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You are currently in The 5^thAvenue Theatre’s production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. This production has been very acclaimed and received lots of international attention, what can you tell us about the process? Can you shed light on the importance of diversity in the current musical theatre landscape?

This Show has been a truly amazing experience. ASL (American Sign Language) is an integral part of the show and it brings the story telling to new heights.
Our Quasimodo is a brilliant actor and hearing impaired. Where others might limit him, he exceeds beyond to new levels of communication. I feel truly blessed to be a part of this process not only for the storytelling but for the opportunity to learn more about ASL and the deaf community. This kind of inclusive incorporation of diversity in musical theatre is absolutely what we need to tell stories of all kinds to all people.

You are a Broadway veteran, you continue to perform regularly, and you teach at the Cornish College of the Arts (and privately); you walk the walk as a world-class vocalist and a teacher. Can you talk about the importance of voice teachers continuing to perform? And how does your constant immersion in the profession inform your teaching?

As I continue to perform and teach I cannot begin to express how important I feel it is to pursue both endeavors. I like to think of it as continuing to walk the walk. Relating experiences of current failure and success to my students is essential for trust and growth. I believe in being part of the fabric of art beyond the bubble I create.
I want to encourage my students to take risks but also have the compassion that comes from living through those same risks. Auditioning is the great equalizer. As an educator, I should be willing to take the same risks as my students.
[Read more…] about Spotlight on Candice Donehoo-Pullom

Somatic Voicework™ The LoVetri Method is an organized method of vocal training for Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM) styles, (those styles that used to be called “non-classical) based upon somatic (physical) awareness and aural discernment. The training is presented in three Levels that must be done in sequence.

Level I is called “Basic Application” and includes the following: Introduction to functional principles of voice science and medicine. There will be a vocal health lecture Jan Potter Reed, Speech Language Pathologist, specializing in care of the professional voice. Its main objective is to instruct teachers how to keep the voice healthy for speech and singing. Level I addresses terminology, and its appropriate use, and the attitude, intention and appropriateness of the interaction tween student and teacher. Level I states that the teacher must have a clear intention for the vocal exercise when it is given. The teacher must know (a) either what is missing and needs to be added or (b) what is wrong and needs to be corrected, such that the student’s singing will somehow improve. It rests on vocal function, vocal health and on traditional pedagogy, but it is also meant to help singers be marketable. This level gives parameters for age-related groups of singers, and addresses lesson protocol and progress. There will be a presentation by Suzan Postel, dancer, singer, and Pilates Instructor, on body awareness, presenting exercises for greater connection to the physical aspects of singing. [Read more…] about What is Somatic Voicework™ The LoVetri Method?

By Jennifer Spencer

I have many students from many different backgrounds that enter my classroom, studio, and rehearsal hall on a daily basis, and every time they do, I am reminded of what an incredible gift I have been given, and how I must be vigilant not to abuse this gift or diminish what they bring in each and every day. Each and every voice I come into contact with needs to be valued for the person that inhabits it, regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, race, marital or family status, gender identity or expression, sex characteristics, creed, age, colour, disability, political or religious belief. (The italicized text, which I freely admit to plagiarizing, comes from the welcome that is outside Canada House at the Olympics.)
My job is to make sure that each and every student leaves with a flexible instrument, body, and voice, able to make responsive vocal/physical choices that will allow them to operate in the world in a healthful way for the duration of their lives, after all, they are going to be persons operating in the world for a lot longer than they are being artists on the stage, in movies, or on TV.   Their voices and bodies need to work well and freely, not just on the stage, but also in their lives.

I want the students I work with to stand tall, balanced, and easy when they leave my classes and go into their lives. I want them to be able to use their voices in a healthy way from a physiologically truthful place, that allows them to go easily from speaking to singing with all other stops in between, and have voices/bodies that respond freely to a variety of life and artistic situations.

I want to provide them with experiences where they realize that they do not have to clench every muscle in their bodies to produce a spoken or sung sound or simply to inhale and exhale. I want to provide them with experiences where they realize their tongues do not have to be balls of cement sucked up to the roofs of their mouths, rendering them incapable of articulating their wants, wishes, and desires. I want to give them the experience of not having to clench their jaws as they move through their lives, and squeeze their voices and thoughts out as if those thoughts and ideas were the last scraps of dried toothpaste in a tube that one must use or else. [Read more…] about A Vocal Wish List