Courses Taught (during this academic year)
Other Courses Taught:
* Until the MME program at Southeast Missouri State University was dissolved due to enrollment and financial constraints, I was active in teaching master’s level voice lessons and master's theses projects.
- Applied Voice at all levels* (MP 101 through MP 403): undergraduate voice majors (BM, BME, BA), music minors, and non-majors; music theatre students. Systematic development of singing technique and performance skills through sequential literature applications; included bi-weekly group voice master classes, and preparation of degree recitals. (see teaching philosophy for more information)
- Literature of the Applied Area, Voice (MU 432 02): Study of vocal literature through listening and analysis, with attention to style characteristics. This is an introductory course for undergraduates. Emphasis is placed on gaining an understanding of standard cannon of German, French, and English art song. Students are required to research and present lectures on art song composers, summarizing the major accomplishments and art song literature of those composers.
- Opera Workshop (MU 398) Opera workshop is taught collaboratively with two other voice faculty and is organized in two formats. In the fall semester, we audition and prepare a full opera (or two one-act operas); this show is then performed early in the spring semester. The second format is that of a scenes program, which is developed over the spring semester (February to May); this culminates in a performance at the end of the spring semester. My involvement in these collaborations varies depending on the semester. I often serve as director and technical coordinator for the full productions. In the spring semester, we share directing and musical preparation duties. In recent years we have developed the ability to produce and project supertitles in our full productions. This has enhanced audience understanding, and provided singers the opportunity to sing in original languages.
- Aural Skills I and II (MM101, MM106): development of fundamental aural skills for music majors and minors, and musical theatre majors. These courses focus on melodic sight reading via solfeggio and number systems; rhythmic reading using the Eastman syllabic system; performance and aural recognition of all intervals, chord qualities, and scales, and the development of melodic and rhythmic dictation skills.
Other Courses Taught:
- Class Voice: group voice instruction targeting instrumental music education majors. This course develops the fundamentals of voice technique and basic group singing methods for future use in educational settings.
- Vocal Pedagogy: An introduction to the science and methodology of vocal pedagogy. The course includes a substantial portion of vocal anatomy and function as well as practical application of vocal techniques and strategies via practice teaching with volunteer subjects.
- Singer’s Diction: Two semesters of lyric diction for singers: first semester – English and Italian; second semester – German and French. Application of rules of pronunciation for singing in these languages using IPA symbols.
- UI100 Music Makers: a seminar course required of all freshmen, organized by topic. The course serves as an introduction to the University Studies Program (general education requirements) at Southeast Missouri State University. Several topics are available to students. This course promotes an awareness of of the western art music; content is used to establish research and critical thinking skills as well as introduce the social and historical context of music in our culture. Other incarnations of this type of course included “Voices, Rock to Opera” (which I created), and UI100.
* Until the MME program at Southeast Missouri State University was dissolved due to enrollment and financial constraints, I was active in teaching master’s level voice lessons and master's theses projects.