Interviews with teachers and friends...
With the agreement of friends and teachers my site will feature interviews with some great people. For now I will introduce them, with interviews to follow. Top left is Dena Holland, Mezzo-Soprano from NYC. Kenny Miller is to her left and down one...Tenor Soloist and doctoral student, also at ASU. Dr. Shumin Lin, from whom I took some violin lessons is next. She is now teaching in California, and to her left and down one is Dr. Yen-Yu Shih. Yen-Yu is a Mezzo-Soprano and voice and piano teacher. Dena, Shumin and Yen-Yu were my teachers for varying amounts of time in recent years. Next in the photo grouping is Professor David Britton through whom I was able to obtain a few lessons, and then he found teachers for me among his best students. David is at ASU, but prior to establishing his teaching career he spent twenty years in NYC and internationally as an opera and concert singer.The last small photo is of Dave Spearing. Dave is a music lover, but now retired...also trained in Theology, Computer Science and he is an auto buff and fine mechanic for his classic car--a long time hobby. Dave's speciality is that he is a ham radio buff, and he will be sending me interview answers regarding his interests before long. Dave and his wife are long time friends.
The final picture is of ASU Studio 303 in performance--David Britton's group of talented singers. I am the photographer and videographer for the group--one of my arts supported pursuits.
Meanwhile, the above link will take you to the site of Studio 303.
Dena Holland, Mezzo-Soprano in New York City
Shortly after our arrival in Arizona I set out to find a voice teacher. My friend David Britton gave me a couple of lessons that provided me with the basics needed to be accepted into the ASU Choral Union, and then after a short search he came up with Dena Holland as a possible teacher for me.
We hit it off right away, and I can remember that we laughed and talked almost as much as we sang. I had taken a job at the Graduate College to help with the financial aspects of the transition to Arizona, and after a weary day dealing with roughly a hundred students, staff and faculty Dena knew just how to get my mind off of work and back onto music. I studied with her about a year and a half, and also learned some about German diction in extended lessons one semester.
Dena was a Vocal Performance major at ASU, and had roles in a number of productions. As my husband Pete says, if anyone was ever made for the stage it is Dena. Her cheery smile and dedication to the character she is portraying provide a quality evening of entertainment.
Dena began singing in church when she was very young, and she remembers that her first solo was a little known children's song about heaven titled, Did You Ever Think That You Would Be A Princess? That early singing environment helped Dena to form a philosophy of music that rests on the idea that she should perform in such a way that her listeners will not only be entertained, but will also be healed and comforted by the music. Her hope is that in some way the performance she gives will help people to understand themselves and others --- and thereby make a difference in people's lives. She hopes her singing will open up memories in their minds that refresh them, and will help them find joy and healing. She likes to say that her singing and acting are the manner in which she worships God by giving her gifts to others and back to Him through performance.
Already an excellent singer, Dena has now developed a fine quality mature voice and has given recitals in recent years, as well as having been in performances celebrating historical composers. She has recently been part of a group premiering new musical theatrical works. She continues to seek future engagements that will allow her to express her musical gifts. My own thoughts after hearing her sing is that she could do opera such as Carmen or perhaps eventually Wagner, but that she certainly has a voice that is now well suited for oratorio. I have not asked if that is one of her interests, but for those who host events of that nature I hope many of them will get to hear this voice.
Meanwhile, Dena has a day job with one of America's large financial houses. The job pays the rent, and the cost of lessons and beginning dance classes that allow her to stay in shape. The schedule she maintains leaves some time for attending the wonderful events that a large city can host, but most of her time is devoted to work and staying in shape vocally and physically.
On the work scene she has served as an administrative assistant who attends to matters related to contracts. Prior to this position she was involved in among other duties web casting. Her current position involves assisting a group of proprietary traders and analysts.
Dena is one of those people for whom no challenge is too great, and she is as conscientious on the job as she is in her musical performance. In a similar manner to her musical philosophy, she hopes that the work she does for the opportunity to live in NYC will be of value to her employer and as the eternal idealist she hopes that something of her attitude (which I may say is one reason her friends stick by her) will also benefit those around her. She says of her day job that it has given her a perspective on the way society operates in a market manner on a macro scale, and one of the things that has become apparent to her is that there is prudence in saving and not borrowing too much. So she has gained social awareness and insights into what builds a stronger economy for the benefit of the country.
Both the attention to detail that is required for good musical development and the natural mathematical inclination that are part of being Dena have allowed both the musical accomplishments and the day job to be gratifying.
She is fortunate in that she was given a broad range of gifts and learns quickly. When she was in high school she had four major interests: math, science, music and writing. Opportunities that came her way in the area of music brought her to declare her undergraduate major in music. She relates that every lesson she took with her undergraduate vocal teacher left her with a sense of satisfaction that was memorable. At ASU she was a student of David Britton and also received the benefits of the talents of other faculty members through vocal coaching. During her last year at ASU she determined that there was so much satisfaction in performance that she wanted to go to NY to study. After taking lessons from several teachers there she studied with David Jones, Dixie Neill-Ross and is currently a student of John Fiorito. Through all of these studies the considerable qualities of her more adult voice began to take shape. You will be able to listen to her sound samples by visiting her web site which should be up in the near future. I will post the address as soon as it becomes available.
I asked Dena what elements of her NY musical work she has enjoyed so far. The environment for her has offered a fine opportunity for various kinds of sharing, and she loves the practice sessions and rehearsals. Her colleagues in these endeavors have been accomplished musicians who have spent a lifetime in the field and whose mentoring has assisted her own development in numerous ways, allowing her to develop the kind of perspective and flexibility required of a professional singer.
All of the above mentioned experiences have helped Dena to see who she is, but she also hopes that her work in music helps others to find a sense of self, and helps them to know who they are...
In closing I will relate something about the time I spent studying with Dena. I decided once I had a teacher here who was right in the university environment that I would take extensive notes at every lesson with a kind of shorthand that I invented years ago. By the time I'd finished the year and a half with her I had three one inch notebooks related to vocal technique and the vocal mechanism. I ended up with so many good vocal exercises that were either those she'd inherited along the way or developed for me that I ended up putting them into a chart. So I remember her as the teacher with the most vocal exercises ever, and the one who wanted me most of all not to push when singing (a personality trait), but rather to allow my voice to flow freely even though I am inclined to have something of a fear of vibrato.
Lessons with Dena were a special period in my life during which we became good friends, and now I have to say that in view of her mature vocal development I'm a fan as well.
I hope you have enjoyed meeting Dena through my web page and that you will visit her site to hear her lovely sounds.
Dena gave a performance at her Alma Mater in Idaho this past fall.
Dr.Yen-Yu Shih Teaching In California
A few years ago I decided that I would pursue my voice lessons in exchange for some editing tasks. One of the teachers available to me was Yen-Yu Shih, a doctoral student at ASU. She is from Taiwan originally, and was working on her dissertation at the time we had an opportunity to become acquainted. In exchange for time spent meeting at the library to discuss her work on a cycle by
Hindemith, she provided me with hour lessons, and sometimes because teaching has always been her favorite part of music, she'd push me a little beyond. The amusing part of all of this was that I would push her on writing and she would push me on various aspects of singing--thereby we both had opportunity to benefit from the directorial qualities each of us possess. I have Yen-Yu to thank for far better breath control than I'd managed with any of my previous teachers.
Yen-Yu grew up in the Taiwanese school system. The system is designed in such a way that those who specifically know that they wish to eventually work in the arts have an opportunity to follow a pathway that allows them more of a conservatory pattern of coursework, or for those who are unsure of what they will eventually want to do, or have other goals in mind, a more traditional academic pattern is the order of the day. In Yen-Yu's case, her mother was a piano teacher, and she very much wanted Yen-Yu to determine at the second grade level (the time period for choosing a regular course or the conservatory course) that she would go into music. Yen-Yu had been taking piano lessons from an excellent teacher and was progressing rapidly. However, she liked mathematics and many other subjects and as a result was thinking maybe someday she would like to be an architect. In Taiwan, however, architecture is not considered to be a suitable career for a woman. Meanwhile, her mother was paying for lessons for her only daughter that cost four times the amount of the lessons that she was giving. Even so, Yen-Yu decided on the academic course, while still keeping music as a significant feature in her life. In Taiwan all children have the opportunity to be part of the arts up through (middle school). Everyone, for example gets a chance for classroom singing and choirs. But around the time of second grade those who will pursue music have to decide on a major instrument and a minor instrument.
Yen-Yu pursued the academic track until her senior year. She remembers getting very high grades. Then, just prior to her senior year she decided that she wanted to be in music as a career, and she had to reverse her normal studies. She had to pass an audition to show that she had the ability to follow this program, and instead of working hard on academic studies she let those grades slip a little while she got back to work on the piano. This was a difficult way to initiate entrance into the music program of the Taiwan Teacher's College, but she worked very hard and was accepted. Needless to say, her mother was thrilled. However, having a strong academic background reserved the possibility of pursuing other academic areas in her future, so she has no regrets.
In the Teacher's College for music, there existed something of a gulf between students who'd come up in through the ranks on the conservatory side, and those who came later leaving the academic program. While in the teacher's college Yen-Yu met Shumin Lin, who became a best friend, but the two young ladies did not hit it off right away since they had come through their early training from
different sides of the school program. Shumin was also from the city and Yen-Yu from a town. But after a while both girls discovered that they could work together well and that their differing strengths were an asset in aiding each other.
Not too long after I got to know Yen-Yu both she and Shumin began dating two young men who were also good friends. Last year Yen-Yu and Jerry were married, and Shumin is still dating Misha. All four are members of a Chinese Christian community that has a church in Southern California and one in Northern California. Both girls are also teaching at the present time at the Sierra Music Academy in Roseville, California. This school caters in part to students of Asian descent, so teachers who could also teach in native dialects are especially desirable. Below is a picture of Shumin, Jerry and Yen-Yu during a skiing weekend in Tahoe.
After the training in the teacher's college in Taiwan both girls taught locally in the school system for a year. Then they both decided to go to the University of Florida for advanced work. In Florida Yen-Yu got her master's degree in Theater Production, and then both girls decided they would like to pursue additional education at Arizona State University. When Yen-Yu first arrived she didn't start her program right away, and at that point took a job as the stage manager for the ASU Lyric Opera Theater. While working backstage she decided that she wanted to pursue a Doctorate in Voice Performance and she auditioned and was accepted into the program.
Since I was taking pictures for ASU Studio 303 I had a chance to meet her, and since my previous teacher had moved on, I had an opportunity to see if I could take lessons from her. Beyond what I've shared so far, Yen-Yu has had a wide range of experience with festival management in Taiwan, and has performed many recitals both as a Mezzo Soprano and as a pianist. This background accounts for part of the reason she was also offered this job in the US. Her school wanted someone who could assist with the English language and who would eventually be able to put together a festival of some sort when the students are ready.
At the Sierra Music Academy Yen-Yu has voice and piano students ranging in age from nine to seventy. Most of the students are voice students and high school age. Some of them are fairly serious about a music career, while others are mainly interested in popular music and are testing the waters to see if music might be a place for them in time. Most of the students in this case are girls. So far the work with classical music is minimal, but since classical work is fundamental these elements are being introduced. A faculty recital was recently given to allow students, parents and friends to experience some of the great musical works of varying periods.
I asked about how Yen-Yu likes to spend her weekends in American now that she is no longer a student. She said that normally weekend activities include time spent with church friends. During the time of the teacher's college, around the third year as Shumin was already a member of the church, Yen-Yu came also, and got into Bible study around the forth year establishing a strong connection to Asian Christian friends. So many outings take place in a social group composed of church friends, including skiing outings in the cooler weather.
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Dr. Shumin Lin, Also teaching in California
I met Shumin Lin when I was taking voice lessons from Yen-Yu Shih. Shumin was also working on her doctorate, and she asked me if I would help her with editing. The only thing I really wanted from her was a chance to take some beginning violin lessons, and she agreed to the exchange.
Shumin, as mentioned in the article about Yen-Yu, also comes from Taiwan. However, Shumin took a different educational route by taking the conservatory educational track. In her first few years in school she took all the normal subjects, including music, but in the third grade she shifted to a half a day of regular subjects and a half a day of music. Studies then included ear training and beginning music theory, as well as many individual lessons. She also began after-school studies in English in the fourth grade. As she went through the system she always placed as the top student in her class of thirty-five. These students all stayed together in the system from third grade through high school and continued on into college as a group.
In her early schooling there were thirteen classes on the academic track, and one art class and one music class. The competition for the arts area was very tough, and those elements of competition continued on into college. When Yen-Yu came from her town school to the teachers college the two who ended up being great friends did not really hit it off. But after a while they realized their complimentary abilities and continued to pursue their educations at Florida State University and ASU after a year of teaching in the Taiwanese system.
Her introduction to music came very early as her father was a piano tuner who managed a store for the Kawai Piano company, and he was instrumental in insisting that his children become very advanced in music. Her mother also worked for the company in bookkeeping and still maintains that position today. In the environment of Taiwan’s larger music society, Shumin’s father was able to connect the family quite well to others in the profession.
I asked Shumin about the difference in educational/cultural issues. She related that in America children cannot sit still as long as Asian children are trained to do, and that in Asia lessons are funded by tuition, so the teacher there holds a higher status and is able to dismiss a student who isn’t disciplined or doing well. In the United States lessons are determined by minutes, and pay is also determined by time so teachers have to schedule appropriate amounts of time and cannot dismiss students if the progress is not rapid. This difference sometimes effects quality results.
The early elementary musical background in Taiwan also prepares students in a more focused and concrete manner so that early progress normally exceeds what is possible here. However, as someone who loves to teach, Shumin finds rewards in deepening the involvement of music for all of her students.
She also mentioned that sports and music compete quite early for time in the United States and that is not the case in Taiwan. In Taiwan, however, students can study music privately, and if they make the grade pick up the discipline later on in college.
I asked about family life in Taiwan. In Shumin’s family weekends were generally spent hiking, picnicking, fishing and camping. Since apartment style living is predominate in a population of 2.3 or 2.4 million, and since even those who live in houses as opposed to apartments tend to have almost no yard, getting out into nature on weekends is very appealing. I asked about the church that both of my teacher friends belong to, and their group is connected to the Methodist denomination. Weekends allow Shumin to join with other Asian friends at the San Francisco church, and a flexible work schedule gives her the opportunity to take trips with this group to places like Yosemite, or to eat out or attend sports events, and do fun activities like cherry picking. Since Shumin likes cooking as means of relaxation outings like the cherry picking event would be pure pleasure.
Shumin is currently performing with the Woodland Opera House for sixteen performances this fall. (10-2008)
Pei Chi, DB and Yen-Yu after a successful show.
Shumin, DB and Yen-Yu...awesome teachers and awesome friends.
A picnic in Taiwan
Shumin, Jerry and Yen-Yu in Tahoe.
Back in the sixties when we lived in Ironwood, Michigan, our neighbors to the east in the town of Wakefield were the Spearings. Nancy is a Dietician and Dave was pastoring in a nearby parish. We visited with them frequently, and got to know a couple of people with delightful personalities. Our children also played together.
The friendship has lasted for decades, and as I was preparing to build this site I thought about Dave's Ham radio and auto interests and thought adding him to these pages would bring some fun variety. This interview was conducted by email for time considerations.
Jean: First, can you tell me something about the origins of ham radio? I don’t know anything at all other than my uncle used to have a radio and talked to people all over the country.
Dave: Ham Radio began about a hundred years ago as experimentation with wireless, Marconi being one of the leading names in the field. Early on there were commercial applications, but soon others took up communicating by wireless for their own pleasure. Laws came about and this second group became known officially as amateur radio as opposed to commercial radio. No one appears to know why or how the term Ham came into existence, but my favorite story is that professional telegraphers thought themselves better then the ham-fisted amateurs. Thus an insult to the amateurs became a common reference and the use of the term Ham was born. The reality is that the abilities of the Hams were equal to the professional telegraphers!
Jean: Can you tell me how you got into the hobby and how many years you’ve been involved with it?
Dave: I became interested in electronics and radio back in my junior high school days when I built several radios which actually worked. I became interested in CB radio in the ‘70’s. I had tried to learn the Morse Code many times but with little luck and that was a requirement for a ham license in those days. The spring of ’88 I found a ham radio club that was having license classes, and I went. I managed to pass the written Novas exam the first time without even cracking the book; the code was another matter, but I finally passed the exam too. On April Fools Day of ’05 I wrote and passed my Extra class exam, which gives me all privileges available to hams in the United States.
Jean: Can you tell me something about the equipment, and how it would differ from computer communication where people are able to talk back and forth these days?
Dave: Ham radio equipment is rather simple to operate these days: plug it into a power supply; plug it into an antenna; turn it on, and tune it up, if needed; pick up the microphone, push the talk button and talk.
These steps very with the radio and its age and type of radio. Yes, we do use computers to communicate and keep records. There are digital modes of communication which can be used to send e-mail, photos and even Morse Code! Sometimes messages are transmitted to a node which puts the message on the internet and is picked up at another node and
transmitted! The internet is only one tool in the ham’s bag of tricks.
Jean: Is ham radio the kind of thing you can make portable? If so, has there been any time you’ve used the equipment that way?
Dave: As I write this I am in a hotel room in St Louis and one of my radios is on the window sill as I listen to one of the local repeaters. Ham radio can be very portable; there are transceivers the size of a large cell phone, known as handy talkies and most can be easily adapted to the cigarette lighter socket in a car for power. I have a larger more powerful radio installed in my car.
Jean: How have ham radio operators assisted in times of disaster or crisis?
Dave: In times of disaster ham radio is there playing a part, sometimes providing backup for police or fire departments, other times providing communications for agencies such as hospitals, Salvation Army and Red Cross. Yes, they are today there in Minneapolis (scene of the bridge collapse on I - 35W). We communicate when others can not because we have slivers (called Bands) of the electro-magnetic spectrum ranging from 1.8 MHz (just above the AM radio band) to 10 GHz (microwave range). If there is a problem on one band or frequency we can easily change to another one, and all without the help of a computer, though we do sometimes use them. Police and fire departments are limited to a few channels, and even now they usually do not have any common channels on which to communicate! Cell phones are soon useless in a disaster because the circuits become clogged with attempted calls. “When all else fails - Ham radio is there.”
I am a member of an organization called Columbia County ARES/RACES (Amateur Radio Emergency Services / Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services). We work with the Columbia County Sheriff who has supplied us with a vehicle which we converted to a mobile command post and a workspace in the dispatch office. I am the webmaster for the organization's web site: www.aresraces.net
Jean: How do people who do this activity connect with each other?
Dave: Generally one tunes up on a frequency of choice and either listens for someone to call or calls “CQ” and identifies with their callsign, which is a general invitation to talk, or perhaps calls someone’s callsign if they want to talk to a particular person.
Jean: What is the make is your car...I know you have mentioned it but I’m not good at remembering cars?
Dave: Alpi is a 1967 Sunbeam Alpine; It was one of the last ones made by Rootes Manufacturing. Chrysler bought out the company which they closed a year later. Nancy and I purchased it new in 1967.
Jean: How did you get into auto mechanics and approximately how many kinds of cars were part of your life time auto experience?
Dave: While I was in the Air Force I was trained in the field of mechanics and I drifted into auto mechanics out of necessity, having owned some cars that required a great deal of maintenance. Some of my more memorable cars were: ‘40 Ford, 55 Ford, Corvair, VW Bug, and a selection of SAABs.
Jean: Today we drive cars that due to computer components generally have to go to the shop for service--do you ever get into that aspect of auto maintenance?
Dave: I do not do much with the computer systems in cars as they are interactive and can cause more problems with systems that one would not expect.
Jean: You can tell something about associations of people who have an interest in older sporty cars if you wish.
Dave: The organization which we belong to is: Mad Brits, www.madbrits.org in Madison, Wisconsin...a fun group of British car owners.
Jean: You can tell about touring in a unique vehicle and if people ask about your car when you do some travel.
Dave: It is always fun to go touring, either alone or in a group. One meets some very interesting people on the road. An old car is a great conversation piece.
Thanks to Dave for taking time out of his schedule to do this interview. Even with retirement he finds more than enough to keep busy, and Nancy does, too.
Dave Spearing
Kenny Miller, Tenor
Nancy Spearing
During the fall of 2003 I had opportunity to hear Kenny Miller sing for the first time. Not only was the program presented in a very professional manner, but most of all I was impressed during the reception time as friends and new listeners gathered around refreshments following the recital. The gracious hospitality of our vocalist and then host was a clue early-on as to the kind of person his audiences both knew and would get to know.
A doctoral student in David Britton’s Studio 303, Kenny has given many recitals in the years since, both at ASU (I’ve been to all of them on campus) and in schools and churches and art galleries around the valley. Particularly partial to the art song as his primary vocal concentration, (though he likes experimental opera as well and sings Bach beautifully) Kenny and his accompanist/piano collaborator Emily Helvey have worked together to bring about a return to the salon era of singing here. During the early to late 1800s, the primary setting for the art song was a home, with friends and family gathered around a piano as a singer told the vocal story. The salon setting was a backdrop in the cultural milieu of those times for poets and writers and artists of all sorts to meet and share their work. Following there was always time for refreshments and conversation. Today in the Valley of the Sun, as we call the Phoenix area, homes are once again being opened for the time honored tradition of Romantic Period music, and especially for the art song. Kenny has a career goal toward finding new and smaller venues to also bring this material to the public, and additionally is contemplating some pod casts of this material. He is also work a teacher of Aural Perception and Music Theory at Phoenix College. His work day also includes managing his studio of future budding artists, and preparing for additional community events. Locally he has performed with a number of ASU professors and highly gifted students.
His venues extend throughout the country, and he presented a concert at Palomar College in Southern California in September. Additionally he is spending time on a selection by Dr. Jody Rockmaker of ASU, entitled Song of Songs. Conducted by Gary Hill, performances took place on September 20th at both the Mayo Clinic Hospital and the Mesa Center for the Arts.
Another project involved preparing for a performance of Discovery written by Howard Ferguson. The work was given in partial fulfillment of his DMA requirement at ASU this fall on his third and final degree recital. Ferguson, in addition to this unique work has a very interesting life story—some of which will fill the pages of Kenny’s forthcoming dissertation. Facilitating this work has come in part from spending the summer months in Great Britain, where he met with some outstanding scholars including: Dr. Stephen Banfield of the University of Bristol, eminent tenor Ian Partridge of the Royal Academy of Music in London, and University of Hull Professor Christopher Wilson--a close associate of Ferguson. The English hospitality of these men is memorable to Kenny, and he was able to obtain a variety of letters and poetic interpretations of related material, some of which he will be able to incorporate in his upcoming paper. Additional research at Oxford's Bodleian Library produced copies of many pertinent documents.
Kenny has a philosophy of life and music that guides him in his efforts. He believes that you have to make your own artistic life. Even when he was a high school student in diverse and liberal Madison, Wisconsin, he learned through student council workshops that if you really want to accomplish something it is up to you. This perspective makes him a dependable worker in any situation, whose commitment to music as an artistic endeavor represents more than just earning a living, and has resulted in a large group of loyal followers. A Kenny Miller recital fills the hall.
Beyond a general outlook on making a place in the world, Kenny places the first focus in his music on the matter of text. Language differentiates humankind from the rest of nature, and as the chief means of communication Kenny feels it is incumbent upon a singer to know the historical background of a piece, the unique fundamentals of the era from which it comes, style issues and the context. Flawless diction is one of the first things I think about when I hear Kenny’s name mentioned. He prepares for his work completely.
A traditionalist musically in some ways, Kenny is also something of an innovator in terms of getting music to the public. He has commissioned several outstanding works by contemporary ASU student composer Kendra D’Ercole. Kenny met Kendra when she was a teaching assistant for the Aural Perception class at ASU. He knew of her ability and presented her with some in-depth texts. Prologue of St. John was the first collaboration, and The Design utilizing poetry of Thomas Traherne, the second. The music can be described as profound, yet understandable. Two more projects are under discussion, with some work already accomplished on a first. Kendra is able to accommodate areas of composition that don’t automatically favor a voice, and works directly with Kenny in overcoming difficult elements thereby offering him the ability to present something wonderfully unique.
Kenny is the only musician in his family. Although his parents have been surprised by his particular gifts they have been very supportive. He began his musical journey with the viola, but ultimately auditioned for honor summer music camps in voice, and received full tuition scholarships for his journey. The University of Wisconsin, Madison was an academic starting point before he decided to come to ASU where he completed a Bachelor of Music summa cum laude. He completed his Master of Music in Vocal Pedagogy here in the fall of 2006 and expects to earn his Doctorate in May of 2008.
Future goals include work as a recitalist, oratorio singer (he has been doing this for a while already) and development of the art song in accessible venues. He may teach as well. His personal interests include travel, cooking and reading, and game nights with friends.
Update: Kenny finished his dissertation this past spring, and graduated with his DMA in Vocal Performance.
Additional Interviews coming soon.
Participants from the Fall 303 Show...
Interview with Professor David Britton and his work with ASU Studio 303
Over a decade ago I made a trip back to Kansas to visit my undergrad Alma Mater, Bethany College. To my surprise my Dad had purchased prime seats for me and my sister for the Messiah Festival. During the opening tenor aria sung by my now long time friend David Britton, I was treated to the most beautiful musical experience of my life, and that event set in motion my desire and goal to return to music after many decades and pursue for the remainder of my life the aspects of music I’d left behind thirty years ago.
When I heard David perform I realized that he was the most focused singer I’d ever heard, and prior to the performance I’d read of his lengthy musical career that a reader here can partially access at: http://cfaonline.asu.edu/studio303/britton.html
Never one to rest on past laurels and pragmatic to the core, David lives in the moment providing a forum for students who are serious about a career in music, while at the same time taking a practical view toward preparing the student in general for a lifetime of making beautiful music. See: http://cfaonline.asu.edu/studio303/Index.html
and follow the links.
On rare occasions David still performs publicly, but year after year though it seems hardly possible to improve over what I heard on my initial visit to ASU the variety and quality of the shows increases revealing a masterful hand as hard work and dedication continue to produce new wonders.
For eleven years now I have attended, and later came to film the Studio 303 Shows. This past spring the show was titled LaVoix D’une Femme featuring the songs of Cècile Chaminade. Chaminade as a composer is not one who is quickly recognized by the general public, and while I heard a few people mention that the possibility of creating a recital/show around a lesser known composer might be questioned as a choice, the attendance was so high that a few people were not able to be admitted until the second half. The reception was also one of the largest in my memory, illustrating that the risks were worth the effort. Many music theater majors and education majors as young as freshmen probably would not have much background in singing in French—perhaps the most difficult of all Romance languages due to the differences between sung and spoken French, and therefore the teaching challenge was very high. However, by the evening of the show not even one freshman gave so much as a slightly weak performance. Added to the high level of musical production was the variety of works by this composer, illustrative of differing genres, and significant differences in mood. David Britton produces masterful shows, as I’ve heard audience members say, equal to a professionally staged production. One secret of his success is that he chooses material appropriate to each individual—meaning that he knows his students well and can assess the level to which each one can be encouraged to achieve at his or her grade level. Another aspect that gives the shows such a flavorful composition is the order of material. Styles and types of material are skillfully arranged so that the audience attention is kept throughout. Each show ends with the entire studio gathered as a chorus presenting a work that remains in the memory for some time. Such excellently trained students combined as a choir offers a very special reason to stay until the very last moment.
Finally, the appreciation of the students and their teacher to the audience members is always apparent. The reception food is prepared by the students and they also practice hospitality toward all who wish to visit with them during this time.
All of this together offers a great musical service to the community as concerts and additional recitals are free of charge, and a great way for students to learn many facets of the skill and business of music that prepares them for a lifetime of artistic fulfillment.
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DB and
Studio
303 next...
