Chicago NATS
is a Chapter of
The National Association of
Teachers of Singing
Location:Music Institute of Chicago, Lake Forest Campus: 40 E Old Mill Rd., Lake Forest, 60045
Time: 1-4 pm
Teachers: Melissa Foster and Matt Boresi
Nothing is more vital to beginning one's College Musical Theater experience than a strong audition, and nothing weighs more heavily on the mind of a potential musical theater major.
The Workshop team is comprised of seasoned teaching artists from some of the areas most prominent Musical Theater programs. Join them as they share secrets of selecting good audition material, polishing your repertoire, honing your etiquette, choosing your attire, as well as the performance techniques needed to really sell yourself as just what your dream college needs!
Melissa Foster is on the Music Theatre Faculty at Northwestern University, where she teaches Music Theatre Voice as well as Vocal Pedagogy, and Music Theatre Performance Practices.
When not teaching at NU, Melissa has active private voice studios in Chicago and New York. Her students can be continuously seen on Broadway and in National Tours, in shows including Wicked, Rent, Spring Awakening, Spelling Bee, Mamma Mia, Sweeney Todd, Gypsy, Avenue Q, and the Lion King.
She has given Masterclasses at The Summer Vocal Institute, FAME Arts Camp, Broadway Bound, IMEA, NHSI Summer Workshop Programs, Carthage College, Northwestern University, and at the MYA Summer Opera and Music Theater Workshop. Foster also served as vocal coach/consultant for major MT works in Chicago and NYC, including a featured production in 2005 New York Musical Theatre Festival, and for Broadway in Chicago's sit-down production of "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. When not teaching, Foster can be heard as a Professional Studio Vocalist: Recordings on RCA, Sire and Universal Records.
Matt Boresi is a librettist, director, and theater instructor. He is the Program Director for the Musical Theater Program at the Music Institute of Chicago, Visiting Lecturer of Theatre at North Central College and Carthage College, and Director of the North Central College Summer Musical Theatre Workshops and Summer Light Opera Program.
Boresi has conducted Master Classes and lectures at the Northwestern University School of Music, the Tanglewood Institute, Columbia College, Carthage College, the Midwest Young Artists Summer Program, and Self-Employment in the Arts.
Location:De Paul University, Concert Hall
Time: 10:00-4:00
Fees: $20 students and CCNATS members, $30 general public
Some singers appear to have a natural gift for performing, seemingly unfazed by the anxieties and pressure that the rest of us grapple with. Believe it or not, this ability to sing one's best no matter what is not an inborn character trait but the product of a set of skills that can be learned by anyone.
In this workshop you will learn what it takes to become a more confident and dynamic performer, through the use of established strategies gleaned from the field of performance psychology. We will cover a variety of key topics such as building confidence, quieting the mind, and focusing past distractions, and ultimately work on developing specific skills that are essential for managing nerves, increasing focus, and turning performance anxiety into an asset rather than a liability.
Dr. Noa Kageyama began his musical training at the age of two, making his first orchestral appearance at the age of five, and shortly thereafter, his television debut on WBNS-TV's Front Page Saturday Night. As a violinist, Kageyama had 23 years of experience performing and competing nationally and internationally.
While completing his Masters degree at The Juilliard School, Kageyama was a student in sport psychologist Dr. Don Greene's performance enhancement class. Observing first-hand how critical a role the mind plays in auditions and performances, Kageyama left music to pursue his doctorate in psychology and a career devoted to helping others discover the keys to performance success.
Now a decade later, Kageyama has a Ph.D. in psychology from Indiana University with a specialization in performance psychology. Dr. Kageyama is currently the New World Symphony's performance psychology coach, and works with individual students and performing artists as well as professionals in business, medicine, and sports. He has conducted master classes and seminars on overcoming performance anxiety at institutions around the country, including Indiana University, The Juilliard School, the New England Conservatory of Music, and Oberlin Conservatory.
Location: Augustana College
Contact: Sarah Holman: sarahholman@sbcglobal.net
Location:Elizabeth Hale Knox's home
633 William Street
River Forest
Time: 5:00
Please RSVP to ehknox@sbcglobal.net
We will be reading The Naked Voice: A Wholistic Approach to Singing by W. Stephen Smith. The book is divided into three sections. Part I deals with Stephen Smith's philosophy of singing, which incorporates the idea that singing is a search for authenticity, both in the voice and in the person. Singing, he feels, is intricately connected to the rest of our lives and that finding freedom and balance in our voice will likely lead to it in our personal and professional lives as well. In Part II he presents six simple vocal exercises which he calls "Inventions" that form the core of his method. A CD is included with the book with Smith's students demonstrating these exercises. Part III, titled "Where the Rubber Meets the Road," discusses applying the six exercises to vocal repertoire and also broader topics including "Finding Your Own Path" and "How to Be Successful," etc.
The book can be found on www.amazon.com with prices ranging from nineteen to twenty-three dollars. You can also visit www.wstephensmith.com to learn more about the author.
Time: 7:00
Welcome new members to the Chicago Chapter of NATS. We invite all new members to join us in a casual evening to help us get to know you better.
Location: Loyola University
Time: 10:00-4:00
Online registration application deadline January 20, 2010
For all high school singers ages 14-18.
Location: Music Institute of Chicago, Evanston
Time: 10:00-4:00
Online registration application deadline Feb 13, 2010
For singers ages 14-25
Location: Northwestern University
Time: 10:00-4:00
Online registration application deadline March 10, 2010
For college age singers ages 18-28
Location: WFMT
Time: 4:00
Live Broadcast on WFMT for division 6 winners!
With Deb Birnbaum
Northwestern University co-sponsored with Northwestern and Chicago Singing Teacher's Guild
Deborah Birnbaum is an internationally established teacher and performer. Her expertise in breath technique originates from her own private vocal studies with renowned soprano, Montserrat Caballe. Widely sought after as a teacher/clinician, Ms. Birnbaum has a unique ability to help singers assimilate the mechanics of bel canto breath support while working within the context of their vocal technique.
Ms. Birnbaum is a committed teacher whose private studio includes singers from the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Covent Garden, Chicago Lyric Opera and other regional American and European opera companies and apprentice programs. Recent master classes include the San Francisco Opera Center (Adler Fellowship and Merola Program), The Juilliard School (prep division), Mannes College of Music, University of Miami, The Hartt School of Music, Portland Opera, NATS Regional Convention, and Florida Grand Opera.
This season she is scheduled for guest teaching engagements at the Metropolitan Opera (National Council Auditions), Houston Grand Opera Studio, Glimmerglass Opera, Rice University, Westminster Choir College, and Florida Grand Opera. Ms. Birnbaum was invited to join a prestigious group of Metropolitan Opera coaches, conductors and stage directors to present the first opera workshops in Shanghai and Beijing, China and Nagano, Japan. For the past 12 years, Ms. Birnbaum has taught at Tel Aviv's International Vocal Arts Institute, one of the world's foremost summer opera training programs. She was a member of the voice faculty of the Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music (CUNY) and held adjunct associate professor status at Barnard College (Columbia University).
Along the Roaring River: My wild ride from Mao to the Met
by Hao Jiang Tian
Location:Elizabeth Hale Knox's home