Boston’s choral community is vibrant and large. After a couple years of relatively low activity due to the pandemic, choruses are offering complete seasons of performances in 2022-23. I have included below a list of some of the area’s mainstream choral organizations who have listed their audition dates. The Boston Choral Collaborative has information on […]
These days I hear and see a lot of forced singing, in many genres. Perhaps it is a reflection of the stress in our time, but it’s not good for the voice and it’s not producing a great sound. I am presenting a series of videos and explanations of the McClosky Relaxation Exercises.These exercises are […]
These days I hear and see a lot of forced singing in many genres. Perhaps it is a reflection of the stress in our time, but it’s not good for the voice and it’s not producing a great sound. I am presenting a series of videos and explanations of the McClosky Relaxation Exercises. These exercises […]
For those studying singing at the beginner and intermediate levels, studying old (17th and 18th century) Italian arias seems to be a nearly universal recommendation. Why is this so? What are the magical properties of this repertoire? What are these arias? Where are they from? These “Old Italian” arias are from operas of the 17th […]
While a doctoral student at Indiana University, I was a voice major with minors in Opera Directing and Music History. The director of our Opera Workshop was Nicola Rossi-Lemeni, with whom I also studied voice for part of my degree. He was not only a famous bass, but a published poet and a painter; a […]
Get Back in (Singing) Shape: A Post-Pandemic Workshop for Choral Singers with Bonnie Pomfret, soprano and master teacher Even if your choir had virtual rehearsals, sitting in front of a screen and singing to it are nothing like singing in an acoustical space with other singers! As we begin at last to make music […]
Learning to Practice (Singing) [This was written by a student of mine. He has come a long way in his singing, but also in his thinking about singing, which he shares here.] To begin, I should explain that I’ve been studying voice for many years. With different teachers, in different schools; […]
A Delicate Subject This post is about professional ethics for voice teachers. It may be surprising, but in my three degrees in voice very little time was devoted to the subject of professional ethics. I remember a single class (doctoral-level voice pedagogy) where the topic of touching a student during the lesson was discussed. […]
Holiday Offer to Singers! FREE in December! Singing voice evaluation , usually $100 – Get a little more feedback before your next audition… —Tone Production —Repertoire —Diction —Total performance Send links or recordings of two contrasting selections to bonniepomfret@verizon.net Classical soprano, I have sung domestically and internationally and taught all levels. My former […]
What constitutes comprehensive singer training in the time of COVID? Here’s a checklist: Voice technique, including Breathing Production of sound Resonance and tone color Vocal exercises chosen for your vocal development Vocal exercises for special vocal techniques that your repertoire demands Repertoire chosen for your voice and level Recital Oratorio and Symphonic Opera Diction and […]