studio philosophy
This is a studio
for those who serve their art. This is not a studio
for those whose primary concern is that their art
should serve them.
The words
"studio" and "student" imply "study."
Study requires
self-discipline and the willingness to fail from
time to time.
The sole rewards
of study are acquisition of knowledge, improvement,
pride in one's accomplishments, self-respect and
heightened self-esteem. That's all. Anything else is
gravy.
Self-esteem is
not something someone gives you. It is something you
earn for yourself.
It is not your
teacher's job to entertain you.
It is not your
teacher's job to give you life counseling.
It is more
meaningful to learn much from a knowledgeable
teacher, than it is to be entertained by a showman.
It is your job to
acquire the music and tools you need to make your
work and the teacher's job more effective and more
efficient.
Think for
yourself! Don't wait for someone else to supply the
missing information.
You do your own
learning, discovering, inventing ... The teacher is
merely the guide. The singing teacher is a mentor
and a partner in your growth. She is not your
employee or your servant.
If you believe in
what your teacher is teaching you, you will listen,
do and learn.
Sure. Teachers
are a dime a dozen. Good ones cost considerably
more.
Go to the
teacher's studio. Doctors don't make house calls
anymore, either. In the case of both professionals,
the reasons for this are many. If it would be
presumptuous to expect the doctor to visit you, why
would it not be equally presumptuous to expect the
teacher to visit you? (See courtesy and respect,
below.)
We see more
entertainers performing and making big money than we
see artists performing and making big money. An
artist doesn't care. She sings anyway.
Cultivate common
courtesy and respect. It's necessary for your
success in this studio and in the world. How do you
know for sure? Would you hate to miss an opportunity
because you are rude, thoughtless, self-serving,
unkind ... ? Speaking personally, I'd rather not
take that coin toss.
If I could teach
you all you need to know in a few, easy lessons, I
would. I would be rich and famous. It
doesn't work that way.
You don't add
notes to your range. Your voice range pre-exists.
Your job is to discover all of the notes in your
range. The teacher helps you with that.
"Loud" comes
later.
If you are
focused on learning more than two major skills at
one time, or you are participating in two or more
major programs (such as soccer and singing) at once,
and you are a normal human being, you are trying to
do too much. One at a time is best.
You have one life. Don't waste it. Be accomplished.
Don't be a slacker. Be smart, not cool. "Cool" is
not a thing or even a state of being. It is
insubstantive.
We must select the illusion
which appeals to our temperament, and embrace it
with passion --
Cyril
Connolly (1903-1974)
Each concession we make is
accompanied by an inner diminution of which we are
not immediately conscious. -- Emile M. Cioran
(1911-1995)
