Category Archives: Presence

Roles Singers Play

Posted on August 26, 2019 by evanb54

When I started out singing opera professionally, I had some very naïve views of ‘the business’. One of them was that if you sang well, you’d be a success. Simply by the fact, in opera, that you had a bella … Continue reading →

Posted in Archetypes, Authenticity, Coaching, Communication, Concentration, Creativity, Gesang, Gesangslehrer, Gesangspädagogik, Mental Training, Mind, Mind-Body, NLP, Performance Training, Potential, Presence, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

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

Posted on January 24, 2016 by evanb54

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

Performer’s Presence: Congruence, Dissociation and Double-Dissociation

Posted on February 11, 2015 by evanb54

Evan Bortnick       http://musa-vocalis.de/ Gesangsunterricht Wiesbaden A former Zen monk once told me the following story; “Three students stood on a mountain top. The first said: ‘I wish I were a bird. I could fly over the mountains.’ The second said: … Continue reading →

Posted in Authenticity, Concentration, Learning, Presence, Singing | Tagged , , , , , | 2 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

Quick-and-Dirty vs. Slow-and-Detailed

Posted on March 27, 2014 by evanb54

Evan Bortnick       http://musa-vocalis.de/ Gesangsunterricht Wiesbaden As we all know, there are COUNTLESS ways to perceive “Reality”. One thing’s for sure; how we perceive “Reality” determines both how we feel and how we behave. I’m sure you’ve also noticed that it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, Concentration, Congruence, Emotional Intelligence, Focus, Inner Game, Intelligence, Mind, Mind-Body, NLP, Presence, Thinking | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Prescribing the Symptom” in the Voice Lesson

Posted on February 23, 2014 by evanb54

Evan Bortnick       http://musa-vocalis.de/ Gesangsunterricht Wiesbaden A voice student begins singing in a lesson and you hear an OBVIOUS mistake, hindrance, inefficiency or blockage (nasality, jaw tension, tongue tension, over-darkened vowels, raised shoulders, high larynx, etc. etc.). What’s the next step? … Continue reading →

Posted in Anatomie, Art, Authenticity, Communication, Music, Pedagogy, Performance Training, Presence, Singing, Teaching, Voice | 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

Emotional Transparency

Posted on November 9, 2013 by evanb54

Evan Bortnick           http://musa-vocalis.de/ Gesangsunterricht Wiesbaden It’s fascinating in which contexts individuals intend to be emotionally transparent and in which contexts the intention goes more in the direction of concealment. Even more fascinating is it when you actually consciously intend to … Continue reading →

Posted in Archetypes, Art, Authenticity, Class, Communication, Congruence, Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Transparency, Family Constellations, Fitness, Harmonie, Inner Game, Mental Training, NLP, Pedagogy, Performance, Performance Training, Presence, Public Speaking, Self Expression, Seminars, Speaking, Teaching, Voice | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Speaking, Singing, Systems and Family Constellations

Posted on November 5, 2013 by evanb54

Evan Bortnick           http://musa-vocalis.de/ Gesangsunterricht Wiesbaden After a long weekend of working with extremely talented speakers and presenters of all ages in a course called “Vocal Mastery; Voice, the Third Hand” here in Germany, I’ve come away with some new insights … Continue reading →

Posted in Archetypes, Art, Authenticity, Communication, Congruence, Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Transparency, Family Constellations, Fitness, Harmonie, Inner Game, Mental Training, NLP, Pedagogy, Performance, Performance Training, Presence, Public Speaking, Self Expression | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment