Lessons will be online this semester and possibly longer. Students will need a computer, an internet connection and the best mic and speakers possilbe. It’s preferable not to do this with your phone, although that has proven not to be impossible. You wil need a strong, reliable internet connection and a space where you are free to move around and make sound without feeling inhibited. 

We will start to work with the platform voicelessons.com. This is reputed to be a cutting-edge platform designed specifically for online vocal instruction. The instructor will be learning it, too, so some patience may be required for all in the early going.

Other platforms (not Zoom, from which we have been prohibited!) may be experimented with as well.

There may be some group classes and discussions using Blackboard Collaborate Ultra.

Sheet music and/or appropriate song books will be determined individually. Each student MUST purchase his or her music, or download LEGAL copies.

A notebook should be kept with lesson insights, exercies, assignments, etc. It should also serve as a practice journal.

The platform we use should allow recording and re-studying of each lesson.  This is highly recommended.

Accompaniment “Rehearsal Tracks”: It is required that you have a viable rehearsal recording of the accompaniments to your entire study repertoire for the semester.  These often come on cds in the various song anthologies we use.  If not, there are many sites where an mp3 can be purchased very reasonably.  A partial list of such sites will be available. A great tool is the “Virtually Vocal” website I will introduce you to.  When all else fails you can get our studio accompanist Louise Avant to record your accompaniment for you.  This will undoubtely involve a small fee. For the first songs of the semester you should usuallyhave these accompaniments no later than the fourth week of school (although this may vary somewhat from student to student().  For material assigned later, you should have them no less than two weeks after the piece(s) were assigned.

Each student will be on their own unique path with the items discussed above under “Course Subjects”. Course objectives include such things as “improvement”, “development”, “discovery”, “richer awareness”, etc. and are just about impossible to measure objectively.

Let’s call it “progress”.

Other measurable things include attendance, punctuality, evidence of practice, preparation, energy and attitude brought to the sessions, completion of listening/reading/concert assignments, and getting music learned on time.

Grades

Your studio grade is 75% of your final grade and will be based on the above.

25% of your final is grade is your jury. This is analagous to the final in an academic class, and in it you perform your music for the entire voice faculty. This will be online this semester, and details will be discussed later.