Boston
Singers' Resource News Bulletin, October 29, 2002
It is with this community spirit in mind that am so pleased to Highlight
Diana Cole* and Carolyn Kingston* and VOCAL
ARTS COLLABORATIVE. Diana and Carolyn, both New England natives, have
been teaching and nurturing local singers for most of their adult lives.
They have some wonderful information to share with us about collaboration,
the community, and singing. Enjoy their interview, and please don't hesitate
to contact them to get involved!
"The Vocal Arts
Collaborative teachers are committed to gentle, supportive risk-taking.
By the end of the class, you can see joy in the faces of both the students
and the teachers." VAC Participant
Vocal Arts Collaborative
(VAC), is an organization dedicated to meeting the growing need to
find harmony in ourselves, in our relationships, and in our community
through collaborative singing events. VAC offers community sings, workshops,
and special events that strive to nurture a spirit of spontaneity, creativity,
interaction, and respect for people of all ages and cultural backgrounds.
Founded by Carolyn Kingston*, Diana Cole*, and singer/song leader Jan
Maier in 1996, they have been an incorporated non-profit since 1999. To
quote Carolyn Kingston, "Diana and I were part of a women singers
support group for a number of years called Vocanet. In 1996, the three
of us, singer/song leader Jan Maier, Diana and myself decided to form
an organization that would offer a variety of singing opportunities to
people of all ages, interests and abilities. Our mission was and is ‘to
explore and develop the human voice as a means of expression and a tool
for building community.’ The community aspect is very important in
VAC in our workshops, community sings and special events. We want to share
and encourage the joy, healing, and expressive power of singing with as
many people as possible."
VAC offers a variety of singing events and workshops including Community
Sings (which feature a variety of styles - folk songs, show tunes, gospel,
patriotic, and love songs), Benefit and Special event concerts (such as
their annual January SolSing), and Home Sings (invite friends, family,
and colleagues to your home to celebrate a special event or raise money
for a cause.) Their workshops feature both solo and ensemble singing opportunities.
Favorites include "Vocal Gym," "Yoga for Singers,"
"Acting for Singers," "The Inner Game of Singing,"
"Opening to the Voice," "Rounds," and "Ensemble
Singing."
More information about Vocal Arts Collaborative and their programs can
be found on their website at www.vocalartscollaborative.org
or you may contact VAC directly at 617-484-9248 or tvocalartscoll@comcast.net
ABOUT CAROLYN KINGSTON, DIANA COLE, AND JAN MAIER,
THE FOUNDERS OF VOCAL ARTS COLLABORATIVE:
"I thoroughly enjoyed participating in your workshops. You are delightful
people to work with and very gifted teachers.
Thank you for your efforts with us!" VAC Participant
CAROLYN KINGSTON*, Soprano, received a Master of Music degree from Indiana
University and has sung operatic roles with Opera Barga in Italy, the
National Opera Company of Raleigh, NC. and the Associate Artists Opera
Company of Boston. She has sung solo and duet recitals throughout the
Northeastern United States, and is currently on the voice faculty of New
England Conservatory’s Division of Prep and Continuing Education
and the Powers Music School. Known for her integrative approach to singing,
Kingston offers workshops in managing performance anxiety, yoga for singers,
and vocal presence skills for speakers. She teaches private voice and
voice therapy in her home in Belmont, MA.
DIANA COLE*, Mezzo-Soprano, received a Master of Music degree from the
New England Conservatory of Music and was awarded a Minna Kaufmann Ruud
Scholarship to study in Italy. For twenty five years Ms. Cole toured the
New England area with the Young Audiences award winning Opera to Go program
and has performed opera roles with the Associate Artists Opera Company,
The Boston Lyric Opera and the Opera Company of Boston. In addition to
being mezzo-soprano soloist at the Follen Church in Lexington, she has
produced and directed operas there, including the award winning "Amahl
and the Night Visitors." She has been featured as soloist in major
works with the Dedham Choral Society, The Masterworks Chorale and The
Master Singers. In addition to her work with VAC, she teaches private
voice in Arlington and with the Musicians Collaborative at the Munroe
Center for the Arts in Lexington.
Diana Cole and her sister, Carolyn Kingston, have performed duet concerts
from a repertoire of more than one hundred and fifty duets in eight languages,
ranging from the renaissance to contemporary literature. They offer unusually
varied programs which draw from both classical duets, opera, operetta,
and folk music, as well as American popular music from Stephen Foster
through the 20‚s, 30‚s and 40‚s. Their appearances include
the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Gardner Museum, the
Longfellow Historical Site, and Harvard University in Boston, MA.
JAN MAIER, is a singer-song leader who conducts folk choruses and leads
innovative workshops on improvising harmony, multicultural folk music,
women’s music, spirit songs, and rounds. Although classically trained,
she teaches songs ‘by ear’ and is gifted in helping people rediscover
the joys of singing with others. As an R.N. and M.P.H.. Jan has merged
her careers with presentations on music and healing and lectures to health
care workers. Recordings include "Mountain Skyes," "Rounds
Galore & More," and others.
"VAC’s collaborative approach allows us all to become sharers
of the ancient and powerful tradition of singing together." VAC Participant
BSR: The term "collaborative" means many things to me - do you
mean collaborating with other people? or other art forms? or other community
events?
VAC: Our primary goal in using the term collaborative in our organization
is to provide an opportunity for other singers, song leaders, and workshop
leaders who share our all-inclusive vision for singing experiences to
join us and contribute their talents through our organization. We like
the idea of having a collaborative group of singers and teachers who work
together rather than the lone ranger approach typical among many performers
and private voice teachers today. Collaboration also refers to the multi-disciplined
approach of our workshops including teachers from Alexander Technique,
yoga, movement and improvisation.. Next spring we are planning a workshop
which will include writing and visual art forms as well as singing.
BSR: Your dedication to singing and to the community is very noble. Before
you formed VAC, how did you determine that there was a need for this?
VAC: All of us had taught singers out in the community - recreational
singers and professionals. It seemed that singers needed more places to
sing and explore singing with others outside the numerous classical choruses
or more formal curriculum of music schools. We hoped to fill that gap.
BSR: I couldn’t agree with you more! We so need more places to explore
singing other than just the traditional, formalized performance settings.
Thank you so much for offering this to the singing community!
BSR: How do you structure your VAC workshops?
VAC: It depends on the workshop and on the teachers . We have had "performance
labs" which are like the traditional master class geared for solo
singing. We also have workshops focused on process and discovery such
as "Opening to the Voice" and the "The Inner Game (Barry
Green) of Singing." In our "collaborative" workshops, time
is alternated and shared among the various disciplines and/or teachers.
Most workshops allow for spontaneity and group interaction.
BSR: Can you take us through one of your workshops? How do you begin and
get everyone relaxed and involved? How do you end?
VAC: One example would be our "Singing with the Whole Body".
We gather in a plenary session for introductions, expectations and to
give an overview of the day. Each teacher describes his/her perspective
on how singing and the body are interconnected and how their session will
explore that connection. Then we divide the participants into three groups
and each group rotates through three sessions: Yoga for Singers, Vocal
Gym and Alexander Technique. Everyone gathers for lunch and the last session
involves group singing. We provide opportunities throughout the day for
questions and feedback.
BSR: The Boston music scene is many things, but "collaborative"
is not a word I would use to describe some of the arts organizations;
how has this been for you?
VAC: We are finding that there are niches in the Boston area where collaboration
is thriving. Carolyn has led a number of her "Yoga for Singers"
workshops for National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) events.
The "Sing for Joy and Healing" two day NATS retreat in Vermont
last May, included a number of presenters who explored not how we sing
but why we sing. We had a great time learning and exchanging ideas.
I (Diana) had a wonderfully collaborative experience with "Opera
to Go" of Young Audiences Inc. for over 25 years. That was truly
a collaborative endeavor: creating and performing over 6 shows for the
schools, despite an occasional caffeine-deprived flare-up at 8 AM in the
morning! We had wonderful fun and many hilarious stories to tell, such
as the time we traipsed over to Dunkin Donuts in our Rigoletto costumes
between shows. The Duke in his bloomers and tights made quite an impression
on the regulars!
BSR: Have you encountered any obstacles forming or promoting VAC?
VAC: At first we were eager to try a large variety of workshops and projects:
a song festival in the summer, up to 8 workshops a session, a newsletter
with columns we each wrote, etc. We soon "exhausted" ourselves
with all the myriad tasks that this kind of organization takes (does this
sound familiar?). We decided to become a non-profit, with a board of directors
to help us. We then went through an exciting process of paring down and
simplifying.
Promoting VAC and ensuring enrollment is sometimes a challenge. We love
to see support from teachers and singers who help promote VAC to new groups
of singers and who might join us to bring new ideas to the organization
and share our mission.
BSR: Do you have any special stories from your workshops or workshop participants?
VAC: We have encountered singers who have refrained from singing for years
because of some elementary teachers admonition to "mouth the words
because you can’t sing well". In some of our process oriented
workshops, these singers have taken the first steps in finding out that
they do have a voice and that they have every right to sing. Then there
was the moment for us when a older man, who had won a chance for a solo
spot in one of our Sings, burst forth with a voice that might have once
rivaled Domingo-singing with all his heart and soul. There was also a
surprisingly impressive solo from a ten year old girl. You will probably
hear her one day in your annual audition.
BSR: How interesting that you are sisters (I didn’t know!) Is your
whole family musical?
VAC: Our parents are primarily artistic, although very appreciative of
music. Our Dad was an architect based in Lexington, MA and Mom a graphic
artist trained at the Museum School in Boston. The singing talent can
be traced to our grandmother on Dad’s side. She sang in the chorus
and had small solo parts in Victor Herbert’s operettas in the early
20th century. As teens we had different musical tastes. I (Carolyn) was
strictly classical and Diana was more into Pop. We finally got into sync
sometime after college and began singing classical duets and then later
added show tunes and American standards.
BSR: So, you both grew up in the New England area?
VAC: We are true Boston natives. We lived in Cambridge as young children
and then Lexington. We were both active in music at Lexington High School
singing in Gilbert & Sullivan operettas and in our church in Lexington.
Today our ties to Lexington remain strong. We are both members of Follen
Community Church where Diana is the soloist and where we frequently perform
together. Many VAC activities also take place in Lexington.
BSR: How has classical singing in New England changed through the years?
VAC: There are so many wonderfully talented singers in this town. When
I (Diana) first started singing in Boston in the 70’s, you could
call up a conductor, personally, for an audition and one usually knew
most of the singers in town. I was amazed that singers were asking on
the BSR site how to get a call back from one of the Boston Chorus’
Summer Sings. I remember in the 80’s being called and asked which
Summer Sing I wanted to sing! It is so much more competitive out there
today.
BSR: It IS competitive. Any advice for the NE based singers who want to
do more performing but may be discouraged by the competition?
VAC: Since the Boston scene has grown and the competition is more intense,
I can only recommend starting your own project, creating your own singing
opportunities. This city is amazingly open to the grassroots organizations
that spring up. And networking never hurts: support other singer’s
performances, introduce yourself, join NATS if you’re a teacher,
Boston Area Cabaret Artists if you’re a cabaret singer, and of course,
Boston Singers’ Resource (one of the best things to happen in this
city- to help singers find their way through the Boston "streets"!)
BSR: Tell us about your upcoming workshops and any other personal singing
performances you will be doing.
VAC: This fall we offer four workshops and a "Sing-Through of Oklahoma".
The latter is a spin-off of the "cult" showing of the movie,
The Sound of Music where singers show up in costume or with a prop to
sing along with the soundtrack. We will not be showing the movie, but
we thought it would be fun to sing the songs of Oklahoma from beginning
to end with narrative and tales from the creation of the show. We also
encourage costumes and a box of cookies for the "box social"
which will enter all willing singers into a drawing for a solo spot. The
outstanding Cabaret Duo of BENJAMIN SEARS and BRADFORD CONNER, who have
been touring with their new Rodger’s Centennial Show, will lead the
singing and provide the dramatic narrative as well as entertain us with
trivia from the show.
"Sing-Through of Oklahoma"
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 3-5 PM, Suggested Donation: $8, Under 12: $5 Follen
Community Church, 755 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington, MA 02421 For information
call: 617-484-9248 or 781-643-1289. All ages welcome.
OTHER FALL 2002 VAC WORKSHOPS:
SPEAK AS YOU SING! Led by Carolyn Kingston
Thursday, October 10, 7:30 -9-30 PM
An introductory workshop designed for singers of all abilities interested
in improving the projection and flexiblity of their speaking voices. Please
come prepared to share one SHORT (2-3 minute) story, memory, or joke.
HOW DOES THE VOICE WORK? Led by Carolyn Kingston and Diana Cole Tuesday,
October 22, 7:30-9:30 PM This workshop will feature two videotapes: a
fiberoptic view of actual vocal folds during phonation, and a diagrammatic
demonstration of the inner workings of the larynx.
PERFORMANCE LAB FOR THE SOLO SINGER: ART OF THE GERMAN LIEDER
Wednesday, November 6, 7:30-9:30 PM
Featuring ROLAND SEILER, Master Teacher from Germany, who joins us for
an evening of exploring the unique poetic and musical expression of German
lieder. Each singer will be given individual attention on one song.
More
information about these and other programs can be found on the VOCAL ARTS
COLLABORATIVE website at www.vocalartscollaborative.org
or you may contact VAC directly at 617-484-9248 or vocalartscoll@comcast.net
Vocal Arts Collaborative also invites other singers, song leaders and
teachers who are committed to similar goals, and who would like to teach
and participate in a collaborative organization to contact them. If you
are interested, and would like to find out more, please call Carolyn Kingston
at 617-484-9248 or Diana Cole at 781-643-1289 or email vocalartscoll@comcast.net