Student NATS Club comes to EOU

Happy Monday everyone!  I just wanted you all to know that we have started up a Student NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) Club on the campus of EOU.  We had our first meeting last friday where we talked about what students wanted to do in the club (and came up with some great ideas!) along with reviewing a draft constitution and appointing officers. 

President: Jon Davidson
Vice President: Dan Lockart
Secretary: Mallory Livingston
Treasurer: Erin Rufener
Faculty Advisor: Jamie Jacobson

I will be posting the draft of the constitution here tomorrow for you to review.  I believe it was decided that we would vote to accept the constitution at our next meeting FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21st.  For now, the club has decided that we will be meeting every other Friday at 2:30. 

During the next meeting, I was asked to present some beginning information on how to structure a voice lesson and asked to maybe give one in front of the club.  It was pointed out in the meeting that students rarely have the opportunity to sit in for other people's lesson and observe the teaching/learning process.  When they think of teaching the lesson, most beginners can only pull from what they have learned themselves while in the studio.  We'll be talking about that and I am in the process of gathering some great resources for the club on that very topic. 

It's going to be a wonderful adventure as we explore vocal pedagogy.  We hope you can join us whenever you can!  If you'd like to be an "official member" of the club, please notify one of the officers listed above and we'll make sure you are on the list. 

Dr. Ingo Titze and friends explain how the voice is like a car.  I use that analogy all the time in the studio and it's applicable not only in the phonation aspect (vibration of the chords) and resonance as talked about in this video, but also in registration (singing in the "first gear" for chest voice, for instance).  Great video! 

A few things for week two of our 2011 Fall Term:

• I have made my EOU schedule public and attached it on the right hand side to this blog.  If you are wondering if I am in the office, when your lesson time is, or when you could swing in to ask a question, you can check there.  You will not be able to add yourself to myself to the schedule without clearing it through me, but if you have a question that my calendar can answer, you not have access to it.
• The first meeting of the Student NATS Club will be held THIS FRIDAY, October 7th at 2:30 in the choir room (LH 123).  There is *minimal* time commitment required for this club and we'll be doing some pretty great things and learning a lot.  If you are interested in learning more, come to the meeting and decide if it might be the right club for you.
• Thank you to those who came to support Jonathan in his Senior Recital last Saturday!  I hope you learned something from listening to him and enjoyed his wonderful performance!  For those PRIVATE STUDENTS who were unable to make it, be sure to find 2 other vocal performances that you are not involved in and write about what you hear.
•  We are off and running in week 2 of classes.  Keep your head above water and enjoy the learning process!  :)  Remember: I'm here if you need anything.

 And now.....For your listening pleasure:  Act One Scene Three from Mozart's Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute).

How to sign up for rehearsals with Mio

Students,

Dr. Mio Aoike will be your accompanist this term.  Instead of having a sign on the door for rehearsal sign ups, she has gone digital and has provided a link to her Google calendar online.  Remember: if you are signed up for a 30 minute lesson, you must sign up for an additional 30 minutes with Mio.  One hour lessons sign up for one hour.  You may sign her up to attend your lesson as well.  She will be very busy this term as there are a lot of you.  Please be flexible and trade with others when requested if you are able. 

To sign up:
1. Click on the following link (you may want to save it in your bookmarks to access later):

https://www.google.com/calendar/selfsched?sstoken=UUZsYmJ4ZmR4cFlofGRlZmF1bHR8MDU1MThlMWNiM2MwN2E2NzVlMWI5ZTkzNzU1ODgwYjU

2. Click on a time slot and fill in the necessary information (who, where, etc.)  PLEASE leave your PHONE number in the "description" section in case Mio needs to get a hold of you.

3.  If you need to CANCEL or CHANGE your appointment, you can do so from YOUR google calendar (you have one tied to your EOU email account).  Log in and go to calendar, click "cancel appointment" and "notify guests". You

It will be challenging getting used to this new system, but it will save everyone a lot of time and effort in the future. 

For those of you using a different email system (like hotmail or yahoo), you might want to go ahead and learn how to use your eou account.  For starters, Google is AWESOME and provides a great deal of options for you to work with.  EOU will always send things to that account and so will your professors.  When we type your name in our "To:" box, it automatically brings up your EOU address.  It might be easiest if you learned how to use it. :)

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in your lesson and I will walk you through the process.  Like I said, it will take a little time in the beginning, but after that will be many terms with less effort on everyone's part. 

--
Jamie Jacobson
Vocal Instructor
Eastern Oregon University
541-910-1102
Office: 541-962-3464

Thomas Florio, Baritone and 2010 NATSSA Winner

I was in the audience for this wonderful performance from Thomas Florio, the 2010 NATSAA Winner.  Thomas performed very well and as the winner, he received large cash prizes, a New York solo debut performance and is scheduled to perform at Carnegie Hall just to name a FEW.  He will also be the featured soloist at the 2012 NATS National Convention in Florida this coming Summer and has been given 2 year internship at Das Internationale Opernstudio der Hamburgischen Staatsoper where he will embark on many opera roles.

NATS can bring wonderful opportunities for singers for those who would like to be involved.



CLICK HERE to read more about Thomas Florio, all the opportunities he has been given as the 2010 NATSAA Winner and his adventures.

Fall 2011 Information

Good Afternoon!

This is Jamie Jacobson and I am your vocal instructor for 2011-2012. We are approaching our fall term and I thought I would make sure that I have accurate emails for all of you and make sure we get you into a lesson time that works well for everyone's schedule. For those of you who have taken lessons with me before, there have only been a couple changes, but for the most part, things are pretty much the same. There are a few things everyone should be aware of before our Fall Term begins. Please read through this email carefully and follow through on any instructions given in it.

1) Please reply and let me know a) you received this email, b) if this is the best email for you on a regular basis, c) your phone number, and d) if I can text you.

2) Please CLICK HERE to access my schedule for Fall Term 2011. Pick a 30-minute spot that works best with your schedule and type your name in the box. The gray boxes are unavailable. If you have registered for 2 credits of lessons, you will need TWO 30-minute spots (not necessarily back to back).

3) Here is a link to MY BLOG. You will want to bookmark this blog and check it regularly. You can find documents (syllabi, reading lists, schedules, etc), listening (links to performer's sites, youtube videos, etc), and important information about the term on this blog. It is your responsibility to check it, so add it to your browser's favorites and select to "follow" it and be emailed when it's updated.

4) Due to the number of students taking lessons this term, I will be emailing the registrar with your student ID numbers to get you registered. For those who have already turned in an add form, thank you for doing so. The rest of you: I will be registering you for your lessons this term. Please DOUBLE CHECK to make sure that lessons show up on your EOU schedule and that you in fact do get registered for them.

5) This term, each singer in the studio will be REQUIRED to attend and perform in a certain number of Master Classes with Dr. Peter Wordelman throughout the term. Please keep at least one of the following times open and available for participation in them. MONDAYS at 3:00 and/or TUESDAYS at 2:00. You can see each of these times reserved on my schedule. I will not be in attendance at these Master Classes, but your participation in them is required by your syllabus (it took the place of a couple other things...it was not added ON TOP OF everything else) and role will be taken each week.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about lessons. Please be sure to follow through with the above instructions and I am looking forward to a WONDERFUL term of music with all of you!

Contact me any time in any of the following ways:

Jamie's Cell: 910-1102 (text ok)
Jamie's Email: jjacobso@eou.edu
Jamie's Office number: 962-3464
Jamie's Office: Community School for the Arts room 204

See you in a couple of weeks!!

Jamie

My friend from high school: Rachel Willis-Sørensen

this is a friend I spent many a day with in our youth. She's gone on to do wonderful things in her young career. It's been fun to follow her success! This video is from 2007. Rachel was 23 and studying at BYU. The collaborative artist is quite wonderful as well. The aria begins at 1:15. Here is a link for more information on Rachel: http://www.cami.com/?webid=2121. You can also find her on facebook if you would like to follow her. She is a wonderful person with a sweet and compassionate heart. and...as you will hear...quite the voice!

Some Listening for Spring term 2011

Stephanie Blythe. See a link to her brief info to the right under the opera singers links.



Marilyn Horne. I can't find a website specifically for her, but here is a video and any of you in voice class have heard this amazing and to borrow a word from a friend "epic" singer!! Enjoy the Habanera from Carmen. Some say Marilyn Horne was the best Carmen EVER! What do you think?



Joan Sutherland. Our nation lost this diva last year at the age of 83. Her legacy speaks for itself. You can research and find her wonderful-ness on your own, but here is a sampling of one of my favorite soprano arias.



Here is Paul Groves singing one of my favorite tenor arias: "Una Furtive Lagrima"



Marina Poplavskaya. A wonderful soprano coming out of the woodwork. Here is her wonderful rendition of "Ave Maria" from Othello.



Now listen to Renee Fleming's version of the same aria.



Can you articulate the differences you hear? Which is your preference?

More listening to come.....stay tuned! :)

Taylor the Latte Boy

One of my favorite singers singing a great and popular song:



Listen for her use of her lighter sound ("legit" or classical style) and the use of her heavy sound ("belt" or theatre style).

DATES you NEED to know!

Good morning, students!

As the term is coming to a close, I feel the need to touch base with everyone for sure to let you know of how we will be ending this session of learning. :) In this email you will find vital information. Please be sure to read it, add it to your calendars, and tell your friends that it's sitting in their inbox waiting for them to devour it as well.

First of all, here are dates of upcoming performances and who is welcome to perform in them. I expect to see all of your shining faces present at least once. We need to be supporting our fellow musicians and attending their performances is how we do that. Yesterday's student recital had zero students present that were not performing and about 4 faculty there. It was a little embarrassing and disappointing. Please plan to come to at least one of the following:

Tuesday, March 8th at 9am and 2pm: First set of Finals for MUS 193 in LH 123 (choir room). I will be putting together an order this weekend. Please EMAIL/TEXT me with your preferences. *open to class members and 2 guests*

Thursday, March 10th at 9am and 2pm: Second and final set of Finals for MUS 193 in LH 123.
*open to class members and 2 guests*

Thursday, March 10th (next Thursday) at 3:00pm: Student Recital in Groth Recital Hall Loso 126.
*anyone taking private lessons is welcome and encouraged to sign up on the music lounge door and perform*

Friday, March 11th (next Friday) at 2:00pm: Recital at Wildflower Lodge
*anyone is welcome to perform, but you must clear your performance with me to make sure we have enough time*
*the Wildflower shuttle bus will be picking us up in the Loso Turn-around at 2pm and returning us when we are finished for those who would like/need a ride*

Saturday, March 12th at 4:00pm: Erin Wunz Senior Recital at the United Methodist Church.
*Majors: this will be you some day! Everyone come and support Erin's hard work and capstone project!*

Monday, March 14th from 9am to 1pm: Music Major Juried Performance
*Please bring 6 completed jury forms (found in the lounge) and 4 copies of your music. DRESS NICELY *no Jeans*. Sign up for a time by the lounge.*

Tuesday, March 15th at NOON: Book Discussion for Private Studio Students. CSA big classroom in the upstairs of the white house.
**Even if you didn't finish your book, it's worth your points to come to the discussion. Pizza will be provided. PLEASE turn in your JOURNALS at this point.**

March 4, 5, 10, 11, 12 at 7pm: Assassins in the Schwarz theatre. Come and see the show!!! You'll never look at your fellow students (or J. Michael Frasier) the same again. :) **for those who are short a write up....feel free to use the show if you'd like**

TODAY (March 4th), EOU has the honor of having a very important visitor. Patricia Shehan will be doing workshops and seminars most of today and when I can, I will be attending. ALL MUSIC MAJORS are REQUIRED to be at the noon question and answer session in the choir room. There will be a wonderful and enlightening presentation at 11am as well and everyone is welcome and encouraged to come. This is also in the choir room.

So....please write all of this down somewhere and set your phone alarms to remember. Schedules are always weird during the last two weeks of the term and things get forgotten just because they aren't "regular" or "habit". Don't forget!! :)

One last thing: if you are planning to take private lessons in my studio next term, you need to see me to get an add form and get on my schedule. Thanks!

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me!
Jamie

I'm not afraid of anything...

I heard this song while judging the NATS musical theatre auditions on the west side earlier this fall. I love it. :) What do you think? Singer's not too bad, either, huh? What do you hear?

