At every NEWZATS conference we offer our members an opportunity to present their voice and voice-teaching research findings to the delegates. We have three great offerings, one which has been awarded our Barbara Nicholls Memorial Scholarship.
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Hey bro’, don’t forget da guitar! - Deborah Wai Kapohe
Friday 23 July, 1.30pm The humble gat: a slab of wood and six strings (most of the time). A perfect accompaniment for the human voice. Where would kapahaka and pop music be without it? This paper presentation explores the idea of the guitar as a gateway for discovering vocal repertoire, classical and otherwise, old and new, from both Aotearoa and offshore, that is easily accessible and just waiting, begging in fact, for an adventurous singer to perform. The paper presentation will also touch upon guitar accompaniment as benefitting vocal health and encouraging technical development. The aim will be to leave attendees with the idea that the guitar, in many instances, rather than being an 'alternative' for accompaniment, is actually the authentic, adventurous, and, in some circumstances, vocally healthier option. |
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Women Singers and Teachers of Singing in Dunedin - Claire Barton
Saturday 24 July, 1.30pm In August 2021, I will begin study towards a PhD at Otago University on the topic of ‘Women Singers and Teachers of Singing in Dunedin, 1955-2000: Their work, reach and further implications for the impact of women in the classical singing community’. The primary objective of this research is to examine the role of female classical singers specifically within the practise and teaching of classical vocal performance, but also in the arts more generally in Dunedin. Using a blend of oral history, ethnographic and archival research methods, I intend to examine up to eight case studies of female singers active as both performers and teachers in Dunedin for a period of at least five years between 1955 and 2000. The research will consider how these women singing teachers may have challenged established interpretations in classical singing in Dunedin and how that has also impacted on a larger scale. In focusing upon the histories and experiences of these women, this research will seek to question whether there is a case for the challenging of prevailing narratives around the practice of classical singing in New Zealand history and musicology. My presentation will focus upon the background to my choice of this subject matter, on the preliminary information that I have obtained in earlier research and will discuss the form my research will take and how I intend to identify suitable candidates for case studies. |
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When Your Heart Is Set On Broadway And The MET - Christopher McRae (Barbara Nicholls Memorial Scholar)
Saturday 24 July, 2.45pm Today, singers are expected to be able to perform a wide range of repertoire. This is especially true of musical theatre singers, who must often deal with a variety of music written in differing styles ranging from operatic coloratura to guttural rock growls. This malleability, along with vocal health and longevity, are important aspects for any singer in sustaining a successful career in musical theatre. Current literature surrounding vocal technique tends to address only classical or contemporary paradigms of singing; few studies explore the crossover of the two. This project asks how this crossover of vocal techniques is achieved and what the effect of this is. By analysing the work of notable sopranos Kristen Chenoweth, Audra McDonald, and Kelli O’Hara, each of whom integrate classical vocal technique into their contemporary singing, I explore the efficacy of stylistic crossover. I use the Estill system of vocal diagnosis as a shared language for the analysis of vocal technique. The project evidences the positive effects of a holistic understanding of the voice on vocal longevity, informing future vocal pedagogy and advancing understanding of the ever-evolving approaches to musical theatre singing. |
