Category Archives: Audition

Caffeinated Calmness

Posted on May 17, 2016 by evanb54

You know that feeling of being charged up, ready for action, batteries all at 100%, yet at the same time feeling a profound inner stillness? In younger years, I thought the two states were mutually exclusive. Lately I’ve been experiencing … Continue reading →

Posted in Audition, Authenticity, Coaching, Creativity, Ecstasy, Ecstatic Living, Gesang, Gesangslehrer, Gesangspädagogik, Lessons, Mental Training, Mind-Body, Music, Oper, Opera, Performance, Performance Training, Singing, State, Stillness, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Singing, Talent and Teaching Voice

Posted on July 26, 2015 by evanb54

Are we here to filter for the marketplace or to bring out the best in student singers? This provocative and rhetorical question rings in my ears almost every time I attend a diploma concert. What should be a celebration of … Continue reading →

Posted in Audition, Singing, Teaching | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Games Voice Students Play — Past Teachers’ Failure

Posted on August 21, 2014 by evanb54

Evan Bortnick       http://musa-vocalis.de/ Gesangsunterricht Wiesbaden I’ve been noticing lately an increasing tendency, in blogs, in facebook and on singing/teaching sites in general, towards indignantly commenting about how many ‘bad’ voice teachers there are out there. This tendency seems emphasized by … Continue reading →

Posted in Audition, Authenticity, Congruence, Emotional Intelligence, Lessons, Music, Opera, Pedagogy, Performance, Performance Training, Presence, Singing, Teaching, Voice | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Different Cosmos – The Music of the Spheres

Posted on November 17, 2013 by evanb54

Evan Bortnick       http://musa-vocalis.de/ Gesangsunterricht Wiesbaden Two quite intense weeks of courses in U. Weimar are over and done. First week was “Performance Training” and the second “Mental Training”. A young accordionist gave me yet another opportunity to be astounded. I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Archetypes, Art, Astrology, Audition, Class, Fitness, Inner Game, Instrument, Lessons, Mental Training, Music, Mythology, NLP, Performance, Performance Training, Teaching | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

„PRESENCE“

Posted on November 14, 2013 by evanb54

Evan Bortnick       http://musa-vocalis.de/ Gesangsunterricht Wiesbaden Stage presence is a term I’ve heard since my first days on the stage. I always found it palpable as a phenomenon, yet almost impossible to describe. Is it possible to ‘teach’ it? Is it … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Astrology, Audition, Class, Fitness, Harmonie, Inner Game, Instrument, Lessons, Mental Training, Music, NLP, Pedagogy, Performance, Performance Training, Presence, Singing, Teaching, Voice | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

…the pursuit of Happiness.

Posted on November 11, 2013 by evanb54

Evan Bortnick           http://musa-vocalis.de/ Gesangsunterricht Wiesbaden I’m definitely not the first to wonder why our founding fathers chose “Life, Liberty and the “PURSUIT” of Happiness” as a motto. Why not “Life, Happiness and the Pursuit of Liberty? They of all people … Continue reading →

Posted in Archetypes, Art, Audition, Calibrated Loops, Class, Fitness, Inner Game, Instrument, Lessons, Mental Training, Music, NLP, Opera, Pedagogy, Performance, Performance Training, Presence, Singing, Teaching, Voice | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Vowel Color – Voice Color

Posted on November 2, 2013 by evanb54

Evan Bortnick           http://musa-vocalis.de/ Gesangsunterricht Wiesbaden Professional singers and voice students alike often hear the terms “Forward Placement” and “Brightness”. Some of these students, ESPECIALLY when in dynamic rapport with their teachers, tacitly understand what is meant. Is this a guarantee? … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Audition, Authenticity, Class, Communication, Congruence, Emotional Intelligence, Fitness, Harmonie, Inner Game, Lessons, Mental Training, Music, NLP, Opera, Pedagogy, Performance, Presence, Self Expression | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Terminology, Semantics and “The MIND”

Posted on October 28, 2013 by evanb54

Evan Bortnick           http://musa-vocalis.de/ Gesangsunterricht Wiesbaden It fascinates me over and over again how we use terminology and yet it’s not REALLY clear what is meant and what is not. Take the word “MIND”. If we are going to separate “Mind” … Continue reading →

Posted in Audition, Authenticity, Communication, Congruence, Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Transparency, Fitness, Inner Game, Intelligence, Mental Training, Mind, Mind-Body, Music, NLP, Pedagogy, Performance, Presence | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Slower is Faster

Posted on October 24, 2013 by evanb54

Evan Bortnick           http://musa-vocalis.de/ Gesangsunterricht Wiesbaden Funny thing about time. It is relative. When I was in my 20s, I wanted to ‘get it together’ as a performer and as a singer as fast as possible. My time-frame for preparing a … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Audition, Authenticity, Class, Communication, Congruence, Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Transparency, Fitness, Inner Game, Intelligence, Lessons, Mental Training, Music, Pedagogy, Performance, Performance Training, Presence, Public Speaking, Self Expression, Singing, Speaking, Teaching, Voice | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Metaphors and the Semantic Chauvinist

Posted on October 18, 2013 by evanb54

Evan Bortnick   http://musa-vocalis.de/ Gesangsunterricht Wiesbaden I have a real place in my heart for method-chauvinism. I think that’s probably because some of my best voice teachers were convinced that there was only one way to teach and that was their … Continue reading →

Posted in Audition, Authenticity, Class, Congruence, Fitness, Harmonie, Inner Game, Lessons, Mental Training, Music, Opera, Pedagogy, Performance, Performance Training, Presence, Self Expression, Singing, Teaching, Voice | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment