Lets fly high...with Lakme

With the onset of school and the seriousness of our studies, a little humour might get us in the mood to phonate in a more relaxed state:

University of Toronto Bound!

I am thrilled to announce that I have just accepted a part-time applied voice position at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music starting September 2010.  It is so exciting to return to the place that kicked off my musical journey and teach alongside people that have inspired and mentored my career.

In addition to the one day per week at UofT, I will continue my part time load at Queen's University while maintaining students at the Queen's Conservatory of Music in Kingston and Pinnacle Music Studios in Belleville.

I will keep you posted on the various events at both universities in addition to programs and events across the county.  I look forward to continuing to be part of excellent voice training in Canada!

Call to Carmen: Auditions for Jeunesses Musicales

Calling all Carmens!  Jeunesses Musicales has just announced auditions for its tour of Carmen throughout Canada for the 2010-2011 season.  Check out their website for information and the application.  Deadline is October 29, 2010.

Here is Canadian mezzo and CBC Radio 2 host Julie Nesrallah performing the Habanera:

Arcady: Call for Young Artist Applicants

A few years ago I had the pleasure of being connected to composer Ronald Beckett.  Ron is a talented writer for the voice and is founder and director of the group Arcady based in Simcoe, ON.  Arcady performs 20-30 concerts each season in Toronto and Southwestern Ontario.  They focus on performing and recording Ron's works as well as the "standards" including their annual Messiah.

Ron has just announced a call for applications for the 2011 Young Artist Program.  YAPs will be featured in a number of Arcady performances as well as be presented in a solo recital at the end of the season.  More information can be located on their website.

Masterclass: Getting undressed in front of an audience

Joseph So reviews the recent recital of Matthias Goerne at Koerner Hall in Toronto and has this to say about the masterclass that Goerne led the next day: 

The morning after the recital, Goerne gave a two-hour masterclass at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music. There was a good crowd of lieder fans gathered in the Torel Room in the Edward Johnson Building. Three singers participated in the masterclass - soprano Lesley Ann Bradley, tenor Colin Ainsworth and baritone Peter McGillivray. These three singers are scheduled to give a German Art Song Recital on Wednesday, August 4 in Walter Hall at 8 pm. so their participation was sort of a tune-up for the concert next week. Each student prepared three songs, but given the shortness of time (40 minutes per session), they worked on basically one to two pieces. Each student was allowed to sing the first piece all the way through, then the intensive work started. It must be disconcerting to be stopped three notes into the first line. Goerne made corrections and suggestions, and the student started again, and often made to stop again. It could not have been easy for a student to be deconstructed in this fashion, and one would benefit from possessing a very thick skin. There is no doubt that Mr. Goerne is a demanding teacher - not shy to speak his mind, sometimes in a rather blunt fashion. His class reminded me of a Elisabeth Schwarzkopf class I audited during my student days. Goerne wisely stuck to interpretation and stayed away from technical issues - it is always dangerous to fool around with a student's technique, as the master won't be there to offer support in the future. Also, it must have been very uncomfortable to be figuratively undressed in front of an audience, but such is the nature of the masterclass beast! In the final analysis, the advices given make for a better final product.

I think it is always wise to be prepared for anything!  So for you students getting ready to head back to school and preparing for master classes and lessons, get your homework done now!

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.