Category Archives: Lessons

“La Lutte Vocale”: The Battle that really isn’t. Thoughts on Linguistic Ambiguity and Reflexive Antagonism.

Posted on January 11, 2017 by

How many times have you expressed something, only to have it misunderstood? If you’re like most people, your answer is most likely: ‘frequently’! One of the advantages of language is that it’s flexible and multi-dimensional. One of the disadvantages of … Continue reading →

Posted in Anatomie, Archetypes, Breath, Breathing, Coaching, Communication, Fitness, Gesang, Gesangslehrer, Gesangspädagogik, Inner Game, Learning, Lehren, Lehrer, Lessons, Oper, Opera, Pedagogy, Sänger, Seminars, Singing, Stimme, Students, Teachers, Teaching, Vocal Pedagogy, Voice | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Caffeinated Calmness

Posted on May 17, 2016 by

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

The Cheerleader Effect

Posted on March 26, 2016 by

Who is the “Cheerleader” in your life? Do you have more than one? Are you thinking; why should I even need one? We get criticism from others and from groups, for some of us, it’s almost constant. Wouldn’t you say, … Continue reading →

Posted in Coaching, Communication, Creativity, Emotional Intelligence, Enthusiasm, Gesang, Gesangslehrer, Gesangspädagogik, Learning, Lehren, Lehrer, Lessons, Music, Pedagogy, Performance Training, Stimme | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tool or Crutch? Support, Independence and Integration in Singing.

Posted on January 24, 2016 by

Remember when you learned to ride a bicycle? You either had “training-wheels” or your father ran alongside you, holding the bike steady. How long were these tools necessary before the wheels came off or dad faded smiling in the distance? … Continue reading →

Posted in Anatomie, Authenticity, Coaching, Concentration, Congruence, Creativity, Emotional Intelligence, Gesang, Gesangspädagogik, Kommunikation, Lessons, Music, Musik, Oper, Opera, Pedagogy, Performance, Performance Training, Presence, Teaching, Vocal Pedagogy, Voice | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Voice Student from HELL. Our „Deal Killer” priorities as voice teachers.

Posted on October 27, 2015 by

For years I was convinced that I could teach anyone. My first “Voice Student from Hell” convinced me how important it is for teachers to have conscious and specific priorities. Part of the arrogance of my youth was a compensation … Continue reading →

Posted in Lessons, Pedagogy, Priorities, Students, Teachers, Voice | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Games Voice Students Play — Past Teachers’ Failure

Posted on August 21, 2014 by

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

Motility and Mobility

Posted on March 11, 2014 by

Evan Bortnick       http://musa-vocalis.de/ Gesangsunterricht Wiesbaden It’s always been a particular fascination of mine how singers move. The raised shoulders, the furrowed eyebrows, the tensed upper lip, the pelvic wave all have both an emotional expression AND a very specific technical, … Continue reading →

Posted in Authenticity, Breath, Breathing, Communication, Concentration, Congruence, Fitness, Lessons, Mental Training, Mind-Body, Opera, Pedagogy, Performance, Self Expression, Singing, Speaking, Stillness, Voice | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Projection Booth and the Screen

Posted on December 17, 2013 by

Evan Bortnick       http://musa-vocalis.de/ Gesangsunterricht Wiesbaden Ever since Garcia (fils) first looked at a pair of vibrating vocalis muscles a war seems to be raging among singers and singing teachers. On one side of the trenches is the clan who is … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Lessons, Opera, Pedagogy, Singing, Teaching, Voice | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How early should young singers begin performing?

Posted on December 3, 2013 by

Evan Bortnick       http://musa-vocalis.de/ Gesangsunterricht Wiesbaden This question is of vital importance just because there is no clear-cut answer. Some students DEFINITELY need more ‘incubation’ time than others. Some students thrive on the pressure of preparing for a public performance. One … Continue reading →

Posted in Archetypes, Art, Inner Game, Lessons, Mental Training, Opera, Pedagogy, Singing, Teaching, Voice | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mixing Concepts – Collapsing Models… some thoughts for Singing Teachers

Posted on November 28, 2013 by

Evan Bortnick       http://musa-vocalis.de/ Gesangsunterricht Wiesbaden There are significant advantages to having studied a lot of stuff over the years. When enough of it sinks in, it starts to form into something new. In the formation of cut-to-measure exercises in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Archetypes, Art, Fitness, Lessons, Mental Training, NLP, Opera, Pedagogy, Singing, Teaching, Voice | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment