In August of 2002, I left Baton Rouge to find my groove in NJ/NYC with one of my besties Ray Ray. I went to Mannes to get a professional studies diploma. That year, I just went to school and didn’t work. 2002-2003 was an odd, out of body orbit of the sun for yours truly. The swing of a singer is quite the ride. Euphoric, careful, exhilarating, maddening, devastating, informative, breezy, nauseating are descriptors that come to mind……
My first year in the east was a numb year. Dad died a year before. Tears were sparse. Feelings were buried.
I found a therapeutic oasis as a section leader at Glen Ridge Congregational church. Tears finally came while I sang hymns and heard UCC sermons.
My first Nj voice student was the gifted high school student Elizabeth Niewood. I met her talented Mom and Dad at GRCC and we connected.
It was a joy to work with her. We usually had lessons on Sunday. I was often alone on weekends and the Mannes PSD course load wasn’t too rigorous so I found myself going to matinee moves and window shopping with movie popcorn in hand. I looked forward to her lesson along with my church gig during the week.
I wasn’t yet out but the L Word was looming. Louisiana had been instrumental in unmasking my gay. 😉
Elizabeth N was a dedicated and sharp student. Her musical instincts freely flowed as an offspring of her formidable musical family DNA.
She went on to college and pursued the many paths that make her such a fabulous human today.
We haven’t seen each other in probably 18 years.
She reached out a few weeks ago to connect about having voice lessons again.
We worked today as if it hadn’t been almost 2 decades since our last lesson.
We explored her updated vocal blueprint from efficient vowels, free body breath inhalation/exhalation, independent tongue release, and register balance.
It was informative to hear her share the beginning germination of my evolving vocal pedagogy perspective from the vocabulary I taught her in my early 30s. Humble bragging about myself, I said I guess I didn’t stink then as a voice teacher. 😉
A voice student’s verbal reaction to singing by sensation often inspires me. I love collecting their kinesthetic and colorful musings. We all have such unique body responses to the act of singing. The teacher inputs code but each system has its own way to expedite the data.
In this delightful case, my student Elizabeth talked about how when it was right, it was out of body; motioning with a perfect NJ flip off hand gesture.
I love getting to share the singing swing with other artists. I feel grateful and love the perspective of age.
Giddy up. #akintsucrooner
akintsucrooner 