My Word for 2023 – Tessitura

I’ve given some thought about the guiding word for 2023 and I’ve come up with one.

Tessitura.

Here’s the definition of tessitura, via Wikipedia:

In music, tessitura (Italian: [tessiˈtuːra], pl. tessiture, “texture”; English: /tɛsɪˈtjuːrə/) is the most acceptable and comfortable vocal range for a given singer or less frequently, musical instrument, the range in which a given type of voice presents its best-sounding (or characteristic) timbre. This broad definition is often interpreted to refer specifically to the pitch range that most frequently occurs within a given part of a musical piece.

But I particularly like this phrase within the definition, which gives you an idea of why I chose it:

However, the tessitura of a part or voice is not decided by the extremes of its range, but rather by the share of this total range which is most used. Hence, it is referred to as the “heart” of a range.

I often refer to it as where a song lives. Or, when discussing a voice type, where your voice most wants to live (you could also refer to this as fach, which I’ve discussed before).

2022 was rough for me in so many ways. I’ve had to examine what’s important to me, as a person, a singer, a teacher, a colleague, a friend, a wife, and as a puppy/kitty mama.

I am coming to terms with where and how I want to live and where the heart of my existence is. I’ve lived at the extremes in the past, trying to do it all (or nothing at all, which was kind of what was going on at the height of the pandemic), and I want to find where the sweet spot is for me.

I may have to explore some options and decide what’s not for me. Some things I’ve done recently and are coming up include:

Yesterday I gave a presentation on vocal technique for Towson High School. It went really well, I think. I haven’t felt such a high as a teacher since I left Milwaukee (close at the last studio showcase in June – that was pretty special). I’d like to do more of that.
This weekend I am doing a recording of a new piece by composer Garth Baxter for vibraphone, Bb clarinet, and mezzo (that’d be me). I got the music last week, and I’m really excited about it. This is something new for me. Depending on how it goes this weekend, I would welcome more of this kind of work.
My WNO audition is on January 21 – I have my pieces picked out, and as soon as I’m done with the recording session, I will put more time on those (I already know them – it’s just a question of reworking it)
I have a house concert scheduled for May 21 at Paul Cassedy’s house in Baltimore (private event). This will feature the songs from Music’s Path, which I recorded recently for Garth’s CD Ask Of Me What the Birds Sang,

as well as other songs by Irish poets that I was supposed to sing in a concert in March 2020 (I think we know why that didn’t happen). My pianist for the recording was Andrew Stewart; my pianist for the concert will be Michael Sheppard.
I’m going to be an adjudicator for the Maryland Thespians Festival next Friday, January 13, at UMd-College Park. I loved adjudicating at WSMA, and I’m looking forward to this. Hopefully, this might lead to more adjudicating (other than NATS).
I’m teaching myself Portuguese on Duolingo in anticipation for a vacation in April and May, and I think I’m doing pretty well – better than I expected. Perhaps more language learning is in my future! (Or maybe I’ll learn some music in Portuguese….???)
I’m coordinating an event for MDDC NATS for World Voice Day, April 16.

Things I’m interested in doing more of:

Voice acting. I’ve wanted to do this for years. My main concern is where I can do it where I don’t have street and dog noise. (I asked for a soundbooth for Christmas but all I got was this Apple Watch – which I’ve asked for for the last three years, so that’s more than okay.)
Cooking – I look back at my FB posts from about 2008-2012 and I was cooking a lot more than I have been in recent years. I just got a subscription to the New York Times Cooking section and I’m being a little adventurous.
Cabaret – but where, now that Germano’s is gone?
More content on YouTube and … maybe … gulp … on TikTok?
Directing – I may be sending out a proposal to a local company tomorrow. (If you don’t ask, the answer is always no.)
And lastly – I’m writing a book. I started out wanting to be a writer, before singing grabbed me, and perhaps it’s time to live that dream again.

What will be my sweet spot? What will be my heart? What will be my ….

Oh, and BTW, I’m considering changing the title of this blog to tessitura. I haven’t decided just yet if I’ll change the URL or just the title – so stay tuned!

Help Someone Find Their Voice (or your own) in 2023

Have you always wanted to take voice lessons? Or do you have a child, sibling, or really close friend who has always wanted to try a voice lesson?

This year, Mezzoid Voice Studio is offering a gift certificate that you can buy for a loved one (which also be yourself, because self-care is a good thing) at Happy Holidays 2022!

Who is a good candidate for an MVS voice lesson gift certificate?

Someone who has sung in the past – in choir, in school, in community theater, professionally- or even in the shower!
Someone preparing for an audition!
Someone who will use it in the next 6 months because I’m planning to do some things in the summer (hopefully this summer will be better than last summer)
Someone who isn’t afraid of making weird noises – nay, embraces weird noises! (Lately in the studio, we’ve been beeping like trucks backing up.)

Who is NOT a good candidate?

Someone who has never expressed any interest in singing
Someone who already has a teacher with whom they’re happy (I don’t poach students)
Someone who won’t use it (no refunds!)
Someone who resists change and growth (which is the point of making funny noises)

If you or your recipient falls into the first group, then you should purchase a gift card at Happy Holidays 2022!

A 50-minute drop-in lesson is $95. At that lesson, we’ll find out what the singer already does well and can build upon, what areas they might want to develop some more, and look at possible songs to work on in the future, if they wish to continue. We’ll do this through vocal explorations in vocal exercises (possibly including beeping!) and in a song of their choice.

Through December 31, use the code HAPPYHOLIDAYS
to get $15 off your registration!

*****
The studio is technically closed through January 8; however, if you are auditioning for something before I reopen on January 9 (Thanks, Towson HS for scheduling Mean Girls auditions during my break), I will find a spot for you! If you’re not already working with me, use the certificate above,
or, if you’re looking for a longer commitment,
find out how to work with me.

Make it RAIN

There was an article a while back on getting good quality sleep using a mindfulness tactic with the acronym RAIN.

The steps involved make up the acronym. They are:

RECOGNIZE Recognize the stress that’s coming up.
ACCEPT/ALLOW Don’t try to push it away.
INVESTIGATE Be curious. Ask: What is going on in my body right now? Do you feel tightness in your chest? Do you feel tension in your neck?
NOTE Note the experience. Stay in the present movement until the sensation completely subsides.

While this pertains to stress and how it relates to getting a good night’s sleep, I think it can be applied to your singing practice as well.

When you are practicing, and you’re having a problem with a particular exercise, song, or phrase, you can

RECOGNIZE Recognize the particular issue – “I am having a problem with reaching this high note”
ACCEPT/ALLOW Don’t try to push it away – “Oh, I just need to sing it over and over and it’ll work itself out”
INVESTIGATE Be curious. Ask: What is going on in my body right now? – “Is my jaw tight? Is my breath efficient? What is happening in the phrase leading up to the high note?”
NOTE Note the experience. Stay in the present. It may be frustrating, and you might have to move on for a bit to accomplish what you need to accomplish.

And maybe you’ll find the answer by working on another piece that has a similar phrase with which you don’t have a problem. So work on that piece and apply the same technique to that phrase. “I’m not having a problem (recognition) – that’s great (acceptance) – what am I doing right? (investigation) – how can I apply this to the other song?”

So –

*****
Today is the birthday of one of the 20th century’s greatest entertainers, Sammy Davis Jr. He would have been 97 years old. An accomplished singer, dancer, actor, and drummer, he needs to be remembered and celebrated every day. I find it tragic that he died of complications of throat cancer. He refused a laryngectomy because he didn’t want to lose his voice, and when he finally had his larynx removed, he died.

Here’s a video of him singing a medley of Anthony Newley’s songs with the composer himself. I’m sharing this because:

It’s magnificent – Newley’s performance is incredibly idiosyncratic but riveting
I can’t believe Americans once had a attention span that would allow a 15 minute segment of two people singing

Enjoy it and do a deep dive into Sammy Davis, Jr. (and Anthony Newley). You won’t regret it.

S’wonderful – Ira Gershwin

Today is the 126th anniversary of the birth of lyricist Ira Gershwin (12/6/1896-8/17/1983).

