One thing that annoys me is mandated recitals where people are assigned music to which they have no affinity. And, consequently, they sing it with no connection to the text, to the music, to the history of the song or the poet, or to the style of the period. They’re singing the right words, andContinue reading “What are you singing? Do you know?”
Author Archives: Mezzoid Voice Studio
What’s Your Intention?
As I recently wrote in an earlier blogpost, I’ve set up a fall practice challenge. Beginning this Sunday through December 15, my students (hopefully) will submit an online practice record regarding their practice habits for the week. (Please note that I’ve amended the form to correspond to the practice challenge.) The person who submits the most amountContinue reading “What’s Your Intention?”
Leo Cornelius Nestor, 1948-2019
Leo Nestor was my choral director in Washington DC at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for one year a long time ago. He was brilliant. I made my national cable TV debut (EWTN, but hey, it’s still national) singing Barber’s “Crucifixion” from the Hermit Songs on Good Friday. The onlyContinue reading “Leo Cornelius Nestor, 1948-2019”
Practice Challenge – October 1-December 14, 2018
I have decided to pose a practice challenge to my students. And to myself, as well. A year ago, I made a recording of some songs I had commissioned by local composer Garth Baxter on poetry in both English and Irish Gaelic. The date of the recording was August 10. So, beginning about 2 monthsContinue reading “Practice Challenge – October 1-December 14, 2018”
New Practice Checklist
This week, I put out a practice checklist, which was distributed to all my students as part of a welcome/welcome back packet. I had had a new student’s mom ask me about a structure of practicing, and I went back to a previous blogpost about practicing I’d written for some guidance. And I decided that,Continue reading “New Practice Checklist”
Success – is it a TRICK?
My choir director at the Cathedral of Mary our Queen is a new daddy, and he’s been reading a lot about parenting. He just read about an author who has written a book called How to Raise Successful People: Simple Lessons for Radical Results, and the author boils her methods down to the acronym TRICK, which standsContinue reading “Success – is it a TRICK?”
Who takes voice lessons?
My mother never understood how I had so many students. She would say, “So many people want to be professional singers?” and I’d say, “No, mom, some want to be professional performers, but some just want to get into the musical at school, or into a special ensemble in choir, or some just want toContinue reading “Who takes voice lessons?”
Make a healthy choice to use your voice
“Every single thing you do with your voice is a choice, not a default.” Someone said this the other day, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out where I heard it. When I figure it out, I’ll update this and give her credit. As singers, we have to make to choices thatContinue reading “Make a healthy choice to use your voice”
“Breath is welcome here”
A few months ago, I was talking to one of my students, Erin McManus, about allowing the abdominal muscles to release on inhalation to receive the breath, and I believe that I used the term “welcome the breath.” Erin then smiled beatifically, as she is wont to do, and indicated her abdominal area with aContinue reading ““Breath is welcome here””
“Tools, not Rules”
I follow a fashion blogger whose site is called une femme d’un certain âge and recently, she had her colors and style done and it turned out she was wearing all the wrong colors and styles for her “type.” (I have to admit that the company who did her analysis was right – her clothes areContinue reading ““Tools, not Rules””