Imagine

On Saturday, I helped lead the ATP auditions for next year’s freshman class.

We heard almost 30 students, all of whom are DESPERATE to be part of this department. DESPERATE to do what we do every day. DESPERATE to be given the chance to work toward their dreams and goals.

The heartbreaking part of this is that we cannot take all of those students into our programs. We have a limited number of resources and if we are to continue to serve all of our students in the way that they deserve, we cannot accept more than would allow us to do that.

So, my reaction to these auditions was not to pat myself on the back for being part of a sought-after program. Rather, it inspired a huge dose of humility and re-evaluation to make sure I am serving all of you in the way that you deserve.

Of course, we are not a perfect program. Just as you are all flawed and developing performers, we are all flawed and developing teachers. We do our best but we fail sometimes. Or often.

But we are committed to the journey. And I hope you are too.

I tend not to get taken in by slogans and advertisements but the ad I keep seeing for the University of Utah is "Imagine U.” This is actually quite a profound, university-wide statement on who we want to be. Artists must imagine. We have to imagine possibility. We have to imagine ourselves in places we never thought we’d be. We have to imagine direction and momentum. We have to imagine achievements that we had absolutely no business imagining for ourselves.

After I post this, I get to call a high school senior to tell her that she has been accepted into the MTP and, as such, will be the first member of her family ever to attend college.

Our work is important. It is an honor to do it every day. If you don’t believe that, please do something else. If you do believe that, please insist that I push you as hard as you deserve.

Imagine U.  I have.

Now go practice.

Structured Practice

Here's a website about practicing that I recently came across:

https://privatelessons.com/article/how-practice

There are lots of good insights shared but one that particularly caught my attention was the idea of having goals for each practice session. 

The author says, for instance, "Practicing should be highly goal oriented. For example, “Today I intend to clean up the runs in my Handel aria, and bring measure 8 up to full tempo.”"

Then he gets even more specific: 

Practice Plan for Tuesday

4:00 - Warm up with open vowel exercises and some light runs. Warm up to a “g” and down to a “c”

4:10 - Practice bar 12 of French aria until it is clean at 72 bpm

4:15 - Run Italian piece multiple times until memorized

4:35 - Practice speaking in rhythm French piece

4:45 - Work baritone entrance in choir piece on pgs. 5 and 6

I think we all have goals when we practice, but some of them might be too broad: learn this song, improve high notes, etc. Maybe we could benefit from getting even more specific: learn notes of the A section cleanly, speak the B section of my Italian text in rhythm until it's solid, work an [i] vowel into the passaggio without raising the larynx, etc.

Maybe it would help to have an overall goal in mind as you are also working on a smaller goal. A couple of my goals lately have been to explore two frequent areas of tension that I keep running into: my neck muscles (specifically the sternocleidomastoids, if you must know!) and the muscle under my chin (the mylohyoid). As I'm vocalizing and working toward my other mini goals, I also try to be intentional about keeping those muscles as uninvolved as possible as an overall goal.

Do you use small practice goals? Consider taking a few days to plan out a practice session that is as detailed as the one above and see if you can stick to it. Identify some big goals and then see how specific and task oriented you can be about breaking them down into smaller, manageable steps. You can even use the first couple of minutes of your practice session to create an outline of goals.

Give it a try and let us know how that works.

Now go practice.

The daily rite of discovery

Here’s an article that’s worth your time:  

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/04/08/every-good-boy-does-fine

It’s written by a music professor (pianist) about many of the teachers he had throughout his life. 

Much of the essay centers around one teacher in particular that he studied with at Indiana University (one of my alma maters as well). Among the many lessons  he learned from this teacher, one is particularly pertinent to this blog:

“[He] said many times that you don’t teach piano playing at lessons; you teach how to practice—the daily rite of discovery that is how learning really happens.” 

I’ve mentioned this to some of you since we’ve been back in session. In lessons we analyze, tweak, and suggest certain directions or procedures in which to place your focus. But the real learning happens on your own as you practice and engage in "the daily rite of discovery.” 

So, what have you discovered lately?

Now go practice.  

The Big Picture

Let’s put things in perspective. Most of our focus during practice sessions should be on the day to day techniques that methodically lead us to our larger goals. But every so often we need to step back and look at the big picture.

