Quarter Update

I have almost completed my first year teaching at Pentucket! I am so excited to have this year under my belt, because I have so many ideas and plans for the future. I feel like I have been so far pretty successful, and I have two goals for the end of the year.

My first goal is to finish organizing the music library in the Middle School Music Room. I have "inherited" a lot of sheet music from previous teachers, and I have started to reorganize the music library so I can better see what music I have for student use. This is a huge task, but I would say I'm about halfway there. (Maybe a little less.) I chose this goal because I want to make sure I complete this before summer, so that next year, I can start off fresh with an organized library! I will be working after school on Mondays and Wednesdays to complete this project.

My second goal is to teach my students 2 more pieces of music. The first one is "She's Like the Swallow." I hope to apply my teaching methods so my students know the theoretical knowledge behind the piece (minor key, 3/4 time, haunting melody and lyrics), and how to sing accurately and stylistically appropriate. This is a beautiful piece, and I hope to help my students understand the beauty and purpose while singing this piece. That's it for now! I can't wait to read about your goals! :)

Blog Post #8 Assignment

Watch the video below. In your first paragraph, describe the music you hear (instruments, tempo, texture, dynamics, language, feelings, etc). In your second paragraph, please make some comments about the singer’s vocal technique. How is there alignment? Evaluate their emotions. Comment on their breathing. Then, add a link to a video or picture of someone who you think is a great singer.

Source:  Diana Damrau singing "Der Holle Roche" from Mozart's "The Magic Flute"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpVV9jShEzU

Stage Fright! Tips and Tricks

Even though I have been singing and performing in front of people for a really long time, I still get stage fright. I am a firm believer in the saying, "If you're not nervous about something, it means you don't care about the result." If I care about what I sound like, what people think of me, or what I am presenting, I think it is ok to be a little nervous! One thing I do to prevent or deal with my stage fright is called "square breathing". I trace a square in front of me with my pointer finger starting in the bottom left corner. As I trace the side of the square going up, I breathe in for 4 beats. As I trace the square across the top, I "suspend" my air for 4 beats. As I trace the side of the square down, I breathe out for 4 beats. Lastly, when I trace the square across the bottom, I suspend the air again for 4 beats. Then I repeat. This helps me focus on my breathing and distracts me from my nerves. Also, it allows me to relax and slow my heart rate down. I love this method, and have been doing it for a long time. I also do some "square breathing" if I am feeling anxious or nervous about other things in general, and I find that it really helps me.
Here is a diagram of square breathing:

source: https://goo.gl/VyZl7d

Some other techniques that I use to prevent or address stage fright are: drinking water, looking in the mirror and giving myself a "pep talk," going for a walk, and of course, PRACTICING! If I feel practiced, I will be more confident in my performance.

I also have a presentation that I used for my Public Speaking class that addresses Stage Fright. You can view it here!

What are your tips for stage fright? Let me know below.

Vocal Technique

I am always trying to improve my vocal technique. This year, I joined the Newburyport Choral Society. It is a choir of about 100 people and we sing large-scale choral works. I really enjoy it because it makes me feel like I am contributing to something bigger than myself. Also, it makes me practice difficult music and it is a challenge for me. I feel accomplished as a singer when I can accurately sing a difficult passage of music! You can learn more about the NCS here.

As a choral singer, I have been working on my technique. One technique that I have been practicing is breathing - yes, still. After all of my years as a singer, breathing is still something that I work on regularly. Recently, I have been working on moving my air forward while I'm singing to add dimension and direction to the phrases. I have to budget my air to make sure I get through the phrase without running out of air, but also, I have to use my air in a way that is optimal for the phrasing of the passage. To practice this, I mark the dynamics or phrases in my music with a pencil. Then, I sing the whole passage on a neutral syllable like "ooh" or "ah" to practice the phrasing and budgeting my air. Lastly, I sing through the phrase with the correct text, keeping in mind the feelings and techniques that I practiced with the neutral syllable. Of course, it depends on the piece of music I'm learning, but that is a way that I like to practice breathing and phrasing.

My advice for young singers is to always keep your breathing in mind. Take deep, good-quality breaths and budget your air for singing. Proper vocal alignment is key! Making sure that you're standing up tall and that your body is free of tension is a great way to make sure that you are getting the most out of your air. I have many nuggets of wisdom that I share with my students about breathing, but that is my main piece of advice! Comment below and tell me what techniques you are working on!