February 11th was the date of yet another show...this one entitled "Squabbles." It was a delightful evening full of fun and laughter presented to a full house.
To the left are some candid photos prior to the show and following the reception.
My newest voice teacher is Courtney Gilson-Piercey. I met Courtney at a recital last year and after we started visiting I discovered that her vocal expertise was partly in French, and that she had taught French Diction and Vocal Pedagogy, as well as four years of voice when she lived in Michigan. This was particularly interesting for me since I’d been looking for someone for a long time who could teach me to sing well in French.
Courtney started her musical journey as a musical theater kid initially beginning at age nine and doing her first professional show at thirteen before starting vocal training. Voice lessons began officially at age fourteen and her classical repertoire was added at that point as she prepared for competition through the New York State School Music Association.
Her undergraduate repertoire began with a wish list of pieces and it was extensive. She is proud to say that at this point as an ASU Doctoral student studying with David Britton that she has achieved the entire list. She encourages her present students to do the same thing—imagine what might be possible. With pacing and the list of goals, students can begin to work in the desired direction.
Her teaching methods rely on a sense of reality as well. If the student selects material that is too hard, Courtney stops him or her and backs things up. She particularly sets her method of choosing repertoire with an eye toward avoiding traps. At the same time does not try to pigeon hole voice type—she watches for qualitites to develop. She also allows her students to explore what may be his or her own sound, while focusing on the idea of phrasing; pacing and breaking ideas into bite sized pieces.
Although I take notes during my lessons so that I have a track to follow when I return home, I remember things during practice that I did not record that allow me to break down problem areas. When Courtney teaches, the content sticks.
She strives for musicality based on her training and interpretative aspects that come from her acting background…there is a monologue underneath the notes, and a story to tell.
At the present time she is continuing to build toward her last degree with a focus on late Romantic Period French material. At this point she knows what her voice can do, so having arrived at that point in the training process she uses her abilities in recitals here, and this also gives her great focus for helping students develop a pathway of their own. Some students come new to training and work on basics such as breath management, while others, like me, want to focus on diction and interpretation. In order to challenge a student, Courtney selects material for students that is not too elementary, always with a view to flexibility as needed. She likes her students to understand their learning objectives and focus on details gained in the past, center on work in the present and aim toward future development. For me, learning to sing rapidly in French is the present challenge and as I improve, I think about many lovely arias that require this facility and anticipate new challenges.
Courtney’s dissertation will be written in 2009, and will deal with a French woman composer and a poet whose work she set.
In the course of this interview the topic of range and voice type came up, and she mentioned that voice type is usually identified by the point at which the voice rings most…but, she explained, that changes sometimes depending on age and health and so on.
Before Courtney began teaching she worked in New York, performing in many operas both as a soloist and as a chorus member. She also collaborated with many musicians in recitals. I asked her about the music scene in New York City. She described the environment as frenetic and driven, and somewhat of a rat race. I asked her if music in Michigan where she taught and here in Arizona seemed different, to which she replied in the affirmative. After a number of years (three) she and her husband decided to move beyond this East Coast environment and go into teaching. She says that after that decision, from the very first moment working with a student she knew she had arrived in the right place. Her efforts took her to Lansing Community College and Olivet College in Michigan where she taught voice classes, diction classes, vocal pedagogy and aural skills. She did this for four years, giving a recital of her own every year. While working in this environment she helped with the development of an up to date voice curriculum that would be on a par with other schools around the country.
As a first step in the development of administrative capabilities she found the curriculum process very interesting, and after her arrival at ASU was given the Teaching Assistantship with the Bessendoeffer/Schimmel US-ASU International Piano Competition—the first year as an assistant, and this past year as a coordinator (a post she will hold for the 2008-2009 season as well). As a person who photographed the first of these competitions I understand the complexity of her work and marvel that she gets so much done for the competition as well as completing her own studies with A’s and teaching privately. She says of her administrative skills that these are things she has learned on the job.
Besides all these good things that can be said, Courtney is a delightful conversationalist and a good friend.
She recently gave her second DMA recital featuring compositions written by 19th, 20th and 21st century American women composers (at ASU this semester).
Courtney Gilson-Piercey