As we’ve discussed, incremental progress can sometimes be difficult to recognize. So the end of the semester can be a good time to look back and consider your capabilities in comparison to the beginning of the school year or maybe to a year ago.

This is the time of year when we should be enjoying the fruits of our labors, though among the stress of finals and juries it may not always feel like that. If you have maintained discipline and kept up with your practice, this jury should feel like an opportunity to perform music that you love (or have hopefully grown to appreciate) and to demonstrate to the faculty and, more importantly, to yourself, the progress you have made in both your technique and your artistry.

Of course, it’s understandable if singing for the voice faculty induces some anxiety or nerves anyway. But when you know you have prepared and can recognize the progress you have made, you really can (and should) go in and perform with confidence and enjoy the experience.

Now, sometimes the anxiety comes in because your level of preparation has not been sufficient. If that is the case, you still have several days to get where you want to be before juries. Of course, among that last minute preparation we also need to ask ourselves why we were less prepared and how we can avoid that situation next semester. But there is still time to deliberately and efficiently get your songs in your voice and your memory.

The MTP and ATP both offer opportunities to put into practice important elements of your training. Consider this: if you are consistently unprepared for juries, what skill are you building? It seems all you are learning from the process is how to get through a performance when you are not legitimately ready. That’s certainly not the purpose of a jury.

None of us are at our creative best or at the peak of vocal expressiveness when we are anxious. While adrenaline can give us a temporary boost, it is not a sustainable way to build a career. There simply is no substitute for systematic, structured practice as a way to reaching your goals. Hopefully that is a lesson you have internalized this semester.

I was talking about work ethic once with one of my buddies (who sings regularly at the Metropolitan Opera) and he said he tries to follow this adage:

Amateurs practice until they get it right. Professionals practice until they never get it wrong.

Practice like a professional.
Be so prepared that mistakes are out of the question.
Create, express, perform…and don’t forget the big picture.

Now go practice. And rock your juries!

What are we all afraid of?

A former classmate of mine (who is now a voice professor) was recently discussing the role of fear in singing. In lessons she works to identify “the moment of fear” with her students. In other words, noticing when mental or emotional reluctance results in physical inhibitions that limit freedom in our singing. 

I talk often about how personal singing is. When people criticize our voices it can feel like they are criticizing us, not just our singing. Of course, we are not our voices. But our voices are an important instrument for expressing who we are and I suspect that is where some of our insecurities and fears come in.

So…what are we afraid of? 

Maybe we’re afraid of making an ugly sound. The American Idol culture seems to tell us that singing should only be done by the people who are already good at it. And if you’re not good at it you deserve our ridicule. 

Maybe we’re afraid of being wrong. The current academic climate places a strong emphasis on achievement, grades, and the “right" answer, as opposed to engaging in productive debate or creatively working out various solutions to a problem. How many times have you sat confused in class because you didn’t want to ask a question that might make you look stupid?

Maybe we’re just afraid of making a sound that isn’t “me.” Since our sound is how we express ourselves, we may be resistant to making a sound that doesn’t (literally) resonate with who we are or who we believe ourselves to be.

Of course, singing and practicing our singing should be about exploring our options and discovering new and (eventually) better sounds. In the same way, education is about expanding the mind to include concepts not yet considered. And growing up is about finding who you are and building a life around your own values and priorities. Fear can be an obstacle in each of these areas and can keep us locked to the familiar. 

Whether in lessons (What will he think?), in performances (Will they think I’m terrible?), or in practice sessions (Who is listening on the other side of the door?), it can be a good idea to identify the fears lurking beneath the surface so we can move beyond the restrictions and limitations they may be subconsciously encouraging.

So…what are you afraid of?

"I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear."  --Rosa Parks

"Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it."  --Salvador Dali

Now go practice.

To your health

Due to the environment in which we work, almost no one stays healthy for an entire semester. The onslaught of cold and flu season is exacerbated by the stressful academic schedule we maintain and the seemingly constant exposure to sick classmates and co-workers. This can be further compounded by the lifestyle many college students choose that is not always conducive to optimal health.

One of the best ways to avoid getting sick, of course, is to constantly work toward overall good health. (Consult a doctor for the best advise. A real doctor, I mean.)

