/ethnic music inArabic, well-known and established in the Arab world, and it isto be noted that the two best-known purveyors of this music arewomen: Umm Khalthoum and Fairouz. Again, the repertoire Ichoose with my students must have an uplifting or beneficialeffect upon both singer and listener alike if they are to feel theyare operating within the bounds of their prevailing traditions andculture. Western culture emphasizes self-expression; most othercultures do not! Building musical confidence becomes a muchdeeper and less shallow endeavor with these more traditionalcultures. It is only through respect for your student’s culturalenvironment, and through choosing repertoire which helpsinculcate the most genuine values, that you can begin to build

3 Ibid.

Nourhan

73


the trust necessary for a successful student-teacherrapport. And only after establishing trust can we beginthe next phase: the pedagogy of singing to achievecreative success.

Beginning your teaching conversation with “what do wethink we know” opens the door and welcomes all kindsof “knowings;” at the same time, it directs the con-versation towards “how” your students came to knowwhat they know. A pedagogy of creativity is a pedagogyof values.4 You will be surprised at what your studentsfrom diverse cultures already do know, and this is asgood a place as any to begin teaching pedagogy. Allyou need to do is ask them. When our students fromdivergent backgrounds take part in reciprocal learningand receive mutual responsiveness from us, they begin tobuild bridges of knowledge and comprehension betweenlocal traditions and musical cultures of the world. Mystudents already know what good singing is, and theyalready know how to do it—what they don’t know ishow I want them to accomplish it, and more importantly,why. When I can impart my knowledge and also validatetheir own understanding—then authentic learning takesplace, and both of us are richer for the experience.

I hope I have awakened your desire to embrace studentsfrom other cultures, especially non-Western cultures,through this article. These beautiful students whom Ihave had the privilege to teach for the past two yearshave taught me much more than I’ve taught them.They’ve taught me that an open heart is always the bestheart to have…that success can be measured in oftencontradictory and surprising ways… that winning is notnecessary for growth of self-esteem and knowledge…and that people are pretty much the same everywhere,no matter the cultural climate, if you are dedicated tohelping them achieve their innermost dreams filteredthrough your expertise.

Dr. Sherri Weiler,associate professor ofmusic at the AmericanUniversity of Sharjah,United Arab Emirates,has previously servedfull-time on the facultiesof Florida State Univer-sity, Shorter College, and University ofAlaska-Anchorage.In Alaska, Dr. Weilercoached Russianlanguage and vocal literature for twelve yearswith retired Moscow Conservatory piano professorSvetlana Velichko and performed the mezzo solo inProkofiev’s Alexander Nevsky with MstislavRostropovich and the National Symphony inOctober 1992. Her compact disc Russia: GoldenCentury of Song was released by Centaur in2001. Her doctoral treatise (2004) centered on thedifficulties encountered in Russian diction byAmerican singers.

Since 2008 Weiler has served on the editorialboard of the National Association of Teachers ofSinging’s Journal of Singing, has written severalarticles for the JOS, and managed “The Song File”column from 2014-2016. The author has presentedat regional, national, and international confer-ences for NATS, the College Music Society, andthe International Congress of Voice Teachers.

Weiler is a native of Greenville, SC; she receivedBA and MEd degrees from Clemson University,the MM degree in vocal performance from theUniversity of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatoryof Music, and the DM degree in vocal perform-ance/pedagogy from Florida State University.

74

4 Cathy Benedict, “Creativity in andthrough pedagogy,” in Developing creativ-ities in higher education: international per-spectives and practices, by Pamela Burnard(New York: Routledge, n.d.), 187-197.


BOOK REVIEW: Cross-Training in theVoice Studio: A Balancing Act

by Norman Spivey and Mary Saunders Barton

Review by Lauren M. Weber

Cross-Training in the Voice Studio: A Balancing Act is a collabora-tive publication by Norman Spivey and Mary SaundersBarton. As the title suggests, Spivey and Barton argue forteaching a combination of musical theater and classical stylesin the voice studio. Saunders Barton, well known for herwriting in So You Want To Sing CCM and Bel Canto Can Belto,teams up with colleague Norman Spivey to encourage theteaching of various genres in the voice studio.

Voice teachers will appreciate the opening chapter, promotingpositive teamwork among disciplines. Chapter one detailsSaunders Barton and Spivey’s backgrounds, analyzing theway their collaboration formed and what can be replicated inan individual or combined studio. It provides a reflection ofthese two master teachers who learned to meet students’diverse interests and needs by providing a framework forkeeping up with the demands of a changing market.