Week Five Check-in

It's Tuesday of week five of the term. I wanted to just check in with you all about your assignments and progress for the term. By this week you should:

• have a book in your possession that you are reading and preparing discussion topics about. If you do not yet have a book in your possession to read and present, you are pushing your time frame a bit and should make it a goal to get on it this week.
• have about 1 to 2 hours of your listening completed and logged in your journal. If you don't think you have anything to listen to, please see the list of singers to the right of this post or go back through the blog and find the posted youtube videos.
• have a lesson log with about 2 1/2 hours a week of practice on it for those of you taking one credit lessons and about 5 hours a week of practice on it for those of you taking two credits. Remember: it doesn't have to be a drawn out entry about how you were feeling...simple time in, time out, what you worked on will suffice.
• be working with Mio at least once per week outside of your lesson time. Things are going to get a little tricky pretty quickly if you have not yet worked with your accompanist.
• Attended at least one vocal performance of some kind and written a one-page write up about what you heard. I only have one paper in my possession so far. You can hand them in when you are finished with them or you can keep them in your journal and hand it all in together. If you have not attended any vocal performances, your opportunities are coming up...be sure to have a plan. The Portland opera will be here doing workshops and performances, there are senior vocal recitals coming up, student voice recitals, and Musicals (Nunsense at the Elgin Opera House and Assassins at EOU).

Just make sure you have taken your own temperature and that you know where you are and where you need to be in five short weeks.

If you have any questions...please do not hesitate to ask via email, phone call, facebook, or drop by the office.

Enjoy the remainder of the term!

Documentary of Milton Babbitt link to NPR

CLICK HERE for a brief documentary of Milton Babbitt. Fascinating man and composer. Learn something about him. You'll be glad you did.

Something Just Broke

Again...please be careful in listening and watching to examples. We will be doing things differently, but I hope this will be helpful for those of you who don't read music and have had trouble.

Here's the final scene. Please skip to 2:22 to listen to the pitches in Scene 16 in case we end up using them. Something Just Broke starts at 4:01.



And here is another example of Something Just Broke. Again...beware that some of these rhythms are different than the ones in your score. Please ALWAYS have you music in front of you when you listen...


Here's another video example. There are a couple of weird skips a time or two, but you can get the idea. I think their key is a little higher than ours as well, but again...to give you an idea of the melody and intervals and give you another example...and they're pretty good. :)

Choosing Great Audition songs....

I wanted to share some information with you that I will be presenting later in the term during a voice class on how to select great audition repertoire. For this blog, I will focus on the musical theatre audition and speak mostly to my current voice class students, but the information is for anyone auditioning for musical theatre.

There are a few main rules that I would like people to understand before we get into specifics.

1) NEVER sing A Capella. I have seen this happen a great deal here at EOU and it is not advised. The music provides a sense of emotion to the piece that you cannot bring to the stage if you sing it a capella. The music plays along in your head as you sing, but what if I've never heard the piece before and it's new to me? There have also been many that sing a capella and are unable to stay in the same key for the entire 16-32 bars and wander through several keys throughout. This does nothing to show ability nor does it help to show me your range or and tends to show lack of sense of pitch. If you have no accompanist or one is not provided for you, find one before hand and hire them to make a recorded accompaniment for you. This is not the preference, but a last resort.

2) Learn how to work with an accompanist. When an accompanist is provided for your audition, they will need a copy of your music (usually requested in ADVANCE of the audition) WELL MARKED with the bars you will be singing. When you come in for your audition be sure to take time with your accompanist to answer any questions they have about your markings and to give a clean, clear, and accurate tempo. Your nerves may get the best of you and auditionees tend to give too fast of a tempo. Take your time. Take a deep breath and sing through a few different parts of your song in your head. When you feel you have a good grasp of the tempo, you can count or quietly sing through a little bit for your accompanist so they get a feel for it. Be polite. Introduce yourself and ask their name if you don't know them. Use good manners with pleases and thank yous. They are there to make you look good. :)

3) Don't interact with your audition panel. Your audition panel is there to watch you, hear you, and experience your audition. Try to avoid songs that interact with them. Avoid singing directly to them or making eye contact. The same is true for your chosen monologue. Choose one that does not interact with the audition panel. When they feel uncomfortable or put on the spot, they are unable to engage with your audition they way they need to.

4) The perfect song. Here are a few "do's and don'ts" for your song selection taken from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music's Musical Theatre website. It has a great list with further details, so please click the link to be taken to their site.

Do Avoid overly familiar material, songs that are performed continuously...

Do Avoid songs associated primarily with particular artists...'Over the Rainbow' is Judy's. Comparison's are inevitable.