While his brother George had the reputation as the celebrity composer beloved by movie stars and international classical composers alike (although less so by American ones of his era), Ira was the quiet, somewhat shy older brother. George was a notorious commitment-phobe; Ira was married to his wife Leonore for 57 years. George died at 38 of a brain tumor; Ira lived a long life, dying at 86 at his home in Los Angeles.

Ira is the one who wrote the lyrics to George’s music, and, according to biographer Joan Peyser, those lyrics chronicled George’s life.

“Ira would generally be seen at parties standing in the corner and watching George’s every move… Ira wrote in his lyrics what he believed George should have felt about the situations he found himself in.”

–Joan Peyser, The Memory of All That (Simon & Schuster)

And what wonderful lyrics they were!

Stephen Sondheim would disagree with me, and did vociferously in his book Finishing the Hat, where he describes Ira’s writing as “an insatiable need to rhyme,” often at the expense of common sense. He hated one of my favorite lyrics, from “By Strauss” (which I have sung many times):

“Oh give me the free and easy waltz that is Viennese-y”

Personally, I don’t think that rhyme is all that different, in terms of cleverness, from

“Or else we’d be left bereft of F – D – R” (“How I saved Roosevelt,” Assassins)

Ira’s career did not end with George’s death; he continued to write with Jerome Kern, Kurt Weill, and Harold Arlen, mostly for movies. He stopped writing for the stage in 1946, and ended his career with Arlen with A Star is Born in 1954. It’s most well-known song, “The man that got away,” considered one of the top movie songs of all times by the American Film Institute.

Ira outlived his brother by 46 years. George’s music, both instrumental and vocal, will live on forever, played by symphonies and opera companies. Ira’s lyrics will be sung by performers in cabaret and jazz for many years.

Our romance won’t end on a sorrowful note – though by tomorrow you’re gone. The song has ended but as the songwriter wrote – the melody lingers on*

*reference to Irving Berlin’s “the song has ended but the melody lingers on”

On his 100th birthday, Ira was the first lyricist to be recognized at Carnegie Hall in a special tribute performance. While I couldn’t find any videos from that performance, I was able to find a tribute concert held around the same time at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Enjoy!

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 focus on the suspension/stillness between inhalation and exhalation. The momentary pause that exists both before the initiation of each. It’s infinitesimal and you really have to be aware to notice it even exists.

I don’t really feel it and I don’t find it all that valuable. [In fact, I find it harmful.]

When I first started studying voice, I was giving vocalises that encouraged finding that suspension. Exercises that consisted of:

Inhale – 2 – 3 – 4
Suspend 2 – 3 – 4
Exhale 2 – 3 – 4

The exercise gradually increased the numbers, cautioning the singer to be aware of maintaining an open glottis rather than shutting down or being rigid during the suspension. I dutifully did this exercise, and then I taught it, when I first started teaching voice. Because that’s what you did. It was a basic vocal exercise that was included in all the pedagogy books.

But I feel as though breath is a continuous process and that to focus on what is a nearly imperceptible stopping of time creates unnecessary tension. In fact, I think that the act of extending the suspension beyond that split second reinforces the idea of “setting the breath,” as opposed to just moving through it.

I have written in the past that my approach to the breath is that of:

Release – Receive

Release – Resist

Rather than suspend time, I prefer to think of releasing it and welcoming the next moment.

(The point of the meditation was to be aware of stillness and use it in your life to avoid unnecessary conflict. In that case, it’s a useful concept. But I’m writing a singing blog here….)

When I’m singing, I don’t want to suspend animation, to enter into some kind of momentary vocal hibernation, but to continue to be animated, which is defined as being “full of life.”

So I’ll suspend disbelief (or judgment), I’ll keep people in suspense, I’ll do TRW suspension work at the gym [or at least I did, pre-‘Covid], and I’ll milk a good harmonic suspension for all it’s worth. But when it comes to singing, I’m just going to keep the air flowing.

Even this kind of suspension has a sense of movement

[Because that’s what we sing on – the exhale. We don’t hold our breath while we sing, and in fact, when we do, we wind up tensing everything up. Suspend for a second or two, just to be aware of it? Sure. Suspend for 8 or 12 or even SIXTEEN counts?

I THINK NOT.]

So that…

In improvisational comedy, actors are trained to use the prompt “yes, and” in order to accept what their scene partner has given them and expand upon it to take it further. It doesn’t necessarily mean you agree with your scene partner, it just means that you heard what they said. I think it’s somewhat related to the idea of “finding your why,” in a sense. You say, “yes, and” to take things in a new direction. You “find your why” in order to figure out that direction.

I don’t remember where I got this but I had written down a few notes about goal setting that involved the idea of “I do this so that I can do that.”

(If you’re the person from whom I got it, please let me know and I’ll credit you.)

With the new year fast approaching and resolutions/goal setting coming up, I thought this might be an interesting way to look at the steps involved in achieving your goals.

For example, as it relates to continuing education:

I register for pedagogy courses so that I can explore new ways of teaching voice
I explore new ways of teaching voice so that I can serve my students/clients better
I serve my clients better so that they can feel more confident about their singing and performing in the community and so that I get additional clients who want to be just like them
I teach additional clients so that I can make more money
I make more money so that I can take more pedagogy courses

Or as a performer:

I take voice lessons so that I can audition for the opera
I audition for the opera so that I can perform on stage
I perform on stage so that I can make more money
I make more money so that I can take voice lessons (and take more pedagogy courses)

What is my WHY? For that, we probably need to go back to my earliest blogposts and the (current) title of this blog.

*****
I’m thinking of switching up the name of this blog to something that fits me a bit more now than when I first started this back in 2009. Also, if you’re interested in lessons in the new year, find out how to work with me and we’ll see what we can do together!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Not much time to say a lot today – I should be downstairs putting out platters for our Thanksgiving “dinner” (who eats dinner at 2pm?).

It’s been a rough year for me so far – healthwise and somewhat professionally (mostly related to the health issues). But I am thankful for

my students, past, present, and future
my friends
my family
the professional connections I have made over the years, who have given me so much joy as an artist and creator

Have a great Thanksgiving weekend!

Rorem and Sondheim

photo from an interview with composers Ned Rorem on the left and Stephen Sondheim on the right

I just wrote a tribute to Ned Rorem on his 99th birthday. And just a few weeks later, he died.

I feel like this is my fault, somehow.

Of course, it’s not, but it’s kind of like saying “Beetlejuice/Betelgeuse” 3x in reverse. Instead of him appearing, he… left. I have written a lot about Stephen Sondheim, god knows, and almost a year ago, he died, just a few months short of his 92nd birthday.

And both composers meant a lot to me as an artist. I’m not quite as emotionally devastated by Rorem’s passing as Sondheim’s, but I still reacted with, “well, shit,” when I saw the first “RIP, Ned Rorem” pop up on the socials. (Which is the same way I found out about Stephen.)

As I was thinking about writing an obituary for Ned Rorem, I wondered … did they ever meet?

In 2000, Ned Rorem interviewed Stephen Sondheim at the 92nd Street Y. Early on, Rorem asks:

“You and I both write songs. On the face of it, those songs are in the same language – tonal,melodic, prosodically comprehensible. But there is a crucial difference – you’re a Broadway Baby, and I am an effete snob. ”

Sondheim goes on to disprove some of the disparaging and outdated ideas that Rorem had about musical theater – for example, the idea that all songs fall into a structure of a 32-bar melody, which Sondheim told him went out “about the time you [Rorem] went to Paris.”

They also talk about their shared compositional influences, Ravel and Copland. (Not in this interview, but in separate sources, both speak of the tremendous influence Leonard Bernstein had on them.) Rorem seemed to admire Sondheim as a lyricist as well, even asking him if he’d write lyrics for him. (He wouldn’t.)

Another interesting question Rorem asked:

“I wonder if you would agree with this. All music writing [instrumental or vocal] …. is essentially a song expression. It is the singer within us that is trying to get out, with or without. That is how I choose these words and set them in as comprehensible a way as possible. I want to heighten the poetry; I don’t want to broaden it.”

Sondheim’s response was to ask him whether he’d ever set poems he didn’t understand, and did they work? Rorem said that they worked because he set them. (He had a very high opinion of his skills – rightfully so.)

