Best Voice Forward - Audition Workshop at Wilfrid Laurier

This just in from Kimberly Barber at Wilfrid Laurier University:

The Faculty of Music and Continuing Studies at Laurier are pleased to offer their newest offering, "Best Voice Forward: A Voice Audition Workshop" for fall 2010 and winter 2011. Led by internationally renowned Canadian mezzo-soprano, Kimberly Barber and former Laurier colleague, sought-after voice coach and collaborative pianist, Emily Hamper, students participating in this audition workshop will have the rare opportunity to enhance their vocal auditioning skills under the direction of Canada's best!


September 11 and 12, 2010, 9AM-7PM
For more information and to register click here.

Lamperti: Vocal Wisdom

Giovanni Battista Lamperti's book "Vocal Wisdom" is the perfect summer reading!  Inspirational and historical it takes you back to a day of imagery and emotion in singing.  Here is an excerpt called INTROSPECTION:

Breathing and singing gymnastics are beneficial only when they impel concentrated attention.  

Mentally anticipating internal sensations of word, tone and timber, as well as interior activities that produce them leads to control of the voice.

Examining your own thoughts and feelings, while singing, until you know what is taking place in brain and body is the only procedure.

To acquire this conscious knowledge of mental and physical phenomena of song demands the utmost searching interception.

Do not listen to yourself sing!

Feel yourself sing!

When internal conditions are right and ready, the singing voice appears - not before. 

Simon Estes @ NATS

The incredible Simon Estes speaks about singing from his heart...


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Kelli O'Hara MC @ NATS Convention

The lovely broadway star Kelli O'Hara is here at the NATS convention working with young singers and imparting her Broadway wisdom on communication. She stated "it is easy to present but hard to communicate" with reference to singing loud and pushing out the feeling rather finding it from inside.


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Kurt Ollmann @ NATS

Baritone Kurt Ollmann was featured today at the NATS Conference singing the songs of Leonard Bernstein. Here he is singing"Cool" from "West Side Story" which he recorded with the master!



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Countdown to the 51st NATS National Conference

Only four more days until the start of the 51st NATS National Conference in Salt Lake City!  I am thrilled to be attending and will be blogging daily from various events.  If you can not get to Salt Lake City but would like to hear what is being said, let me know! I will do my best to attend as many events as possible and report back.

Check the Conference Program Schedule for a list of events and the Program Sessions for details and then leave a comment with your wish list.

E-Gre Competition: Voice 2011

I just received this from the E-Gré  competition - a competition that has afforded some excellent musicians the opportunity to travel the country presenting recitals of contemporary repertoire!

Established 33 years ago as a tribute to composer and pianist/violinist Sonia Eckhardt-Gramatté, the E-Gré Competition promotes the performance of Canadian and contemporary music and the careers of emerging young Canadian artists. It is open only to Canadian citizens or permanent residents between the ages of 18 & 35. The Competition is held annually at the Brandon University School of Music in Brandon, Manitoba and alternates between Voice (2011), Strings (2012), and Piano (2013).

The 1st prize is a cash award of $5,000, a Canada-wide recital tour (which provides another $5,000), and the ARIAS Jean A. Chalmers Award of $5,000. The 2nd and 3rd prizewinners receive $3,000 and $2,000, and a special prize of $1,000 is also awarded for the best performance of the commissioned work. In addition, a prize of $500 is awarded to the best collaborative pianist.

The Rules and Application form can be found on our website at http://web.me.com/egrecompetition. The deadline for applications is November 15th, 2010.