| To: The Vocalist List From: Yvonne Dechance Subject: Re: Auditioning new students Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>
Randi asked why terms like "teacher-shopping" and "auditioning" (as in auditioning the teacher) should put off or annoy a voice teacher. I didn't say they should, just that they do anger many teachers, and why unwittingly offend a potentially marvelous teacher? Voice teachers are human too, and a little tact never hurt anyone trying to find a new teacher.
As for university programs spending "too much time spent on learning literature in one lesson per week and not enough time on getting the voice together," this is not always the case. Nor is this phenomenon limited to the university studio. Teachers and students are responsible for the content of lessons, be the lessons private or in a college/university setting. Some teachers focus more on technical instruction than others. Some teach technical skills through specific exercises, while others prefer to teach techniques through the repertoire. Some teachers downplay technique and function more as interpretive coaches. These are individual choices that may vary from teacher to teacher, or from how a single teacher handles different students. The students play many vital roles in the process, one of which is how well (not necessary just how much) they practice. As a teacher, it doesn't matter what I'd like to cover in a lesson, if the student walks in completely unprepared to grasp the concept, attempt the skill, or perform their repertoire. But if a singer walks in with their assignments prepared and an enthusiastic attitude, we generally get far more accomplished during that lesson than I had in mind when they walked through the door.
I happen to maintain a strong emphasis on learning technique over just learning a bunch of songs. Some of my students will attest to this with their groans of "When do I get to the Music?" I live for the day in their artistic lives when they realize that the technical work is just as much the Music as the songs they sing. If you've mastered the Tools, it's a lot easier to master the Tunes.
Just one voice teacher's opinion.
_Dr. Yvonne Dechance Email: aleatory-at-sj.znet.com, webmaster-at-nats.org Homepage: http://www.vocalist.org/dechance The Diction Domain: Free voice diction resources for singers http://www.diction.vocalist.org
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