A little controversy

This

is not this



This

is not this



This

is not this


By the same token, this

is not this


And this (although I love her scatting)

is not this


But is it wrong?

I have very mixed feelings about this.  On the one hand, I am a firm believer in honoring the intent of the composer and demands of the music itself, both in terms of technique and artistry.  On the other hand, if Sarah Brightman singing a Czech aria in Italian gets someone interested in opera, isn't that a good thing?  I appreciate the fact that these artists cared enough about this incredibly beautiful music that they wanted to sing it and share it with the world.

As a teacher, I do feel that I have the right and responsibility to educate my students about the really good performances of these songs, so when someone brings in Paul Potts singing "Nessun Dorma", I introduce them to Bjorling.  And when they ask to sing "Nessun Dorma", I tell them, "No way in hell!!!" Actually, I explain the difficulty of this aria and tell them that in 15 or 20 years they can ask whoever they are studying with then if they can do it.  I also explain that not every voice should sing this.  Only a very special kind of tenor should be singing this.  (Side note:  Several years ago, someone at the local music store just gave me a couple of copies of "Nessun Dorma" because they hadn't sold them and they thought someone at our school might be able to use them.  I'm pretty sure I didn't actually burn them, but they are definitely not at the high school where I teach.)

Then there are these duets that make you go, "Huh?"  At least they did the first time I heard them.  The more I listen the more I like them.  I think my family had every John Denver recording ever made.  Although as a voice teacher I sometimes hear things in his voice that I want to fix, I love the color of his voice and I love the songs he writes.  But I remember being really confused by this duet.  Domingo's accent and classical technique were a big disconnect for me.  It didn't seem to fit.  But it introduced me to Domingo who has become one of my favorite singers of all time and definitely my favorite of The Three Tenors.



I actually knew Caballé before I knew Freddie Mercury.  Her "Casta Diva" is exquisite.  To be completely honest, I had heard Queen songs, but I wasn't really into that kind of music in high school and college.  It's really only been that last few years that I learned about him and how amazing his talent was.


These pairings introduced audiences to people and sounds that they might not have encountered on their own.  And the artists themselves learn and grow from the experiences.  In a quick search, I didn't find any super reliable sources, but I've heard that it was Freddie Mercury's dream to sing with Montserrat Caballé and that John Denver changed his approach to how he used his words after working with Placido Domingo.  We all have something we can learn even if it seems like we are so different that we couldn't have anything in common.

Maybe sometimes the question shouldn't be, "Did the singer do the song justice?"

Maybe sometimes it should be, "How did this music change this person?"

So what do you think?  What offends you musically?

Here is what many classical singers want you to know

How Hard Should I Push?

Although I love teaching voice lessons, it isn't always easy and it isn't always fun.  One of the things I struggle with is knowing how much to demand of my students.  I firmly believe in teaching that emphasizes process and progress instead of just product.  I believe that my first job is teaching people, not building voices.

The school where I teach is a triple A school meaning that they emphasize excellence in arts, academics, and athletics.  Students are challenged to be the very best they can be. Many of my voice students are the stars in not just one area, but in all three of the A's. That's awesome, but it doesn't leave much time, energy, or focus for practicing for their voice lessons.  And voice lessons always seem to be at the bottom of the priority list.

I struggle with how to inspire them to practice more when I know I'm adding to a work load that is already close to impossible.  I don't want to add stress, but I want them to understand that if they want to win competitions and/or pursue music professionally they need to invest more than just the time they spend with me in lessons.

This all came to a head again this week with the lessons of three very talented students who have a competition in less than two weeks.  One is doing OK, but in an effort to improve technically has completely ignored the interpretative side of things over the last couple of weeks.  Another was exhausted and sick and not yet memorized even though the person has had the song since the summer.  The third (normally a very responsible student) just didn't show up for the last lesson and doesn't have any other lessons scheduled before the competition.  And of course because it is always about me (or so I think sometimes) I began to stress out about how I was failing these kids.  I wondered how to make them realize that they have to do more if they want to reach their goals.

Not only did I struggle with how to talk to them, I couldn't find the words to reach out to my colleagues and ask for advise.  I didn't want to look like a bad teacher.

Then another teacher reached out with a concern and in addressing her situation, I found my answer.  My teacher friend has a student dealing with depression and anxiety and asked for feedback about how she should approach things in lessons.  This was my response:

I have been the student struggling with depression and anxiety, and I have worked with several too. At my worst, music was my anchor, and if my teacher had insisted that I take a break, it would have made the situation worse.

Talking with the student and her parents is probably the best option right now. For the student that I have right now in this situation, together we decided that I will offer her performance and competition opportunities, but she gets to make the decision based on what she thinks she can handle and there is no pressure from me. I also remind her frequently that if I'm pushing her too hard in a lesson and she just needs to have a fun sing day that she can request that.

Several years ago, a student's parents sat next to me at the final choir concert of the year and made a point of thanking me for helping their child make it to graduation.

We can't be therapists, but we can support and encourage, and the healing potential of music is why I keep teaching.

As I thought about that response, I realized that I don't know all the details of everything going on the lives of my students.  With rare exceptions, I don't know who is dealing with depression or anxiety.  I don't know who is still experiencing PTSD from a past trauma.  I can't know all that, and I can't make myself responsible for everything in their lives.  But I can offer every student the options that I give to those that I know are struggling.

I've mentioned my tai chi study before.  Every tai chi class I take and every tai chi class I teach reinforces those ideals that first led made me want to teach voice lessons.  Every student comes to us with different needs and each of those students will need to discover the specifics of how singing (or tai chi) happens in their own unique body.  

In his book Teaching Tai Chi Effectively, Dr. Paul Lam says

When working with the young people, you must be well prepared and yet, very flexible.  Listen to them--with your eyes, as well as ears--and adjust as you go.

We must also listen with our hearts.  We must develop empathy and teach with compassion.

Another of my tai chi heroes, Caroline Demoise wrote this her her book, Tai Chi as a Spiritual Practice.    All you have to do to make this apply to voice lessons is substitute singing for every time she uses tai chi here.

Being interested in them as people and desiring to help them achieve their potential are quite different from having expectations about how good their tai chi should be, how far they could progress or how well they have taken advantage of the instruction they have been given.
Don't have expectations for the class.  Students will feel the pressure of your expectations, and it activates their critical voice when they are not progressing to your satisfaction.  Remember whose journey is unfolding.  It is not about you.  Class is each student's personal journey.  As the teacher, you are coaching, providing an environment for learning, giving encouragement, offering feedback and holding the space for them to unfold their potential.
As a teacher you want your student to succeed and reflect your teaching skill, but ideally your ego will take a backseat to your student's own timetable and development.  Students with incredible natural talent may have multiple priorities and may not be focused solely on tai chi, which influences the unfolding of their potential.  Means do not justify the end, and pressure and criticism are never appropriate as inducements to achieve.  Tai chi is not about competition, but about self-development.  Students who have only a little ability but who regularly show up in class, try their best, have a lot of enthusiasm for learning and feel better at the end of class are a visible demonstration of your success as a teacher.  

So how hard should I push? Maybe I don't need to push at all.  I need to give up the word should, and invite and encourage rather than setting expectations or demanding.  At this point, I think all I can do is offer opportunities and provide tools.  Each student needs to decide for himself or herself what to take and how far they want to go.  And I need to be OK with that.

When Parents Have Concerns

I just finished up my response to the first email of the school year from a parent concerned that her child did not get into an auditioned choir or the musical.  For the most part, when I receive these kinds of emails, it's not because the parent thinks their kid is the most awesome thing ever and is upset that their kid wasn't cast.  Usually it is a loving parent wondering if this is the right path for their child or if they should encourage them to pursue other interests where they might have a better chance for what the child and the parent view as success.  

I love the school where I teach, but no situation is perfect.  The philosophy is one of excellence in academics, arts, and athletics.  Excellence is great, but it creates a lot of competition.  Yes, competition pushes us to achieve more, but it also means that there only are a few stars.  Kids who would have leads in smaller, less competitive schools might not even make a show at this school.  The average students sometimes feel lost in the shuffle.

And so I get letters from parents wondering where their child stands.  Because it comes up at least a few times a year, I thought I'd share some of the general comments I made here.

Do you see an improvement in her skills as a singer?
Yes, definitely. (The rest of my answers to this question refer to specific skills and the progress the student has made with each.)
 

Do you ever see her being able to be in the musicals?
Yes. I can't guarantee that it will be next year, but I think that making a show is a realistic goal. It is important to remember that very few freshmen make the shows. Chances improve each year. For example, if a senior and freshman audition at exactly the same level of proficiency, the senior has a better chance of being cast.

Because she loves music and theatre, she may want to explore some of the off-stage opportunities related to the shows, like tech crew, costume production, set building, etc. This will give her a chance to still be involved in the show even if she isn't on stage.


Do you think she could make it into the choirs that she would need an audition for?
There are always possibilities, especially when students practice and work hard on building their skills. [The choir teacher] will be re-auditioning for [a particular select ensemble] after the Holiday Concert, and she almost always adds more students at that point. To increase [the student's] chances of making a select choir this year or next, she should develop a habit of regular practice, working on solfege and sight-reading skills, learning music quickly, and applying the principles of vocal technique that we are covering in lessons. Staying focused and being a leader in choir everyday also helps.


Is there something more we could be doing to help her succeed?
Each week I send lesson notes to both you and [the student]. Encourage her to practice and make practicing more than just singing through the song. (There are several handouts on the website that can help her structure her practice time.) I'm attaching a practice journal. Some students have found this very helpful. It asks students to set goals for the week and for each practice session. If we talked about it at a lesson, that would be a good thing to include as one of the goals.

Continue being positive and encourage her to do things she loves, not just the things that she can be the best at. Passion and persistence are far more important to success that any perceived innate talent. I say perceived because researchers are finding that many of the people we assume must be just naturally gifted by God or DNA have actually invested a lot of time and practice in what they do. But that practice doesn't always look the same from person to person.

Also, everyone is on a different learning path and each person is moving along their own path at a speed that may be different for everybody else. That is really hard for high school kids to understand. We've had All-State singers that haven't really done much singing since they graduated from high school, and we've had kids that were average to slightly above average in [our school's] pool, that are now succeeding in music careers.

When I first went to college and auditioned for choirs, the only thing that got me into one of the auditioned choirs is that they wanted to use me as an accompanist. I had a good voice, but very little training, and some severe tuning issues (especially when I was nervous). Ranked against everyone at that school where choral music was extremely important, I was pretty close to the bottom of the pile. But I worked, and I persevered, and I now really understand why tuning issues happen and what to do about them. And I make my living using my voice.

What things would you share with a parent that is concerned about his or her child's potential for success in music?