Sondheim asked Rorem if he’d write another opera. Rorem’s response was that he didn’t really consider himself an opera composer; an opera is not a bunch of songs, and a song recital is not a miniature opera. But he said he would consider writing another opera, “(A), if you wrote the libretto.” Sondheim laughed (and again, he didn’t).

Toward the end of the video (and I suspect there’s more, because it ends rather abruptly), Rorem asks:

“You [Sondheim] have become a part of the collective unconscious, which means, at their best, your songs are memorable because the words and music are inextricable.”

Although Rorem didn’t seem to know that much about musical theater (by choice), Sondheim knew quite a bit about classical composers and their oeuvre.

I’m glad I found this interview because it really defines why I was sad about Rorem’s passing – but devastated by Sondheim’s. Both men are clever, intelligent, and articulate. Both could be critical of their peers (see Finishing the Hat). But Rorem’s wit was acerbic; Sondheim’s was self-deprecating. I don’t think anyone would say Sondheim was “an effete snob,” let alone himself. That definition was part of Rorem’s self-identification – it wasn’t self-deprecating. It just was.

Rorem says that he has a “neat mind and can’t improvise.” Sondheim’s writing was dictated by the principles that:

Less is more
God is in the details
Content dictates form

All in the service of clarity. I think that they definitely have that in common.

(The video that came up right afterwards was an episode of Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland interviewing Stephen Sondheim in 1994 – at which point I found out that Sondheim attended a Quaker private school; and Ned Rorem was raised Quaker…. more words colliding!)

This was supposed to be a short obituary, but, as usual, I went somewhere else – because I was curious about whether or not Sondheim and Rorem met. And now here we are.

Watch both the videos, if you can. They’re fascinating.

*
I will be accepting a few new students in the new year. If you’re interested, find out how to work with me!

Takeaways from the NATS Conference – July 5-6, 2022

Here’s an overview of the final full day of the conference and the general meeting the day after.

July 5, 2022

“Laban for Singers: Laban Movement Analysis for Body Release and Character Development” presented by Kyle Sackett
Takeaways:

- Created by a Hungarian dancer/father of modern dance
- “Laban Movement Analysis” – language to describe, visual, interpret and document all varieties of human movement based on the concepts of
  - Weight (Pressure/Resistance): Strong – Light
  - Space (Focus/Attention): Direct – Indirect
  - Time: Non-legato -Legato
  - Energy/Flow (Movement dynamic): Bound – Free
- Different movements have different components and can be applied to spoken and sung words when determining interpretation

- This can function as a diagnostic tool as well – if the movement is stopping, what’s happening with the voice
  EXCELLENT presentation – I wish it were longer. I strongly considered taking an intensive scheduled for the end of August in Brooklyn, but circumstances prevented that. It’s something I’d really like to explore further – this is the method that Matt Bender covered in his World Voice Weekend presentation in April 2021.

“Where do we go from here?” presented by Albert R. Lee and Alejandra Valarino Boyer
Takeaways:

- For adjudication: Take out personal technical terms in favor of consistency and compliance with the national standards
- The term “master class” is a term rooted in slavery – eliminate it! [This is something I never considered – I know that “master suite” is no longer used in real estate, but I thought “master class” came from the master/student model of vocal pedagogy – which is also something that is under scrutiny]
- The chapters need to step up to raise money for the underserved (often minority) competitors so that they can participate in all levels of the audition process [We’re working on this in MDDC NATS – stay tuned for more info]
- The voice is part of our identity and teachers should approach this with the warmest amount of trust
- Your primary question should be “What is this singer’s identity?”
“Formant Vision: Strategies for the Learning and Teaching of Voice Acoustics” presented by Nicholas Perna and Sarah Pigott
Takeaways: While I love Nick Perna as my own teacher and I love his podcast, VocalFri, with Sarah, I have to admit that this session was a bit out of my comfort zone (it hurt my brain). I try really hard to “get acoustics,” but the graphs and jargon always makes me feel …. stupid. I’ll keep working at it. It was still an entertaining presentation!

July 6, 2022

General Meeting

- Many reports given – overall impression:
  - The board is strong and very idea-driven
  - Social unrest and Covid has resulted in a more aware and involved organization
  - The 2020 virtual conference was an exceptional success and established a great deal of connectivity

OVERVIEW:

It was a terrific conference – I’m looking forward to watching the videos of the sessions I didn’t attend, which (I believe) are available to me for the remainder of the calendar year and possibly a little beyond. Some of the ones that I want to see are:

What do you really know about the American Negro spiritual? [not as much as I’d like]
Flipping the voice pedagogy frame [even though I’m not currently teaching pedagogy, that’d be interesting]
Mini-recital: Music by and about women
Singing in the Key of T [this would help me prepare for teaching transmen]
Nothing But Practical: Pre-Performance and In-Performance Strategies to Minimize Anxiety [I haven’t dealt with this since my mother died, but I know it’s a major factor for many people]
Artistic Performance: Songs About Ageing [because, well, I am]

And then there was that other takeaway, which impacted everything I did for the rest of the summer and into the fall.

COVID-19 - WOAH - World Organisation for Animal Health — Such a pretty picture for such an ugly thing

I’d like to thank MDDC NATS for covering my registration fee (I’m on the executive board, and the president couldn’t go). It was a wonderful event, and I’m looking forward to Knoxville 2024!

*******
I anticipate being able to take on a few more students
beginning in January. If you’re interested, please check out the work with me page and set up an Ask Me Anything session.

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 from the perspective of:
- Story
- Person
- Industry/Perception
  It’s okay to change pronouns and keys, even in classical repertoire
  I admit that I really want a repertoire list from this presentation, but there was some interesting work done here.

“A Systematic Approach to Voice Studio Application” presented by Kari Ragan
Takeaways:
- Evidence-based teaching involves:
  - What I hear
  - What I know
  - Anecdotal
  - Kinesthetic tools
- Worked with three different students and focused on different aspects of technique with each
  - Articulation – used tongue root massage for laryngeal flexibility
  - Respiration – MOVT
  - Breathwork – flow ball
    I first became familiar with the flow ball at Kari Ragan’s 2018 presentation in Las Vegas, and bought one at that time. However, I’ve lost a crucial piece to it. I did purchase some cheap knockoffs on Amazon this year for the studio, and they are not NEARLY as effective.

“Singing and Speaking Salvation” presented by Dr. H. Steven Sims
Takeaways:
Focus on gospel singers/preachers and factors in voice care for these underserved populations

- - Stay focused on worship (or the story, if you’re not involved in church)
  - Don’t overcomplicate things – “We don’t always have to choose the hardest way”
  - “Showing up for rehearsals is a reasonable expectation”
  - “There is a time to rest”
  - “Check your attitude”
  - “Gospel singing is a gift” [Isn’t all singing a gift?]
  - “Any inhaled chemical [cannabis, tobacco, even medication] has the possibility to inflame your VFs”
    Even though I don’t do gospel singing or currently have any gospel singers in the studio right now, the things I gained from this session are applicable throughout various genres.

“John Holiday Master Class”
Takeaways:

- “You have to know the bones first, then you can add all the other stuff” (ornaments)
- “Everything, even the songs you don’t like, has to mean something to you before it can mean anything to anyone else.” [Sometimes you’re assigned things that you don’t want to sing – make it work!]
  Not that familiar with John Holiday (I haven’t watched The Voice), but this masterclass, to which I came late, and his concert the following evening were both absolutely wonderful.
“The Effects of Virtual Reality Training in Reducing Performance Anxiety” presented by Bobbie Ticknor and Mark McQuade
Takeaways:
- Interesting overviews of the causes of and treatments for Music Performance Anxiety (MPA)
- Students with high levels of anxiety in life and in performance benefit from using virtual reality (VR) equipment and scenarios (studio class, juries) to prepare for the real thing
- Students with only mild or moderate anxiety had less after using the VR but still found it beneficial
  I have no idea why I went to this session – but it was interesting. I don’t think I can apply any of it to my studio, but it was still interesting.

On Thursday, I’ll post about the last full day of the conference – there was one particular topic that I really want to delve into further going forward. Stay tuned!