Giselle Wyers interviews Sandra Snow, one of our 2010 Summer Institute guest presenters

by Giselle Wyers, R & S Chair for Youth and Student Activities, WA ACDA

You work at Michigan State University: Tell us a bit about the teaching you do, how long have been teaching there, etc?

This is my fifth year at Michigan State University and I have a dual position in conducting and music education.  I conduct the MSU Womens Chamber Ensemble, created when I came to MSU.  I teach graduate and undergraduate conducting, choral pedagogy, and graduate coursework in music education.  One of the unexpected pleasures has been teaching the introduction to music education course for freshman.  There is something intoxicating about the sheer passion these students have about the idea of teaching and it keeps me in touch with my own reasons for this life choice.

Are you still working with childrens choirs, as well?

No, though we have an exceptional childrens choir in residence conducted by Kristin Zaryski.  My son sings for her and it is breathtaking to witness one's own child come into their voice and sense of self.  I still do a fair amount of children's honor choirs, most recently the ACDA Southern Division Children's Honor Choir and I've had a long and fruitful relationship with the Pacific International Children's Choir Festival as a regular conductor in that format.

Do you have any special ties to the Puget Sound region- summer is pretty nice here weather wise   What are you looking forward to about the summer session?

My ties to the area are slim so I am very happy to be invited to beautiful Washington.  I did do doctoral work at the same time as Marc Hafso ((WA ACDA President) and, in fact, our six year old daughter is named for one of his children.  And, of course, I'm looking forward to seafood!

What are some of the topics you plan to cover at the upcoming summer session in Tacoma?

The summer session environment is so relaxing, isnt it?  I enjoy presenting in this format when the sessions are small enough to feel more conversational than institutional.  Jonathan (Reed) and I are doing several joint sessions, one on advancing vocalism in the male and female voice as well as a conducting masterclass.  I will also take up the issue of imagination in teaching, how we can continue to grow our practice as conductor/teachers.
 
What are teachable moments in rehearsal?  Can they be cultivated or is it more a matter of capitalizing on them when they occur spontaneously?

Teachable moments are those fluid opportunities in rehearsal to set aside personal goals in order to listen, receive, and respond to singers in an authentic way.  The conditions for teachable moments can be cultivated by an ethos of trust.  Trust can be gained when singers believe or understand a conductor/teacher is more about their experience than goals of perfection.  It is ironic, isn't it, that the most compelling and moving performances may have reached a high level of proficiency but it is the soulfulness of the singers that communicates.
 
Tell me more about what you mean by developing diagnostic rehearsal strategies.

I'll work on this concept in one of the interest sessions.  Basically, I maintain that rehearsal strategies are embedded right in the musical DNA of a composition and that what and how we choose to teach the ideas are in direct relationship to the experiences and needs of the singers with which we work.  I talk about conducting/teaching as a rich form of improvisation.   Improvisation is creative work of the mind and the richer the thinking and decision-making, the more spontaneous and joyful our work becomes.

What is the one thing you think teachers should emphasize more when it comes to the question of empowering a student's full musical potential.

Expect more, press less.  

How much is gesture a part of the picture for you, as you describe rehearsal strategies?

Gesture is our most powerful teaching tool.  It is astounding enough the difference in vocal sound that can be achieved by communicative gesture but even more so to realize that our gesture has an impact on the very self-identity of a choir.  Issues of control (or release of control), trust, and motive are translated through our body work as conductors.

Can you summarize a bit about your publication In High Voice?

In High Voice is one of the series in the wider Boosey & Hawkes holdings developed by Doreen Rao.  In High Voice targets developing and advanced womens choirs, distinguished by the quality of composition but also by the interaction with texts and ideas that reflect the complexity of women's experiences.

What are some of the challenges and rewards that you have found from working with younger singers such as your work with the Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus?

Working with children taught me both the craft of teaching and how to work at the most basic level to build vocalism.  I believe those years with the Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus were my best education and like many teachers, feel badly for what I must have put them through as they taught me what was effective!  If one can develop a beautiful instrument in a child, one can shape vocalism at any level.  It's just the most pure experience!

Describe your personal style of leading rehearsal and engaging singers, especially middle school and high school aged singers.  From your experience what is it that students need the most right now?  Musicianship? Heart, a sense of connection?  Better repertoire?

Great question.  I like the word engage very much.  It has more vitality than facilitate without projecting my personality on a choir.  To engage is to set the conditions for success and that means understanding where singers are coming from (musically and personally) and shaping experiences that are relevant.  Great repertoire, absolutely, they deserve it  Musicianship, what a joy when they can take ownership of musical ideas. Heart and a sense of connection...why do we sing in the first place?  We sing to feel the most alive, the most vibrant, the most spiritual, and the most complete.  We don't sing to learn concepts for concepts sake, solfege for solfege sake, vowels for vowels sake, or even music for music's sake.  We sing because to be expressive is at the core one of the essential experiences of the human condition.
 
You have a lovely gestural vocabulary.  Who were your conducting teachers and who continues to inspire you in the field?

Thank you!  I have had such wonderful mentors who continue to inspire me.  I studied first with Hilary Apfelstadt, one of the few women working at that level at the time.  I became deeply involved in Doreen Rao's Choral Music Experience Institute and found great synergy with other colleagues, particularly composers.  I learned more than I can say from Dr. Charles Smith, then Director of Choral Programs at Michigan State University.  Aside from his superb gesture, I learned to consider text much more deeply than I had before and it in turn transformed my ideas about musical phrasing.  I spent seven wonderful years at University of Michigan where my colleague Jerry Blackstone inspired me daily and who actively mentored me into the ways of collegiate teaching.

As for the present, my students, present and former, inspire me.  It is a great privilege to watch a teacher take wings and fly.

What composers, especially American composers, interest you?  How do you sift through the chaff to find the good stuff? What recommendations do you have for teachers looking for affordable but high quality repertoire for their programs?

A tough question, as I'm interested in so many musics.  I love the music of Daniel Brewbaker, a composer who in my opinion is surprisingly unknown.  The state of Minnesota seems to grow exceptional composers!  The young crowd, Jocelyn Hagen, Abbie Betinis, Andrea Ramsey, among others will contribute new voices to the repertoire.  

At MSU, we have made the tough decision to require students to purchase their choral music as textbooks.  We simply couldn't sustain the high cost of repertoire.  The obvious disadvantage is that we are not building a choral library as we did in the past, but this kind of arrangement will no doubt be the wave of the future.  We also use CPDL with regularity.  

Building a "Soundtrack" for Life
by Giselle Wyers, R&S Chair for Student and Youth Activities

August, 2009

In the summer I often find myself thinking about the value and meaning of music for music's sake.  Summer becomes the time I get back to basics within myself, learning and growing as a musician and scholar in a quiet, sometimes lonely place.  

And yet when the school year ramps up again, I find myself anxious about whether the endless hours of "on time" with students will leave me invigorated or exhausted.  This catch-22 is perhaps as much about human nature (always wanting what you don't have) as anything.  But inside this is also what I consider to be a useful exercise- looking at how we can use music as a "soundtrack for life" in both the active, harvest phases (working with students, going to festivals and tours, etc) and the quieter "germination" phases (alone in the office, filing old papers, and playing through repertoire ideas on the piano).

What makes a piece one that becomes part of a "soundtrack for life?"  How can we help our students build connections to the music they sing so that it sustains them--both throughout the year, and eventually, outside in the "real" world as they pursue future paths?  Can we help students connect with classical music at the same emotional intensity that they feel when they hear popular music?

A couple of years ago I had the honor of working with a large number of choirs in Alaska during a three day festival held in Ketchikan for high school choirs, bands and orchestras.  

Part of my task was to offer workshops in areas that might enrich their education.  After doing a number of sessions on vocal technique, Laban movement and small ensemble skills, I chose to deviate from the norm and offer a session called "How music has saved or changed your life."  

The room was packed.  I began the session by sharing a true story from my past about how music sustained me through the darkest period of my life.  

Back when I was 26 years old and pursuing a masters degree at Westminster Choir College, my mother was diagnosed with one of the most malignant brain tumors out there- and I was told that she probably had less than a year to live.  

This shocking news was delivered to me one week before I was expected to conduct my graduate choral recital. Arrangements were made for me to fly home after her surgery, and the day after my recital.

I spent that week preparing music, packing boxes, researching unconventional cancer remedies, and missing my mother terribly.  

But what sustained me through that week was the music itself.  It is strange and serendipitous that I had chosen Corigliano's Fern Hill (a setting of a bittersweet poem written by Dylan Thomas about the fading of childhood, with the final lines of the poem "Time held me green and dying, though I sang in my chains like the sea") and Lauridsen's MidWinter Songs (the first lines of the Robert Graves poem read "Dying Sun, shine warm a little longer! My eye, dazzled with tears, shall dazzle yours, conjuring you to shine and not to move," and the final lines of the poem are, "How hard the year dies: no frost yet... Spare him a little longer, Crone, For his clean hands and love-submissive heart.")

How I was able to conduct these texts is beyond me.  Something about the process of creating music in the midst of grief, within a community of sympathetic fellow singers, was a tremendous gift and has always stayed with me.   My mother died after 5 1/2 months.  Each day after she died, I spent 4 hours playing piano as well as studying scores for my orals exam, and somehow, music pulled me through it all.

When I shared my story with the high school students before me, the concept of music as a "soundtrack for life" began to resonate.  

I then asked them to write down anonymously their own stores of how music has saved, or changed, their lives.  The stores were incredible.  I had not anticipated the depth of sharing that might come from this simple exercise.  

There were stories of brothers in Iraq, stories of perseverance through poverty, stories of parental neglect, and how in each case, music saved them from despair.  

I also read stories of music's ability to transform students' moods and perceptions and bring joy and creativity to their lives, especially through the friendships and bonds they formed in choir. Many spoke of particular texts that shaped their year, or "signature pieces" that they will never forget performing.

If you ever wonder, as you amp yourself up for another year of hard work and long hours, what the value of your work is, ask your students to write a "soundtrack for life" story for you.  You may be surprised to learn that your teaching has "saved or changed" their lives, through your offerings of music, poetry with depth, community, and love in your classroom.

--Giselle Wyers, R & S Chair for Youth and Student Activities
wyersg@u.washington.edu

College Scholarship Auditions: Tips from an Insider

by Giselle Wyers, R&S Chair for Youth and Student Activities
April, 2008

Scholarship season is upon us!  Many graduating high school seniors will soon be hearing from prospective colleges about funding for next year.  Having sat on a few of these audition committees myself, I thought it might be useful to share some tips of what makes for a positive audition experience for both the student and committee. Save this article for next year, and share it with your students.

BEFORE YOU GO
• Know that every program is different.  Be sure you research the school’s audition requirements carefully, with a fine-toothed comb for detail.  Have all necessary forms filled out before arriving to the audition, as well as bringing along any additional materials the committee may request (such as scores for the judges, repertoire lists, resumes or programs of concerts you have performed in).

• Ask the school’s administrators ahead of time if there are any stipulations dependent upon receiving funding (for instance, a minimum GPA or declaration of a music major).  Many schools require students to be music majors to receive funding.  This is the time to decide if you’re ready to take the plunge!

• Decide before you go to the audition what degree program in music you are most interested in- vocal performance, music education, or general music, music business, etc.  In many cases, the committee will bring different expectations to a candidate who says they mostly want to teach music compared to a candidate who is trying for a career in opera.

• Be sure you know if an accompanist will be provided.  You may choose to use an accompanist you are familiar with—this strategy works well provided they have the necessary skills to really back you up and play with expression and historical style.  At times, going with a new accompanist who is actively studying the piano is a better bet than “Aunt Bessie” who may be a little rusty.

THE BIG DAY
• Arrive early to the audition so you can take time to get a good look around the music building, meet the admissions staff, and find out what room you’ll need to go to.

• Dress nicely.  When in doubt, be conservative.  Women: avoid shoulderless gowns and/or miniskirts partly because they are not professional, but also because they do not keep you warm, and you may find yourself feeling chilly right before you have to sing.   Bring a shawl as a backup.  Men: wear dark dress shoes, iron your dress shirts, and be sure not to wear hats indoors. 

• When you arrive into the audition room, introduce yourself and your accompanist to the committee.  Try to look as poised and confident as possible, no matter how nervous you may really feel!  A warm friendly hello sets everyone at ease. 

•  Bring a capped water bottle in just in case you develop a dry mouth during your audition.  It is acceptable to pause briefly between songs to get a quick sip.

• Don’t expect the committee to watch you the whole time you are singing.  They will be busy taking notes as well as possibly passing your file around.  I like to encourage my students to imagine that the person who is their biggest fan (mom, boyfriend, best friend) is in the back row of the hall.  Sing to them.

• Speaking of mom, best friend, or boyfriend: feel free to bring them along, but it is probably best to not bring them inside the audition room.  They can listen outside the door.  Show the committee your ability to shine on your own.

• While you are singing, try to stay focused on a few simple concepts to help yourself relax.  You might try thinking, “Okay, today I plan to try to get a good breath before every new phrase without lifting up my shoulders.”  Having a focal point like this can help you feel stronger in the face of normal stage fright.

• If you forget the words, try to keep going.  As silly as it may feel, “improvising” your way back into familiar terrain is a better strategy than stopping altogether.  A trained accompanist will know how to follow you and help you stay on track.

• If for some unfortunate reason, you have to sing on a “sick voice,” tell the committee that you are feeling under the weather. If the illness has not affected your voice, it’s better to put on a cheery face and forge ahead.  Scholarship committees tire easily of singers saying, “I have such a cold today…”, so try to keep complaints to a minimum.

• After you have sung, don’t expect applause, but feel free to gesture to your accompanist and smile a bit.  Then head over to the committee in case they have any remaining questions.

• If the school you are interested in has an “interview” portion, be ready to quickly sum up the reasons why you want to be a music major.  Be prepared to ask questions about your performance background (what instruments you play and for how long, whether you have received private instruction on your instrument, if you have sung in musical theater or opera productions, if you have participated in All-State or All-Northwest choruses, summer workshops, etc, if you are active in musical leadership roles (as assistant conductor of your high school choir, section leader for a church choir, etc). 

• If you are asked how many years you have studied voice, be careful to be accurate in your answer.  Sometimes studying voice from a young age isn’t always an asset, because certain habits may have become ingrained already.  It is far better to say you have studied a slightly shorter amount of time—and made leaps and bounds—than it is to say you’ve been at it since age 13 with only basic improvement.  If you’ve only been studying privately for 6 months, tell the committee, “6 months of private study.”  If you’ve been studying since age 14, but not in the summer, and with a variety of teachers, tell them, “4 years on and off but I had a different teacher each year”… don’t feel that you need to inflate the amount of study. 

MUSICAL CONSIDERATIONS
• Choose your selections carefully.  In most auditions, two or more pieces will be requested.  When considering what to sing, aim for variety and pieces that show off your strengths.  As a broad generalization, faster pieces tend to work well for openers, and slower pieces work better for the second selection.  The reason may be because fast pieces help singers work through their nervousness, by putting their excess energy into the music, and slower pieces tend to demand better breath support and longer phrases, tasks that are easier to accomplish when you are less nervous.  Of course these are only general observations, and you should trust your instincts. 

• When in doubt, choose easier music that can be sung very confidently.  Mozart’s “Queen of the Night” aria can wait.  It is far better to be musical, to sing all your lines with beautiful phrasing and sensitive interpretation, than it is to overshoot and choose a piece that is too hard. 

• Practice your audition with an audience before scholarship day.  Even if you can only round up a few friends or family to listen, it is best to practice performing.  The act of standing up in front of people and singing through your music memorized is challenging, and the more experience you can have of how it will feel, the better!

• If you choose a foreign language selection, BE SURE you know EXACTLY how to pronounce each word.  Pay special attention to how to SAY the text when you introduce it to the scholarship judges.  Sometimes scholarship judges can tell in advance how well you will sing just based on how you pronounce the titles!

• If the selection is an aria from an opera, be sure you know what opera it is from.  And of course, be sure you also know the composer’s name by heart.

• The old adage “When in doubt, sing out” is never more true than in a scholarship setting.  Avoid pieces that ask you to sing quietly for extended passages.  The faculty listening to you will be looking for whether you are capable of projecting your voice (of course within healthy parameters).  They may use terms like “sing on the breath” or “hook your air to the sound,” and the end result is a supported tone that projects well.  Show them you know how to sing out.

• By all means, avoid singing “non-classical” material unless the school specifically requests varying styles.  In some cases, musical theater selections are acceptable, but in most cases, it is better to stick with classical basics, such as selections from the “26 Italian Songs and Arias,” works by Handel, Purcell or Mozart, or art songs by Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Faure, and contemporary composers.  If you are worried about singing classical literature, try singing a tasteful arrangement of a folk melody or hymn.

THE NEGOTIATION
• After your audition, send a brief thank you note to the committee.  This can be as simple as a short email, although a hand-written note is valued more than ever in this digital age.

• In your note, or other correspondence, be sure to tell the committee if you are seriously considering their school.  However, it is in your best interest to keep them guessing a little.  If you tell them, “I’ll be seeing you in the fall for sure!” they may be less likely to offer you funding, since part of the purpose of the scholarship award is to attract new talent to their school. 

• Don’t be afraid to tell the faculty that financial support is essential, if that is the case.  Scholarship awards are not always just merit-based, and may factor in financial need.

• When you receive a scholarship fund offer letter, be sure to send it back as soon as possible with your signature!  Schools have strict guidelines about when you must reply, or risk losing the assistance. 

• Once you know you have been accepted to the program of your choice, consider contacting a voice faculty member to express your desire to work with them the following year.  Although schools may not always be able to honor your first choice, faculty will be impressed that you are requesting to work with them, and may be able to move their schedules around to accommodate you.  There is no harm in trying! 

Dr. Giselle Wyers is Assistant Professor of Choral Studies and Voice at University of Washington, where she where she conducts the University Chorale and teaches courses in voice, undergraduate choral conducting, graduate choral repertoire, and music methods.