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 […]
The “Concert Hall of One:” why do I sound different on a recording?
The “Concert Hall of One:” why do I sound different on a recording? Were you ever shocked when you heard a recording of yourself? Was your reaction, “I don’t sound like that”? I can bet that it was not the recording equipment. “The Concert Hall of One” was my teacher David Blair McClosky’s term for […]
What’s all the buzz about Lise Davidsen?
On the cover of Opera News, appearances at the Met and Carnegie hall, in a Lieder recital at the Barbican in London, with reviews in the NY Times, London Evening Standard, and many others, the soprano Lise Davidsen seems to be everywhere and to mostly rave reviews. What is all the buzz about? Lise Davidsen […]
McClosky Relaxation Exercise #5, the muscles around the larynx
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 […]
McClosky Relaxation Exercise #4, The Jaw
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 […]
McClosky Relaxation Exercise #3 – Under the Chin
Hi everyone! I decided it was important to write about these exercises as well as demonstrate them. For each of the 6 exercises, there is a post which contains: a short video demonstration; some reasons why I (as a McClosky Voice Technician and Master Teacher, and a soprano) think this exercise is important; and tips […]
McClosky Relaxation Exercise #2
Hi everyone! I decided it was important to write about these exercises as well as demonstrate them. For each of the 6 exercises, there are: a short video demonstration; some reasons why I (as a McClosky Voice Technician and Master Teacher, and a soprano) think this exercise is important; and tips how to do the […]
McClosky Relaxation Exercise #1
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 […]
Why Study Old Italian Arias?
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 […]
Ildebrando Pizzetti (1880-1968)
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 […]