From Tin Pan Alley to Today:
In 2025, Broadway musicals can be originals (Hadestown, The Outsiders, The Great Gatsby), they can be jukebox musicals (MJ, & Juliet, Moulin Rouge) or they can be revivals (Gypsy, Sunset Boulevard, Wonderful Town). A well-rounded performer will know how to adapt their vocal style and technique to suit the era in which the piece is written (while still appealing to modern sensibilities). I’ve sat in on auditions where people are auditioning for a pre-1970 musical but bringing repertoire that is contemporary and not at all in the right style.
Tag Archives: Vocal technique
Concerns, Care and Consistency For the Mature Voice
Today’s blogpost comes from a workshop I did this morning on concerns, care and consistency for the mature voice. Growing older doesn’t mean you have to stop singing, but there are things you need to take into account to allow it to keep being a rewarding experience for you, your colleagues, and your audience.
Building Skills Versus Cramming
I was listening to my dear friend/teacher Nicholas Perna’s podcast Vocal Fri the other day, and there was a discussion on Functional Voice Training Vs. Task Based Voice Training. Which I’m going to interpret, for these purposes, as: Building Skills Versus Cramming That’s not entirely how it was intended in the podcast; for example, theyContinue reading “Building Skills Versus Cramming”
Suspending the Breath – Why I Don’t Teach It
This is a reprint of an August 2017 blogpost – I recently had a rehearsal where a conductor asked us to do this and it’s something that just goes against me. Here’s why (things I’ve added are in bold and brackets): ****** This morning, the subject of my meditation app involved a lot of focusContinue reading “Suspending the Breath – Why I Don’t Teach It”
Takeaways from the NATS Conference – July 4, 2022
🎵 On the fourth day of July, NATS gave to me…. 🎵 July 4, 2022 “The Non-Binary Songbook” presented by Liz Jackson Hearns and Alexandra Plattos Sulack Takeaways: Rather than providing an actual songbook (which is kind of what I wanted),this was based on exploring gender expansion via classical repertoire for the AFAB/non-binary singer fromContinue reading “Takeaways from the NATS Conference – July 4, 2022”
Authenticity
I’m absolutely swamped this week with recital prep, so here’s a quick little quote from Kelli O’Hara in Classical Singer magazine (October 2021) regarding authenticity:* “The biggest advice I ever give is this authenticity thing, which is to be who you are and not make yourself into something you’re not, vocally or otherwise, ever. Because, again,Continue reading “Authenticity”
Yoga and Voice Practices
As I mentioned in a recent blogpost, Grit and Creating a Practice, I committed to doing 30 consecutive days of yoga at the beginning of this year, using videos by Adriene Mischler of Yoga with Adriene. And, surprisingly, I’ve kept it up! While I’ve written before about how cross-training relates to singing (mainly based onContinue reading “Yoga and Voice Practices”
Phlegm Happens – but why?
During cold and flu season, I’ve had many students interrupt their singing by coughing, clearing and pointing at their throats, saying, “Oh, sorry, phlegm.” And my response is usually, “Hey, phlegm happens. And please try not to clear your throat.” For years, I have wanted to create a sticker for my studio that says: PHLEGMContinue reading “Phlegm Happens – but why?”
I Meant That
My husband and I working with a designer for our house because, while we’re pretty good at picking out pieces – art work, rugs, colors – we’re not so good about actually putting them up on the walls (and I get absolutely paralyzed about window treatments). When we met with him yesterday to discuss someContinue reading “I Meant That”
Pro Tip Tuesday!
So (and i know a lot of people are annoyed by people who start sentences with “So,” but I do, so – so?) I thought about the Pro Tips I could offer today and possibly on subsequent Tuesdays. Here are a few, off the top of my head, gained from my XYZ number of yearsContinue reading “Pro Tip Tuesday!”