Maggie - Voice&VRH 10/12

 This week, I met with my pianist to rehearse some pieces since Thomas is out of town and it went really well! We worked on the Ned Rorem pieces together so that when Thomas and I work on them, we can jump right into the technique and musicality rather than focusing on notes and rhythms. I'm very excited to keep working on those pieces, they are so beautiful!

In voice recital hour today, so many people performed wonderfully. Braden Winford particularly blew me away. One of my favorite things about being in this department is I get to grow and progress with so many wonderful singers, and I also get to hear the progress other people have made over time and it makes me feel so happy and proud of everyone. Braden sang Purpose from Avenue Q and I loved his very clear tone and how easily he moved through the song. In relation to the progress comment, this clear tone really stood out to me because in the past, his voice would sometimes feel slightly timid and not like the breath was being used to push the sound out. But this performance really showcased that improvement! He had some very fun riffs and I could hear how well he was using his breath energy to flow evenly and clearly through each note as well as to stay right on the pitch without falling underneath it. As per usual, Braden also held such great stage presence and was very engaging in his performance. 

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