Matt Edwards

Associate Professor of Voice, Shenandoah Conservatory Artistic Director of the CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute

Category Archives: Misc. Thoughts

The Metropolitan Opera Guild May Be Dead, but the Arts Are Not

The recent closure of the Metropolitan Opera Guild triggered comments on social media lamenting the death of the arts. This is without a doubt a sad development for opera in … Continue reading

August 16, 2023 · 8 Comments

The history behind “High Art” bias in academia

TW: Contains historical quotes with racist content The vast majority of academic music programs in the United States are predominantly if not fully steeped in classical music with few or … Continue reading

January 26, 2023 · Leave a comment

Pedagogical Musings: Music Preference & Social and Cultural Identity

As we all explore ways to be more diverse and inclusive, I want to share a few thoughts. There is a 2002 study by Angela Turton and Colin Durrant called … Continue reading

August 28, 2020 · 2 Comments

Love the Music? Love the People: Moving Beyond Style to the Heart and Soul of Genre

“Change starts in our classrooms and our studios…showing our young people, and especially BIPOC, that all musics deserve to be studied and taught and sung…that we respect that they know … Continue reading

June 17, 2020 · Leave a comment

Ten Ideas for Online Teaching

Covid-19 is here and voice teachers have no choice but to adapt and move online for a while. A simple look at social media shows that teachers who are not … Continue reading

March 12, 2020 · 10 Comments

Recalibrating for Popular Music Singing

An excellent article by Julie Martin Dean. Great advice for singers and teachers of popular music styles.

January 26, 2020 · Leave a comment

Mix it up Monday: “ That’s not how you_____________”

How many times has one of your students said something along the lines of: Well the music director said that pop/rock never has vibrato The casting team told me my … Continue reading

November 18, 2019 · 3 Comments

Facebook Live with Allen Henderson

For the last year, I have been part of VoiceLessons.com‘s weekly Facebook Live broadcasts. This week we are hosting Dr. Allen Henderson, Executive Director of the National Association of Teachers … Continue reading

November 3, 2019 · Leave a comment

Mix it up Monday: Inhaling too much air

If you are a frequent reader of this blog, you know that I do not believe it is “all about the breath,” but that doesn’t mean I believe that breathing … Continue reading

October 28, 2019 · 4 Comments

Mix it up Monday: Performing like a psychopath

“Cognitive dissonance, the mental conflict that occurs when beliefs or assumptions are contradicted by new information. The unease or tension that the conflict arouses in people is relieved by one of several … Continue reading

October 21, 2019 · 1 Comment

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