Tag Archives: Student

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

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

Vowel Color – Voice Color

Posted on November 2, 2013 by

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

To Question or not to Question? That is the Question. Eine kurze Untersuchung der Dialektik im Gesangsunterricht.

Posted on September 28, 2013 by

Evan Bortnick           http://musa-vocalis.de/ Gesangsunterricht Wiesbaden Jeder Gesangslehrer stellt Fragen während des Unterrichtens. Jeder Gesangslehrer gibt Anweisungen. Wo liegt Ihre eigene individuelle Betonung während Ihres Unterrichts? Auf welchen Prinzipien basiert diese Betonung und welche gesangspädagogischen Werte liegen hinter Ihren eigenen Prinzipien? … Continue reading →

Posted in Fragetechnik, Gesang, Gesangspädagogik, Kommunikation | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment