opera

Changes

Published on November 21, 2021November 29, 2021 by Nathalie DoucetLeave a comment

In my new office/studio at Michigan Opera Theatre

Since my last blog post back in September, so much has happened. It has been a busy time and one of making decisions and putting plans in motion which is why the blog posts have been very sparse in the last little while, but I finally have some time to write again to update on what has been going on!

After twelve years in the Netherlands, I have decided (along with my husband and two dogs) to leave Amsterdam to change our life and career trajectories. I have accepted the position of Head of Music at Michigan Opera Theatre (MOT) in Detroit. I will also be collaborating in the creation of a Resident Artist Training Program. It is not a complete career change; I am just moving back into an opera house after some time spent in the academic world. I had a pretty active professional life outside of my regular work pre-pandemic, so this change is not a complete 180. It is more like a change in focus.

I have been in Detroit since October 20th, and it has been go, go, go! An exciting time for me starting in this company as they are in a historical transitional growth. I feel privileged to arrive at this time!

Michigan Opera Theatre

For my readers who may not be familiar with this house, Michigan Opera Theatre is the principal opera company in Michigan. MOT began as the educational outreach arm, Overture to Opera (OTO), of the Detroit Grand Opera Association, responsible for the Metropolitan Opera’s visits to Detroit. In 1963, MOT’s Founder and General Director, David DiChiera, took over the program in its third year. “Overture to Opera” officially became Michigan Opera Theatre in 1971 after establishing a board of trustees, signifying its transformation into a professional opera company. The company became known for its casting, which often featured a blend of established artists and young-up-and-coming American opera singers from a diversity of backgrounds.This tradition continues to this day with MOT’s exciting leadership: Wayne Brown, Yuval Sharon and Christine Goerke. Check out the website to learn more: https://michiganopera.org

Michigan Opera Theatre is “the premier multi-disciplined producer and presenter for opera, musical theatre, and dance in the Great Lakes Region. Based in the city of Detroit, the organization engages artists of national and international stature for stellar main stage and outreach performances and provides compelling cultural enrichment programs for the diverse audiences and communities that it serves, making it one of Detroit’s pillars of arts and culture.”

Okay, so…

Such a move may seem out of the blue for those of you who have been following my career and my life in Europe. The truth is, I had been contemplating this for quite some time. Our stay in The Netherlands was never meant to last forever. We just ended up staying a little longer than intended; I was comfortable, my husband was comfortable, and we had security and a routine. However, when the pandemic started, it became clear that we wanted to head back to North America. I lost my mother in September of 2020, and I could not get to my family and could not say my farewell to her. This traumatic event caused me to think about my future and what I wanted to do with it. It was time for a change. I started by updating my CV…the rest has led me to this point.

Since the short time I have been in Detroit, I have already been allowed the chance to stretch my musical and administrative muscles, which excites and stimulates me. I love taking risks, learning new skills, and facing challenges. My new colleagues are incredibly welcoming, and I am always pleasantly surprised at the friendliness of the people in Michigan. People in the street are just saying hello and asking how I am doing…strangers…just being friendly! I am taken aback by it, and at the same time, I love this way of co-existing (I had missed this as well).

At the Metropolitan Opera for the first time in many years, and this time through the stage door.

Last week I enjoyed traveling with my colleagues to New York City for work. It was so wonderful to be in that city again after such a long time, and next week I get to spend a week in Chicago to spend time with one of my oldest and dearest friends, and it wouldn’t be a holiday for this workaholic without some meetings, so that will happen too! As you can see, I am keeping busy! I was worried that being out of Europe would make traveling difficult, but I am so happy to be near friends and family, and Detroit is a great location to travel from!

What About Greece?

The Faculty of Musical Horizons Conservatory in Athens Greece lead by voice teacher, Don Marrazzo

I am still passionate about singing in French and French repertoire. Many of you may have noticed an announcement that I will be teaching French Diction at the Musical Horizon’s Conservatory (MHC) in Athens Greece. This post was always meant to bee an “online” appointment. Through the magic of technology, I will work with the wonderful students in Athens with the click of the mouse. One of the finest voice teachers I know, Don Marrazzo, is the new Head of Vocal Studies at MHC. He is building a program and has put together a faculty of amazing artists. Naturally, when he asked me to join, I did not miss a beat and replied a resounding “YES” because I know whatever he is doing will be of the highest standard and excellence. I only hope that I will be able to go in-person someday for an in-person residency!

What About The Blog?

Not to worry, the blog will continue, and you will soon be finding more diction tips as well as advice and tips when you need it! I need some time to adjust to my new surroundings and responsibilities, and I am also waiting for my husband and pups to join me on this beautiful adventure sometime in December. Keep an eye on this space for the next post!

It feels invigorating to be creating and learning. I am incredibly happy to be on this side of the pond, and when I miss Europe, the airport is right there!

Tip for today: Chase your dreams, take risks. Life is too short not to experience some form of happiness every single day!

Make Haste Slowly

Published on September 17, 2020September 21, 2020 by Nathalie DoucetLeave a comment

“Make haste slowly”

This is what my mentor and teacher, the late Dixie Ross Neill used to repeat to me when I was studying with her, but Caesar Augustus is said to have first adopted the motto: Festina Lente. Make haste, slowly. It took me a while to understand what it meant. I think that when I was a student, I was impatient and maybe a little result-driven. Imagine, back in those days, no social media or profiling trends were pushing me to show my results to the world. Fast forward to 2020, we are the age of social media, instant fame, and being discovered on big platform talent hunts. How does a young aspiring singer get to their desired result while fighting the temptation to skip steps?

I work with singers, and a big part of my work is training young singers who are more than aware of their online content. Knowing how to brand yourself, is an important skill, but the question is, are we skipping important voice building steps in the rush to get “there” faster? Some go into the process, they lay down the base for a great technique, let the voice develop, work on their languages, musicianship skills, bodywork, all of which make someone into a complete artist. Then, there are some who lack patience and are always running after results. They put in the work, but they always try to skip steps because they want to get there faster. With the latter, you can feel an actual sense of panic, which some may confuse with ambition. Skipping steps can make them feel like they are getting there faster, but the truth is, they will inevitably have to turn back and redo the steps they have skipped.

What does it mean to make haste slowly? Let me use the following metaphor: A pianist, while learning a difficult musical passage which is at a high level of technical difficulty is tempted to just play it at tempo, just do it, get it on the first try. There may be a slight chance that they get it right on the first try, but what about every time after that? What will happen to the consistency of their playing? How will they know if it was just a fluke (which it absolutely was)? They now go back, dissect the passage, play it slowly, practice with different rhythms, build up tempo, work on the fingering, and put in the necessary amount of time to learn it from start to finish. Instead of doing it instantaneously and risking that it is just a fluke, the goal now becomes not only to do it right but most importantly, to learn it so that you never do it wrong.

Building your career as a singer is a lot like that pianist working on the difficult passage. Just because you are talented, have a beautiful voice, and sometimes you get it right on the first try, does not mean that you are ready to hit the ground running. Like the pianist working on the passage above, you will want to take the time to establish the foundation on which you build your voice, and that will, in turn help you achieve your artistic and professional goals in the long run. Even if it seems that everyone around you is posting concert photos or doing exciting things; stick to your lane, keep your eyes on your ultimate goal, and eventually you will pass them.

The thing to remember is that we are all learning a craft. Whether you are a pianist, a singer, or any other kind of professional. Knowing everything you can know about what you do is very important. As a young singer I suggest studying where your art comes from, listen to all the great recordings available, examine how the technique and the esthetic have developed over the years. It is a good idea to take note of different styles and conventions of the repertoire so that you can implement them in your singing, or respond to a coach or a conductor when they request them. As you are absorbing all this, also explore listening to all vocal repertoire, not just your voice type, but every voice type, other instruments, and orchestral works. Educate yourself on what you need to know so that once you get out there, you don’t have a lack of knowledge. All this information will most definitely influence your singing and artistry.

As you are doing all of this, be curious and insatiable when it comes to your vocal technique. Whether you are a singer, a pianist, a violinist, or any other musician, technique is the absolute foundation of artistry. Without technique, it is not possible to achieve your musical goals. Imagine doing something incredibly musical: a long phrase, a triple piano on a high note, a lightning-fast coloratura passage, and making it look effortless. Now, imagine that you had the technical knowledge to do this, every-time, without fail. That is what technique means; it is a vehicle for artistic choices. How long does it take to get the technique of a high-level singer? You will probably be working on your technique for the duration of your career, as long as your voice changes with your body. Many of my friends and colleagues with elite careers, still seak help from their voice teachers regularly. When you are a young singer, you lay down the foundation of your technique which hopefully will take you throughout your career. The foundation is the most important part, of course, just think of what happens to a house when the foundation starts failing: it crumbles.

During the spring semester, we were pushed into a different situation in all training programs and education due to Covid-19. We had to go online. It was not ideal, and nobody wanted this, however, I do feel there were good lessons to be learned if you were willing to look for them. The singers that I have heard or seen since have made remarkable vocal progress which in turn has made them much better artists. The focused and meticulous work they did during this time has given them more vocal freedom. They were also free from deadlines and pressures of getting to the result which became somewhat less important for a while. Consequently, they improved quicker than they thought they would. It has been a dreadful time for everyone, but what we can draw from these positive points is that process means progress. In the age of “get there fast”, the part where we slow down to figure things out, is something that most of us have forgotten how to do in this age of “high-speed”. It may take time to get your result, and that is OK. In the words of Caesar Augustus or the great coach and pianist Dixie Ross Neill, “Make haste slowly” and you will get to your result better, stronger, and yes, faster! The quickest way to accomplish something is to proceed deliberately.

A Voice Teacher and a Vocal Coach- Why You Need Both!

Published on August 1, 2020December 30, 2020 by Nathalie Doucet3 Comments

Because singers hear themselves differently than the outside world, they need a team of experts around them to be their extra ears. Singers depend on others to let them know if what they are doing sounds right, if their diction is correct, and if they are actually doing what they are trying to do. Depending on others means that everyone will have an opinion about how you are singing and how you should be doing things. So, how do you know who you can trust? How do you assemble a trustworthy team to help weed through all the noise?

First, and in my opinion, most important, is a voice teacher. As a singer, you need someone who will go on your technical journey with you. This means someone with an in-depth knowledge of vocal technique and who knows how to communicate it in a way that you can understand. Vocal teaching is expressed through a language unique to each teacher and it can take time to understand what they are asking from you. Sometimes the technical work is excellent, but your personalities do not click. Can you work like this? Should you stay in this studio? Sometimes you get along on a personal level, but the technical gains are not happening-same questions apply. These are soul-searching questions and hard decisions, but the most important reasons to be with a teacher are making healthy vocal improvements, problem-solving, and maintaining a beneficial vocal technique. The outcome of your work is more important than just having a great time with someone during a lesson.

In addtion to a voice teacher, an excellent vocal coach who understands where you are coming from and where you are going is essential to any singer trying to have a career. It is important to note that a vocal coach is not a voice teacher. Though they may have the same goals for you, a vocal coach is usually a pianist which means there are no grounds for them to give you a full-blown voice lesson. I have been coaching singers for many years, and I have been in thousands (not exaggerating!) of voice lessons. As a vocal coach, I know many technical concepts, and I can identify what a singer is doing to produce a sound or if the sound is right or not, but that does not mean that I want to go in-depth with these technical concepts. My job is to support the technical work both singer and teacher are doing by understanding it and making musical and language adjustments that do not get in the way and often my adjustments may help technically, but this is just a by-product of my coaching. I may have some technical comments to make, and I do make them, but I am always careful not to steer the singer down the wrong path, and most importantly, I always try not to go against the technical road the singer is on with their voice teacher.

Voice teacher vs. Vocal coach

While both help you to improve your singing, there is a difference between each of the professions. Learning what they do will help you decide how to go about choosing the right people to be in your team.

• Voice Teacher

– Individually helps you to make the correct sounds, with proper pitch and tone

– Works on voice building and vocal registration

– Helps you develop your vocal skills, builds up your vocal production and chooses appropriate repertoire and roles.

– Lays the foundation to build your voice into its full potential and helps you to maintain your voice.

• Vocal Coach

– From the piano, they individually help (to coach) you on singing particular repertoire

– Focuses on style and diction – proper pronunciation of words, especially foreign languages

– Helps you interpret and perform your repertoire (works on character, meaning, sub-text – what does the song mean?)

– Along with your voice teacher helps you build your singing repertoire.

A vocal coach is a usually pianist who works almost exclusively with singers and who knows the repertoire. An excellent vocal coach won’t interfere with vocal technique, and if they notice any issues, they’ll explain to the singer what they think the problems are and recommend that the singer discuss it with their voice teacher.

More than one of each?

As you can see, the two functions at times cross over each other, but this should only be in support of each other. As you advance in your career, you may see your voice teacher less because you are traveling, and a weekly lesson is not possible anymore, and you end up checking in once or twice a month or when you start working on a new role. We are realizing, however, in this time of Covid-19 that voice lessons can really be productive in an online format if need be. But as you are working and travelling, an excellent vocal coach is vital component to your success. They will be your ears and let you know if something is not working. They can take you through your role and advise you on a multitude of issues. The best part is that you can have several trusted vocal coaches around the world. You don’t have to have just one, but with voice teachers, it can lead to confusion to have more than one-the equivalent to “too many cooks in the kitchen”- and in my years of experience, when I have seen singers try to have more than one voice teacher, it has rarely worked out if ever.

Can a Vocal coach be a Voice Teacher?

Some vocal coaches are neither voice teachers nor pianists. They are people with excellent knowledge of repertoire , style, convention, and integrating some technical concepts. They may call themselves voice teachers, but what they do is more like coaching. When you have a session with such a coach, you would normally have to bring a pianist and almost exclusively work on repertoire and not necessarily on voice building concepts.

Though singers can be coaches, I firmly believe that a pianist cannot be a voice teacher. If a singer or violinist offered me a piano lesson, I would be a little perplexed as they don’t have an in-depth knowledge of playing the instrument. Since most pianists have no real idea of what it is like to sing on stage or even sing at all (some of us can’t even produce a healthy sound), they should refrain from teaching someone how to sing even if they have some technical knowledge. There are pianists out there who have studied voice extensively, and they have sung in their life, and then if a singer chooses to work with a singing pianist and follow their technical advice, that is their choice to make, but these pianists are rare. Most pianists who work with singers have had some minimal voice training, but they are not voice builders, which is why my advice is to get your technique from the technical experts!

The bottom line is to know what you need and where to find it. Work with people who support you and each other because you don’t want your voice teacher and your vocal coach bickering all the time-Who needs that? Your number one priority is keeping your voice healthy and acheiving your musical goals!

As they say, “it takes a village” to develop great performers and artists and a great team is crucial to your development, so choose wisely!