Singing with Max R.

I have had a lifelong fondness for music, science, and the aesthetic expression of emotion through sound. My Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Boston University serves as a hallmark of my enduring performance background in opera, art song, chamber music, church services, choral repertoire, and musical theatre. Recently, I have also increasingly discovered the brilliant educational tools that contemporary voice science has to offer the human instrument. My resultant engagements with vocal pedagogy in graduate school, through independent study, and at professional events – including the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Summer Conference and the Boston Conservatory Vocal Pedagogy Workshop (where I received a Certificate of Distinction in Vocal Pedagogy) – has garnered a developing comprehension not only over the relevant anatomy, physiology, and acoustics of the voice but also of the psychology of singing and the essential ingredients for mastery of complex motor learning. My additional experience with the Alexander Technique as well as some Yoga further helps supplement my practical understanding over the basic neuromuscular and musculoskeletal functions of the human body. I have had the fortune of putting all my learning into pedagogic practice by providing critical analysis and constructive feedback for student singers both in group studio classes as well as in the teacher’s studio throughout many years of my singing career. These experiences have cumulatively helped me identify and rectify errors in my own singing, enriched my performing and, thus, augmented my ability to empathize with colleagues and with the needs of aspiring singers. I am dedicated to helping each individual find this same vocal independence, which will allow their technique, self-confidence, and unique artistry to blossom. I strive accordingly to draw on these various facets of knowledge and direct personal experiences in my teaching. Amalgamating music and science as reinforcing rather than disparate arenas of knowledge, it will invite the student to explore a holistic package of practices spanning vocalism itself to its underscoring foundations: from basic Alexander Technique to vocal athleticism to bodymapping to diction (using the acclaimed IPA) to some fundamental music theory and ear training. The ultimate purpose is to directly benefit you and your particular ambitions as an enthusiastic singer. I very much look forward to working with you.