Research
In addition to my professional pursuits, scholarship is an important aspect of my life. I wrote my first research paper in eighth grade on the historical development of feminist musical theatre, and my thirst for knowledge has only grown since. My present research interests primarily stem from the intersection of music and drama pedagogy and directing practices. With both a background in musical theatre and my current studies in voice pedagogy, I am in a unique spot to address this educational hole.
Considering that acting pedagogy is often based in experiential learning with less of a pull from science, I used emerging voice science research to establish tangible vocal technique benefits to teaching movement-based acting methods to classical singers. I conducted a survey of somatic methods in the spheres of voice and acting pedagogy and interviewed several local practitioners including Kathy Miranda (Alexander Technique) and Anita Bueno (Feldenkrais Method). I also spoke with voice teachers at programs that include acting training in their curriculum to discuss the benefits they see for their students. With the foundation of voice science and existing somatic methods, I developed my own curriculum that uses Anne Bogart's "Viewpoints'' in conjunction with Carol Kimball's style analysis tools. As a part of my research I built a syllabus and course calendar for a proposed class in movement-based acting for classical singers.
After the completion of my Capstone, I presented at the National Opera Association poster session in January 2023 and was awarded first place for my presentation. I also presented a draft of the research to an audience of interdisciplinary theatre practitioners at the IUGTE Conference in Laubegg, Austria in July of 2022. I hope to further this research at a doctoral level and advocate for a change in the accreditation requirements for B.M. Classical Voice degrees so that young singers can enter the professional world feeling secure in their acting training. My research has the potential to induce widespread change in the collegiate classical voice curriculum and inspire greater cross-collaboration between the fields of music and theatre.
