U B U

A singer came to me recently for a little informal coaching, and we looked at some of the material she has been working on lately, songs in the folk and ballad traditions. At some point, our conversation about lyrics reminded her of other music she had sung in the long-ago past, music I was not familiar with. So, to show it to me, she opened her mouth and unleashed an operatic soprano of great power. My whole apartment rang with the sound flowing through her, which was amazing, but more amazing was the physical transformation that came about as she sang this music. She was taller. Her back was broader. Her eyes danced. Her gestures became more expansive and graceful, and I felt that I was seeing HER for the first time. I had known for a while that there was more to her than was evident, but to see and hear it revealed was breathtaking. This was her heart singing.

The ultimate high of teaching, to me, is sniffing out something hidden within the student, something quite extraordinary that has been covered over for oh so many private reasons, and, acting on my tracking instinct, gently helping that extraordinary something break out into the air and rise up singing.

The best part of all is the look on the student's face when realize they have allowed themselves to be seen without disguise, to be heard, to be recognized, and nothing bad has happened. It's a look of joy. Tears too, sometimes (this is not a contradiction). I believe that technique, practice, talent, work ethic, intelligence, and effort are necessary, but they are all for naught if you are hiding behind them. You have to be you. In full color. In your most profound humanity. This, ultimately, is what makes an artist worth listening to. For the teacher, it is an honor to be part of the process.