This is part of CS Music’s ongoing “Influencers of Singings” series. If you have questions you would like submitted or influencers to recommend, email support@csmusic.net.
7 Questions with Dr. Todd Queen, Dean of the Music School at Louisiana State University — LSU
Todd Queen singing with Jin Cao.
CS Music – Question 1: How do you reach out to high school graduates to attract them to LSU?
Todd Queen: We show them they have opportunities to get on the stage here. We put on four productions a year. We talk about our world class faculty and studying with them and what an opportunity that is. We certainly talk about our alumni successes. We have dozens and dozens of professional opera singers singing all over America and the world. We have multiple alumni from all over the world come to work with our students each year. We have Paul Groves as our artist in residence here working with our students each semester. We try to connect and work the network positivity so the students feel connected when they go out in their careers.
Business of Singing
CS Music – Question 2: With how busy you are in teaching singing and staging, do you have time for the business of singing?
Todd Queen: Just a couple of years ago when I became the Dean, we revised our undergraduate music curriculum and we really had a mind to get some of these marketing, business and entrepreneur skills into the core curriculum of ALL of our music degrees regardless of performance or education or bachelor of arts. So all of our undergrad students are required to take a series of artist and business skills courses. I teach all the first level courses which talks about arts leadership and art advocacy and art as an economic driver and how to give your artistic vision voice. Really helping the students understand their goals and aspirations. The next class is a sophomore level class that helps prepare the artist with business skills through resume building and interview skills. Basically putting together “your package” before going out into the world. Final course is your senior project.
Todd Queen, dean of the LSU College of Music and Dramatic Arts, with Stacia Haynie, dean of the LSU College of Humanities and Social Sciences working together for combined arts projects including a film course. Photo by Brian Baiamonte
CS Music – Question 3: If you could give a singer a couple of words of advice of what they need to do to have a good singing career what would that be?
Todd Queen: Work ethic always wins over talent if talent doesn’t work hard. You can overcome a lot of flaws in your own voice if you just work hard. Being a good human being and a good and generous colleague is also key.
CS Music – Question 4: Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Outliers, really pokes a big hole into the talent bubble showing that nothing takes the place of 10,000 hours of becoming a master at something. Do you think this is accurate?
Todd Queen: Yes I do. In the end it just comes down to hard work. What happens between you and your instrument in that little practice room everyday what is going to determine your success. There is no substitute for that.
CS Music: If you don’t then the next person is doing it.
Todd Queen: Yes, there is always somebody that will be better than you in many areas but you can work harder.
Benefits of Summer Programs
CS Music – Question 5: What do you do to help your students at LSU get into summer programs and internships?
Todd Queen: We have a great program here at LSU with about 100 students between undergrad and graduate programs. I do give professional development money to get our students out for auditions and placements. In addition, our teachers are well placed and have connections that get our students into great places. We also have guest artists come in and do workshops.
CS Music – Question 6: Several years ago Summer Programs were criticized heavily as “paid to sing” programs. What are your thoughts on Summer Programs?
Todd Queen: The opportunity to go out from your little world and even internationally can change a musician’s perspective for the better. I’m all for getting students to international programs on a undergrad and graduate level because they come back with a different understanding of what it means to be an artist in today’s world. If you can get paid to perform, great, but there just aren’t many opportunities out there at this level. If you have to pay money to perform while your studying then it’s worth the investment in the long run. Summer programs offer great instruction with opportunities to perform.
CS Music: Isn’t a singer’s task to get heard. To perform, perform, perform?
Todd Queen: Yes and that’s our model. Really that’s the college experience – a “paid to sing program”. So going out to sing during the summer at a high quality program is really no different. It’s just continuing education.
CS Music – Question 7: What is it a student is paying for at the university and summer programs?
Todd Queen: At the university they are paying for the opportunity to perform, work with high quality faculty, network with colleagues, and access to pedagogical tools you need to make a career. For summer programs, it’s the opportunity to be in a different place and to understand your place in the whole world of singing. You get a better perspective and begin to understand and see where you fit in and how big the world is. That’s the real benefit of an international or any summer program experience.
CS Music publishes an online directory of summer programs free on www.auditionsplus.com. Search the directory for free!
