SINGING & SELF
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In the aftermath of my participation in the cross-Canada Mysterious Barricades concerts (www.mysteriousbarricades.org), I’ve been thinking a lot about the language of the heart…As I embark on a new year of teaching with my wonderful and eclectic mix of students (both in my opera class and university studio), I listen to their hearts as they begin to get to know one another and to know me…

So there’s an elephant in the room. Relationships. That behemoth that, in our world as social creatures, dependent on one another for nurturing, sustenance and love, can make or break us. And so it is with the voice as well: what is happening in our personal relationships is always reflected in our singing (speaking too, if we’re paying attention)…

I have guided many singers over the years in my work as a vocal pedagogue and clinician, taking them through a process of establishing their vocal technique and all the while—initially without realizing it—I was also guiding them through an emotional and spiritual...

Singing saved my life. I don’t in fact think it’s an exaggeration to say so. Even though there have been times where singing was emotional torture, or where it challenged me to the depths of my being, putting me in touch with shadow sides I would rather have left...