-Maintain a balanced diet
-Exercise regularly
-Make a full night’s sleep a priority
-Drink plenty of water
-De-stress your life (to the degree that you can)
-Wash your hands often

But, when you do get sick, as we all eventually do, there are some additional things we can do to minimize the impact on our voices.

-Make sleep an even bigger priority (this is one of the best ways to allow your body to heal itself)
-Continue drinking a lot of water and making healthy food choices
-Prioritize your voice use when sick. Don’t oversing or speak too much if your voice is weakened due to illness.
-Try to keep all coughing to a minimum. Knowing how hard that is on the voice, the less coughing you can do, the quicker the vocal recovery.
-Know the side effects of the medications you may be taking. Most decongestants, for instance, dry out the voice. This doesn’t mean you can’t take them but it should mean you minimize your voice use and increase water intake while using these medications. You can go to ncvs.org and click the “check your meds” logo to see the impact that all kinds of medications may have on the voice.

AND if you are sick please do all you can to keep your germs from spreading to others.

-Keep tissues on hand
-Cough and sneeze into a tissue or at least into your sleeve
-Wash your hands often
-Know when to just stay home

According to Dr. Wendy LeBorgne’s chapter “Vocal Health and the Music Theater Vocal Athlete” in “So You Want to Sing Music Theater: A Guide for Professionals,” a 2013 study supports use of a neti pot to clear sinuses or for allergy relief. She also says that gargling water or salt water (without too much salt) can help in treating or preventing upper respiratory infections.

Many people find tea with honey to be soothing to a sore throat. Or course, this will not (or should not) reach the vocal folds but it can make the tissue of the mouth and throat feel nice. Just make sure that it is herbal tea since caffeinated tea (any caffeinated beverage, really) will have a drying effect on the voice.

No one can avoid illness completely. Unfortunately, the time we are busiest and the most stressed out (tech week, juries, finals) we tend to have compromised immune systems and are more susceptible to getting sick. In that case, take care of yourself even more and be protective of your voice. Any way that you can minimize harm to your voice while sick will hopefully result in being back to full vocal strength even sooner.

Buena salud. To your health.

Now go practice.

Practice makes permanent

I recently read this quote from Carol Kirkpatrick shared in the Classical Singer Newsletter:

"Practice doesn't necessarily make perfect, it makes permanent...The way we practice, what we practice, and how well we practice are what ultimately will carry over to our performance...How we practice matters. We have to make our practice perfect. We can't just go through the motions and put in the time. It takes effort and execution."

I think many of us have gotten into the habit of mindlessness, that is, not really focusing on what we are doing. We eat (but don’t really taste) food while watching TV, we listen to (but don’t really hear) music while we’re doing homework, we have conversations with people while texting someone else. As a result, it seems we have difficulty doing just one thing at a time.

As an undergrad I remember reading “The Miracle of Mindfulness” by Thich Nhat Hanh as an assignment for my first vocal pedagogy class. The book encourages being in the moment in all activities. One exercise he describes that has always stuck with me is mindfully washing the dishes. Try this sometime, wash the dishes without any music or other media playing, without being on the phone or talking to someone else, without going over lines or singing a song in your head--just wash the dishes and give it your full attention. You may notice the texture and color of each dish. You may remember how it was you acquired each coffee mug or plate (maybe there is a person or association this brings up). You may be reminded of how your food choices that day may have impacted your routine or your health.

It’s really hard to do this simple task with full focus.

Similarly, when we practice singing, it can be easy to let our minds wander and just go through the motions. But part of my emphasis this year on shorter practice sessions is that, besides practicing more often, I would like all of us to be more mindful of how we are practicing. Do it with full attention and full intention. Can you notice subtle differences? How does the F-sharp feel differently than the F-natural? What does it feel like when you use a different vowel? Does your posture change when you sustain notes? Are you maintaining a good connection to the appoggio? 

Mindful observation is a crucial aspect of singing but it’s also important when consuming the arts. When we go to a show we silence our cell phones, stop our conversations, and sit in a dark room together to (hopefully) take in as much as we can about what we are seeing, hearing, and feeling.

Try experimenting with bringing this attitude to your practicing. Silence your phone, remove the distractions, and see what you notice.

Happy observations!

Now go practice.