Do Avoid the current hit from the current Broadway smash or revival.

Do select material suitable for youthful performers.

Do Not attempt songs obviously created for mature characters.

Do be aware of choices that are difficult to perform under stressful conditions. Many of the patter songs ('If', 'Funny', ...'Giants in the Sky') are notoriously difficult and require careful coordination between pianist and singer.

[this is my favorite from their list]
Do Not imitate your favorite performers. Don't moonwalk like Michael, pout like Bernadette or clutch the air like Mandy. And PLEASE don't wear a white half-mask or a lion's head. :)

Do bring sheet music in the correct key and with all cuts or repetitions clearly marked. DO place your music in a binder or tape the sheets together for the benefit of the accompanist. DO speak clearly to the pianist and articulate the tempi by singing a few phrases. This is preferable to snapping your fingers or yelling "Faster," "Too fast," or "Slow Down" in the middle of "Ol' Man River" or "Corner of the Sky." And please note that if we do not feel your songs adequately represent your vocal range, we may ask you to perform some simple vocal exercises at the keyboard or present another song.

DO consider your deportment. That means the way you behave (and are seen to behave) from the moment you arrive at the audition to the moment you leave. Show that you are well prepared and have done your research about the school and the program. Ask intelligent questions, exude confidence as you enter the room, say your name with authority, answer questions in a provocative way, look your best, thank the faculty for their attention and leave with the air of a job well done. And if you are really interested in pursuing the program, write a note to the faculty on your return home. You may do a brilliant audition and ruin your chances by appearing obnoxious. If you seem to have "attitude," are a "diva" or possess an ego the size of Manhattan, you are unlikely to be accepted into a first rate program. On the other hand, you may be a good performer but slink in and out of the room, appear as confident as a Jello on the San Andreas fault and miss your chance. Find a happy medium!

I will add to that list in saying that your music should be in the original key and the key you plan to sing it in. DO NOT ask the accompanist to transpose on the spot.

Also, males should avoid singing female roles and vice versa.

There will be more blog posts to come, but this should get you started. :) I will be posting the date and times of the lectures on auditions as soon as I set one. :) We'll be discussing all of the above listed etiquette along with what to wear, headshots and resumes, and how it is different for opera auditions. :)

Holly Sorensen's Insomniatic Winter Blues

Our own Holly Sorensen's composition. I believe this was used for a project in a class. It's now available on youtube and on the newly released La Grande Music CD (available HERE or at several retailers including White House Coffee.



It's a GREAT CD and Holly's piece is fantastic. Enjoy! :)

For your listening pleasure....

Thank you, Renee Wells, for the link! Wonderful!!

Students, listen, enjoy, and don't forget to write it in your listening log! :)

Week One is off and running

I hope everyone made it through week one of all your classes and are ready for a rest and fun-filled weekend. Here are just a couple of things to mull in your heads:

If you have had trouble finding your music at the library, you can ask anyone there (or myself) to help you learn how to order a book in from another library in the system. La Grande Stereo and Music should also have several of the Joan Frey Boytim books for sale and are usually in stock. You can go online and find them used or new through Amazon, Barnes and Noble or any of your other favorite sites. I always order from TISMusic and have been happy with their service and they always have everything I need. If you are a music major, music minor, or are planning to sing or teach at all in your future, I strongly urge you to purchase your book. Just think...if you bought one $12 or $20 book per term for your college career, you would leave EOU with a good start to a solo music library. Plus...they are WAAAAYYY cheaper than your Science book. :)

Now...for your listening pleasure: Basso Profundo---RUSSIAN Style!! :)

Talk about pressure! :)

Here is a link to a young Jose Carreras singing under the direction of Leonard Bernstein. Talk about pressure. Jose has rhythm and word troubles just the same as anyone else, but his cost for mistakes is higher than yours, I promise! :) Follow the link to see the short video. I will add that Bernstein was a GENIUS and it must be hard to be that smart and have your life feel like everyone is moving in slow motion around you. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoELFSc_dmU

And here is a link to what I imagine is the same day with Jose Carreras, Leonard Bernstein, the London Symphony Orchestra and the added bonus of Kiri Te Kanawa. For your listening enjoyment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWnsm5HVdXU&feature=related

PS....Thanks to Catherine Olson for posting the first link on Facebook.