Chapter two illuminates the difference between cross-trainingthe voice and the cross-over artist. Cross-training is presentedas training performers “across theater genres.” Chapter twohighlights the demands of the current musical climate. It alsoaddresses the need for students to be prepared to audition andperform across disciplines. This chapter includes specificexamples of opera companies producing musicals, musicaltheater performers singing in operas, and opera divas per-forming in musicals, showing rapid changes in the musicalscene. This chapter also highlights a multi-disciplinary ap-proach, including how speech, acting, movement, and dancecan support studio efforts and create well-rounded performers.

Chapters three and four address tactile resources to use inteaching various styles. The exercises set forth in chapter threeinclude hands-on techniques for navigating registration andresonance. Drills are provided for musical theatre styles andrepertoire suggestions for building the voice. In chapter four, arepertoire list is provided for teens and adults from beginnerto advanced categorizing musical theater songs. The compan-ion website provides case studies and explanations, includingsound samples of actual students singing. The write-upscorrelating with these recordings provide specific explanationsof the work being done in combined voice studios to trainstudents in multiple styles. This provides concrete examplesof the concepts addressed throughout the book.

Norman Spivey Mary Saunders Barton


Chapters five and six offer thoughts on collegiality, andcreating a positive, safe learning environment. Thesechapters address teachers who may be fearful of addinga new genre to their student’s current work. SaundersBarton and Spivey also speak to collaboration betweenteachers of different genres and the future voice studioas they see it. It is an uplifting and positive read forthose embedded in the musical theater world andprovides hope for classical teachers that all is not lostwhen voice training veers away from the “traditional”course. In fact, the studies of Barton and Spivey set fortha strong argument that cross-training the voice is helpfuland healthy for classical and musical theater singersalike.

Voice instructors new to teaching belt will find theexercises a great springboard for practical application intheir own studios. The repertoire list is also a goodstarting point for teachers. The model of cross-trainingpresented throughout the book is done by combiningtwo teachers, one classical, one musical theater. Thoughthe book suggests this can be taught by the same person,the examples given are designed for combined studios.Therein lies the only real critique of this book. It is oftenanecdotal, making it accessible, but not always directlytransferable into the studio, depending on the expertiseof the instructor. Voice teachers are being asked to re-consider what their students need pedagogically to beprepared for the performance world at hand.

Classical and musical theater voice teachers will findthis book a resource to understand the need of cross-training in the voice studio. Evidence-based conclusionsgrounded in both research and personal experienceprovide ways to teach multiple styles in the studio.Practical methods and exercises on technique providea step-by-step way to teach registration changes. Theauthors also highlight many experts in the field ofcontemporary styles for further resources of the“how to” of contemporary commercial music teachingand pedagogy and the companion website is anexcellent addition.

The collegiality and positivity encouraged by Spivey andSaunders Barton is inspirational for teachers who maybe tentatively wading into uncharted waters by cross-training the voice. Overall, it is a great read for thosenew to the concept of cross-training the voice.

Lauren M. Weber is a musical theater voicespecialist focusing on contemporary commercialmusic (CCM) and functional voice training.Currently a lecturer of theater in musical theater(voice) at Baylor University, she has a master offine arts in theater (musical theater) and a masterof music (vocal performance) from Minnesota StateMankato. She also holds a certificate from theContemporary Commercial Music Institute atShenandoah Conservatory and trained in vocologywith Dr. Ingo Titze at the National Center forVoice and Speech. Lauren was also recentlycertified by Sheri Sanders as a level one RockThe Audition coach. Weber’s area of expertise ismusical theater, with an emphasis on the singingvoice and related research in vocal health, function,and pedagogy. She teaches introductory voice classand lessons for freshmen and sophomore theatermajors, focusing on vocal technique in contem-porary musical styles. In addition to teachingvoice, she has also served as music director anddirector on various projects at Baylor and thesurrounding community. As a lyricist/composer,her children’s musicals have been performed inCentral Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin.

In 2018, Weber began training in vocology, thestudy of voice focusing on the science and practiceof voice habilitation. It involves the nature ofspeech and language pathology, laryngology, voicetraining, voice pedagogy of song and speech foractors, and relies on knowledge of vocal anatomy,physiology, biomechanics, perceptual-motorlearning principles, acoustics, the physics ofsound, and vocal pedagogy and practice.

Memberships include National Association ofTeachers of Singing, Voice and Speech TrainersAssociation, and Musical Theater EducatorsAlliance.

Documents

VOICEPrints - Matthew Hoch · technical standpoint. But the third sang “Stizzoso, mio stizzoso,” and it was “just right”—she hit it out of the park and won the competition