Today I attended Alisha DeLorenzo’s deeply impacting keynote at NJEA. She shared so many insights and tools to help find inner presence and positive disruption. I was especially moved when she spoke about the energy that is usurped when remaining closeted. I witnessed a special moment when her former teacher came up to her. This teacher was a loving safe space for Alisha DeLorenzo as she was dealing with the fallout of coming out. Before I was fully out, Gloria Gonzalez kindly suggested to me to consider the energy being wasted being undercover. I am forever grateful for her thoughtful insights. It inspired me to come out to my very supportive bro Neal F. Perryman who helped paved the way with my family. #grateful #NJEA #alishadelorenzo #keynotespeaker
I suspect I’m not alone with the following experience. I live in many worlds. I most often exist as an music teaching entertainer, chorus marm, voice teacher spy, transsectional singer, choral section alpha, and traumatic, err I mean, dramatic operatic soprano. My working world is spread out for reasons like ya know paying the bills, health insurance yada yada….gone are the days of being groomed to be a golden age opera heroine…gotta bring home the bacon….
When I DO get to hunker down into my big girl opera britches (which feels like coming home if I’m being honest), I am quickly reminded of the detailed and nuanced work required to learn an opera role.
So I push aside that imposter puppet mocking me on my shoulder and I get to work.
I recall that I indeed studied the efficient tool that is IPA throughout out my various college music degrees and dagnabbit, I’ve got this wordy hochdeutsch.
Thanks to a thorough but kind german opera coach, I made a trip thru Act 1 of Die Walküre yesterday and know even more now what I need to know better.
Now I shall commence in slaying the standout gremlins that enjoy flummoxing my Midwest tongue:
Making music, being in shows, teaching assessible vocal technique, sharing love for music with others, adapting shows for kids, and reviewing movies ….these are a few of my favorite things that make the march of time less linear…..
Tonight’s joy was answering vocal technique questions with adapted vocalises eg how do I blend head and chest voice at Eb4; how do I extend my upper range, how do I connect to my breath support…..
Most people have to learn vocal technique. A natural singer who just does it right is less common. And as we age, making adjustments to vocal technique as a mature singer is challenging. Tonight I was impressed with how well the singers, who have sung for many years, were able to apply and implement the various exercises I gave them. Kudos to Paul Rajah for offering this opportunity to his section leaders.
I am thinking today of the voice teachers I have had starting with my father, to Jerry Daniels, Sarah Stedman in Chicago, and Patricia O’Neill at LSU. They guided me as I built my vocal technique since I was a teenager. I started with a breathy middle and ability to sing the extremes. I was the queen of breaks and registers aplenty. Undergrad Liz Perryman with an 9 note passaggio…..I am feeling grateful today for an even registration from top to bottom, extension to D6, connection to breath, and access to Italian vowels with my dramatic soprano voice that took time to develop. These teachers have helped me become the troubleshooting voice teacher that I am today. I appreciate this post from Aspiring Opera Singers. I want to also give a shout out for my check ins with Alfonse Anderson, the lift I learned from Ruth Falcon, and fine tuning I’ve done with Andrea DelGiudice over our several lessons. These have been important additions to my technique. We should always be cautious about teachers who want to take full credit for our singing journeys. #voicelessons
It was a grand night for music. Our trio performed a recital of music at Wagner College including Rachmaninov, Puccini, a special Stephanie Leotsakos – Composer/Soprano original, to a moving piano performance of Shenandoah. A recording is forthcoming. I met these talented, passionate, and humorous whippersnappers in 2017 and feel like I’ve always known them now. Giddy up. #wagnercollege #voicerecital
22 years ago on October 15th, 2001, my father collapsed and died suddenly while playing the organ. He was 63. He lived his life voraciously as a singer, teacher, choir director, voice teacher, aspiring composer, bridge player, and golfer. He loved his wife Janet Perryman and family with all he had. Life was never boring and definitely not perfect but I count myself fortunate for the 33 years I had with my Dad.
-I remember his exuberance and positivity. -I adored our endless singing sessions. -I loved singing in his choirs with his enthusiastic conducting style. -I respected all he overcame as a youngster. -I was inspired by his drive to pursue music and marry the love of his life. -I appreciated his nobility and integrity. -I marveled at his tenacity. -I admired his ability to move forward from difficult situations.. -Witnessing his bravery and honesty has been a blessing that drives me to this day.
That Pavarotti cat; you know the one; the opera pedagog GOAT…….his was an epically balanced bel canto tone with an embouchure that dreams are made of. The rest of us mortal singers continue to work diligently to stretch, lift, balance, resonate, coordinate, make space, and elongate whilst releasing our bodies from life’s collection of tension.
As I pushed uhhh errrr encouraged my Wagner voice students to keep moving forward tonight with challenging goals, their work ethic has been admirable during these past 6 weeks. Today we plugged away at conjuring our inner Zinka Milanov oval. 😉
I had my student sing several rudiments from my growing list of tongue twisters when we especially noticed the tongue obstructing the clarity of tone. They sang the first phrase again and this time the voice just came out balanced without premeditation.
When I asked how it felt, my student said “the sound just rushed out of me”.
I LOVE THIS DESCRIPTION OF SINGING “the sound just rushed out of me”.
It makes me wonder how much I trap inside of me on the daily that wants to rush out and be freed.
“Rush” is an astute description of a released and active tone. It makes me think of the following words: propel, surge, overcome, swift, forward, and driving. These words give me a visceral reaction to how it feels when my sound is most effectively coordinated. With economical and intentional breath guidance, this rushed tone is the bedrock of reliable vocal technique.
Yours truly and her blue apple iMac computer brain sure does love the rush of these kids and their new operating systems.
