August 2010

A Meeting with Truth : Diana Soviero

Diana Soviero led a long and illustrious international career, singing all of the major roles of the verismo era until her retirement at the impressive age of 63. Now at 68, she has settled into a new and busy career as a voice teacher both in her private studio and with the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. Read about what she believes helped her make a name for herself as a great actress, the advice she gives her students on work ethic and learning, and how she knew it was time to retire.

The Teacher’s Corner : Beyond Posture: The Alexander Technique for Singers

A voice teacher who is also a certified Alexander Technique teacher looks beyond the most commonly thought of benefits of this technique to an even greater, though lesser known, benefit you may have never considered.

Looking Good, Singing Bad

Dr. Jahn responds to an aging singer’s dilemma over vocal cords that appear healthy but a voice that doesn’t respond like it once did.

Auditioning with Challenging Acoustics : What Is a Singer to Do?

Audition spaces can vary from everything from an apartment living room to a full-sized theater. How can a singer cope with the changing acoustics to sing well without sacrificing technique? Singers, managers, teachers, and coaches weigh in.

Read Up! : A Blueprint to Successful Auditioning

Read up on a book that is much more than a philosophical discussion on the art of auditioning, but rather a step-by-step 30-day instruction manual to change the way you audition.

The $50 Week : Audition a New YAP Budget

As the audition season fast approaches, get some great advice for thinking ahead and planning your budget—steps that will help you not only live within your means but also audition for the right YAPs for you.

From The Editor : Enjoying Life’s Paradoxes

When I was a child, one of my dad’s favorite jokes was to announce with great emphasis, “I never exaggerate.” At first, I did not understand why this was funny.

Bulletin Board : News, Tidbits, Musings, and More

Mozart Makes Microbes Work Faster It has been purported that Mozart makes your baby smarter and that his music chases loiterers. Now it’s said that the master’s music encourages microbes

Feedback

Tell us how we’re doing. We’d love to hear your response and reaction to the articles published each month, as well as your view on the classical singing community. Contact us via e-mail at editorial@classicalsinger.com or by mail at Classical Singer magazine, P.O. Box 1710, Draper, UT 84020.

Deciphering the Estill Voice Training Method Itself

Last month Lisa Golda shared an introduction to the Estill Voice Training method in “Deciphering Vocal Technique.” This month she follows up with Estill instructors and workshop participants to further discuss the method and what it has to offer singers and teachers.

“And the Winner Is…”

A recent documentary, The Audition, goes behind the scenes of the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions.