Teaching Philosophy

Performance is ultimately about communicating effectively with the audience; thus a successful performance is marked by the audience being intellectually and emotionally moved.

 

More of an art than a science, passing this ability on to students is a definite challenge. As singers, our audience looks directly into our eyes; there is no instrument or score between us. Of paramount importance is the communication of meaning and emotion through text and melodic line, as if speaking one-on-one with the audience. We are the mouthpieces for the librettist, often directly sharing philosophies and thoughts on love, pain, politics, and even death.

 

In this process, musicians are essentially alchemists. We take elements of theory, history, technique, instruments, styles, knowledge of foreign places and amalgamate them into “performance.”

 

As vocal musicians, we must address poetry, literature, foreign language, and diction, memorization skills of music and text, acting, knowledge of historical periods for appropriate use of costume, make-up, movement and dance, and stage work as well.

 

Ultimately as teachers we assist our students in melding these elements into their own unique product. In my collaborative work with students, I attempt to adopt a non-dictatorial approach designed to allow them to find their own individual path.