Classical Singer Magazine: Teachers’ Lounge
If necessity is the mother of invention, then the high cost of maintaining a singing career gave birth to The Washington Vocal Consortium. A decade ago, a group of professional singers began meeting regularly to coach each other, discuss vocal technique and the business of singing, trade concert gowns and share babysitting. “Initially, we were just helping each other”, says Cate Frazier-Neely. But their networking and collaboration “and a lot of trial and error” eventually led the singers to a business partnership. Each consortium member continues to perform and teach independently, but the come together once a month or more to present full-day workshops for singers, voice teacher and choral director. “We’re now into our eighth year of tem-taught workshops and we’re also developing vocal training materials for publication.”
How did informal discussions on the singer’s art turn into a secondary teaching career? In 1987, soprano Frazier-Neely was singing successfully as a soloist on the regional level and was also teaching at a local college. “At this stage of my career I was frustrated by the amount of money I was still needing to spend on voice lessons, coaching and accompanists,” says Frazier-Neely. I thought that if I could find other performers who were teachers and pianists like me, then we could coach each other and save money.” She closely observed her colleagues around town?often my competition at auditions”?nd soon found an excellent group of artists/voice teachers who were open and secure enough in themselves to collaborate without feeling threatened.
“I especially appreciated the fact that openness and curiosity were not viewed as sign of weakness, “says Frazier-Neely, but, rather, as a normal response to the passions of singing and teaching.” Insecurities flared when they were all up for the same singing jobs, but they also recommended each other for singing jobs when their schedules were full. The colleagues became friends and they continue to have a deep basic respect for each other. That trust holds us together during musical, technical and even a few personal disagreements.” The Washington Vocal Consortium is mezzo-soprano Catherine Huntress-Reeve (Kate) and sopranos Elizabeth Daniels, Kathy Kessler Price and Cathryn Frazier-Neely (Cate).
Through collaboration among singers isn’t as unique now as it was in 1990—when the Washington Post declared that a group of divas getting together to help one another must be “An historic first”—it is still rare. Renowned author and voice clinician Richard Miller recently wrote in the Journal of Singing: “Teaching voice tends to be a go-at-it-alone enterprise, much to the detriment of students and teachers alike.”
At first, as the Consortium members coached and critiqued each other, it was intimidating and a bit confusing. “I think that the only reason it worked was that we had all grown up totally immersed in music and had studied, performed and taught for many years.” They approached singing from many angles?ocal technique, acting, staging, conducting?nd had extensive backgrounds that included classical, musical theater, pop and jazz, both vocal and instrumental. “We continue to bring information to each other, whether, it’s an article from Scientific American, Opera News, Classical Singer, Journal of Singing, Vocalist, or feedback from toher coaches and teaching gurus,” says Frazier-Neely. “Over the years we have adopted a shared technical vocabulary. Our vocal workshops reflect a common, organic and verbal approach to singing.”
An unexpected benefit has been the mentoring gof each other through the challenges of balancing careers with family and personal lives. “in our present group,” says Frazier-Neely,” we have two cancer survivors and another who has persevered through multiple abdominal surgeries.” As performers, they monitor each other’s progress “Is this gig worth doing musically, financially, or for the publicity?” We constantly have to tread the fine line between being helpful and being judgmental.” They know first hand that life as a professional musician is fiercely competitive and that only a few are truly exceptional. “Not everyone will have a singing career, but we in the Consortium feel that there is a place for all singers who are merely brilliant, talented and devoted!”
Q and A: The Washington Vocal Consortium
Classical Singer: What are some advantages to the team-taught approach?
WVC: For the student, when it’s right, there’s a synergy that’s better that what any one clinician can give. Our various areas of expertise are complimentary—a single idea can be expressed in many different ways. For us, as teachers, the workshops are financially rewarding and intellectually challenging. We constantly learn from each other and can try new things.
CS: What are the major challenges of team teaching?
WVC: In the beginning, there were some conflicts because we all have strong personalities and rather flamboyant teaching styles. It’s been hard to keep things simple and not step on each other’s toes in our zeal to present a topic or information. Also, we have different approaches to problem-solving: Cate and Kate move into the abstract while Liz and Kathy like concrete examples.
CS: How do other voice teachers react to your workshops?
WVC: We often have voice teachers attend the workshops or send students. Some teachers seem to come to snipe, go away converted and their students attend the next one! We frequently discuss ways to help other teachers form their own groups. Locally, the teachers know that we’re not interested in padding our own private studios (we all have waiting lists.)
CS: Do you perform together at The Washington Vocal Consortium?
WVC: No. We tried that, exploring some amazing repertoire for solo women’s voices that doesn’t get performed very often, but it is too tiring to give a concert and then present a workshop. Also, our voices don’t really work together. Plus we have only one mezzo. We are a teaching consortium.
CS: What advice do you have for others who want to team teach?
WVC: You must be someone who values collaborative effort, and this can not be underestimated. Start slowly and take time to observe the work and personalities of potential team members. Sing for each other, clarify ideas, and get to know each other before you plan classes. Successful team teachers have a sold sense of self and self-worth that they bring into collaboration. But they are willing to try new ideas.
CS: Will your approach work in a typical college or conservatory faculty setting?
WVC: Hmmm…good question. We all teach at different schools. It would depend entirely on the individuals on that faculty. It’s been our experience that technical disagreements are often the result of not being able to verbalize opinions. So to team teach, you need to be willing to verbalize clearly and translate intuition into something that another teacher can understand.
