Category Archives: Teaching

“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

Hold on! Let go! Task Positive and Task Negative.

Posted on October 6, 2016 by

I can remember it as if it were yesterday; puberty and that feeling of longing. I had to get a girlfriend. It completely occupied my daytime and nighttime thinking. There was something about this extraordinary, hormone-induced longing which sent out … Continue reading →

Posted in Authenticity, Coaching, Concentration, Congruence, Creativity, Inner Game, Mental Training, Mind-Body, Performance Training, Teaching, Work/Life Balance | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

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

Singing, Talent and Teaching Voice

Posted on July 26, 2015 by

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

Acceptance, Rejection and the Student Singer

Posted on April 22, 2015 by

As teachers and especially as young professional singers, all of us, without exception, have experienced both acceptance and rejection. Without a doubt both acceptance and rejection have their motivational advantages and disadvantages. As a young singer I felt inadequately prepared … Continue reading →

Posted in Professional, Singing, Teaching, Vocal Pedagogy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

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

„Don’t Push”— Pressure Centers Above and Below

Posted on May 12, 2014 by

Evan Bortnick       http://musa-vocalis.de/ Gesangsunterricht Wiesbaden How many times have we singers heard that admonition; “Don’t Push”? Either we’ve said it ourselves (to ourselves or our students) or we’ve heard it a million times from our own teachers. It sure sounds … Continue reading →

Posted in Breath, Breathing, Mental Training, Music, Opera, Pedagogy, Performance, Singing, Teaching, Voice | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Prescribing the Symptom” in the Voice Lesson

Posted on February 23, 2014 by

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

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