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2021 Presenters and Abstracts
Joel Balzun
Working With Composers:
Secrets From a Singing-Composer
Abstract: While composers may learn how to write beautiful music, and write beautifully for the voice, the creation of a new piece of vocal music is decidedly a team effort and a collaborative process. The best songs and opera roles are written with input from the singer. But what does the composer truly know about the voice? Where does the singer step in to help? As a composer and performer, I have been on both sides of the commissioning process. I have learned about the voice from a composer’s perspective, and have learned about new music from a singer’s perspective. This presentation will offer new insights on the creation process for new vocal repertoire. I will also be talking about my own experiences as a commissioned composer and using my own compositions as case studies.
Bio: Praised as a "mature artist with a voluminous sound," baritone & composer Joel Balzun currently holds the position of Teaching Fellow at Biola University. From Carnegie Hall to the Kennedy Center, Mr. Balzun has appeared successfully on both the operatic and concert stages. As a Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center, Mr. Balzun sang alongside Stephanie Blythe in a concert of American song, and Dawn Upshaw and Sanford Sylvan in Shostakovich's brooding Symphony No. 14. A proponent of new music, Mr. Balzun recently collaborated with Kurt Erickson on his new cycle Here, Bullet which was the winner of the NATS Art Song Composition Competition. An accomplished composer himself, his song “Lucky: March 2017” was recently featured on Megan Moore’s award-winning recital for the Young Concert Artists Auditions. His compositions have been performed throughout North and South America and Asia. www.joelbalzun.com
Crystal Barron
Mindfulness in the Studio: Creating a Safe, Collaborative Co-working Space
Abstract: Mindfulness and mental health are top of mind for us all during 2020, and the challenges presented to us as we negotiate our way through the COVID era. This workshop will explore strategies to allow our studios to evolve so that they remain a safe place for students to explore, grow, and become autonomous life-long learners of voice. This presentation will be a workshop exploring mindful, trauma informed pedagogy for the studio. Strategies, examples, group participation and additional resources to build your mindful pedagogy toolkit will be explored:
• Fight or flight—cues and clues and strategies for solutions
• Destygmatizing Failure
• Fostering curiosity and play
• Novelty in the studio
• Building self-awareness and ownership of sensations
• Teacher and student as collaborators
• Teaching and learning with a nonjudgmental mindset
• Teaching outside the lines
Breathing, Adapting and Growing
in the COVID Era.
Abstract: Breath sustains us physically, emotionally and vocally, from one moment to the next. Now more than ever, breathing is in the spotlight. We are facing stresses and challenges of online learning, including learning to breathe and sing in masks. Studies of aerosol flow patterns inspire us to adapt. As the very act of breathing continues to be the focus of the entire world, “professional breathers” might ask: “How can we deepen our knowledge of the science and art of breathing”?
In light of this, we will explore:
• A re-examination of the anatomy and physiology of breathing
• Acknowledgement of the unique nature of each person’s breathing mechanism
• Practical strategies for assessing and coordinating breath
• When collaboration with a breathing specialist may be beneficial
Bio: Crystal Barron is a Voice and Breathing Coach for professional voice users and teachers. She’s worked with hundreds of artists who are feeling “stuck,” guiding them to discover and embrace the unique beauty, freedom and strength of their own voice. A self-proclaimed anatomy geek and voice science nerd, Crystal has trained at NCVS SVI, is on the board for Vocology in Practice and NATS-LA, a voting member for PAVA, and is the only MDH Breathing Coordination Advanced Certified Practitioner in the US. She is trained in laryngeal massage and Myofascial release, and holds a Master’s of Music in Vocal Performance from CSULB. Her students have been top 10 in “American Idol” and “The Voice”, on National Tours and National TV. Crystal has been featured at notable regional and international voice and teaching conferences. She lives in Los Alamitos with her 3 daughters. Learn more about her crystalvoicestudio.com.
Daniel Fung
Linking Language and Music
in Mozart Secco Recitative
Abstract: It can be initially daunting to undertake the task of learning Mozart secco recitative. However, understanding and integrating linguistic and musical rhythm will result in a far more secure and expressive delivery. Examples will be drawn from the Mozart/Da Ponte operas.
Bio: Increasingly sought after as a musical partner, DANIEL FUNG is rapidly establishing himself as a multifaceted collaborative artist who has performed throughout his native Canada, the United States, France, Italy and Austria. As a soloist, he has given recitals and performed concertos with the Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton Symphony Orchestras. His passion for vocal accompanying has led to Marilyn Horne's festival at Carnegie Hall, The Song Continues and master classes with such prominent singers as Renée Fleming, Patricia Racette, Eric Owens, Elly Ameling, and Joyce DiDonato. Holding degrees from The Juilliard School and University of Calgary, Dr. Fung has worked as score consultant with the Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD production team. Previously on faculty at UW-Madison, he is currently the Assistant Teaching Professor at UNR working as a collaborative pianist and vocal coach. In his spare time, Daniel Fung enjoys travelling the world and discovering culinary delights.
Alexander Hahn
Unlocking Meaning
in Art Song Performance
Abstract: Looking to raise your students to the next level? This presentation aims to assist student singers in their performance of art songs by presenting practical guidelines for poetic and musical analysis. By providing frames of reference and helpful guided questions, poetic and musical content is analyzed and assimilated into an informed performance. Through critical examination of poetic and literary devices and structures, such as prosody, scansion, form/meter, and other textual attributes, students will have a better understanding of the poetry and composer’s setting of the text. In addition to examining melody and rhythm, the analysis of cadence levels (in essence a harmonic road map), bassline motion, and motive will reveal previously unrecognized meanings in a song. Subsequently the presentation will discuss how to highlight these topics through performance. An example of analysis and informed performance will be provided through the performance and analysis of Schubert’s “Meeres Stille” (II) D. 216.
Bio: Hailed as "charming" (Opera News) and "commanding" (The Day Connecticut), Dr. Alexander Hahn’s performance career has taken him to prestigious venues across the globe. Dr. Hahn’s recent performances include his debut with the Beethoven Easter Festival of Warsaw as Pietro in Simon Boccanegra, Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro with Bronx Opera, Claudius in Hamlet with Opera Ithaca, Monterone in Rigoletto with Opera Theater of Connecticut, Zuniga in Carmen with New Rochelle Opera, and the bass-baritone soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with EOS Orchestra of Beijing. A former Paris Opera Competition Grand Finalist, Dr. Hahn’s recent commendations include awards and recognition from the Schuyler Career Bridges Organization, the Giulio Gari Foundation, the Heida Hermanns International Voice Competition, and the Yale School of Music. Dr. Alexander Hahn currently serves as the Director of Vocal Studies for the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music of California State University Long Beach.
Melissa Heath
Ornamentation simplified:
a guide for teachers of high school
and undergraduate students
Abstract: Teaching ornamentation to High School and Undergraduate level students is often overwhelming. The weekly lesson time usually feels too short as it is in our efforts to address all of the technical, musical and language skills we want to teach our students. By the time we finally get around to addressing ornamentation, it is often added hastily and is prescribed by us, so the topic remains a mystery to the student. In addition, scholarly sources on ornamentation are often too complex or lengthy to interest younger students. This presentation aims to be a help to both teacher and student, simplifying and clarifying the where, when, why and how of adding ornamentation to music from the Baroque, Classical and Bel Canto eras.
Bio: Soprano Melissa Heath enjoys a varied career of opera, concert and recital work. Hailed as a “soaring, sparkling soprano” with “vivacious stage presence,” recent opera roles include Countess in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen, and the role of The Water in Utah Opera's Production of The Little Prince. Recent concert work includes performances with Utah Symphony, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, The Blacksburg Master Chorale, Cantus Youth Choirs, and Salt Lake Symphony. Ms. Heath was the soprano soloist with Ballet West in choreographer Nicolo Fonte’s world premiere of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. She was a district winner in the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions, and was a two-time regional finalist in the National Association of Teachers of Singing’s biennial art song competition. Ms. Heath is an Assistant Professor of Music and the Vocal Area Coordinator at Utah Valley University. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in voice from Brigham Young University, and her Master of Music and Doctorate of Musical Arts degrees in voice from the University of Utah.
Sarah Kim
Temporomandibular Dysfunction's Effect on the Singing Voice
Abstract: Studying the temporomandibular joint and the issues that may occur is becoming more common among singers. With this presentation, there is hope that a larger number of singers will become aware and obtain facts, suggestions, and exercises that may benefit them. Most recently, the medical issue’s correct term is called temporomandibular dysfunction, which includes a broader range of symptoms. TMD relates to the singer because a healthy temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and correct jaw function are necessary to singing. A dysfunctional jaw affects the voice, causing technical and performance challenges. As TMD increases among singers, voice teachers will need to gather accurate information on this dysfunction and how to manage it properly. The lack of attention to the jaw and TMD significantly affects the singer and the singing voice and with necessary further research. In conclusion, a clearer understanding of this dysfunction as it relates to singers is the goal and needs to be achieved successfully.
Bio: Sarah Kim is a native of the Pacific Northwest and recently finished her D.M.A. in Voice Performance at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, studying voice and opera with Dr. Linda Lister. Her research specialty is in: The Historical and Cultural Influences and Song Interpretation and Performance Practice of Gagok (Korean Art Song), Voice Disorders of Dysphonia and Aphonia, Vocal Health, Performance Anxiety, and TMD Treatment for Singers. Dr. Kim has taught private voice and piano studio, teaching ages ranging from 6 to 60. As a professional singer, she has performed guest recitals, benefit recitals, outreach programs, and teaches master classes.
As a performer and arts administrator, Dr. Kim has worked and collaborated with UNLV Opera, Portland Opera, Eugene Opera, St. Petersburg Opera, Rimrock Opera, Coeur d’Alene Symphony, Chamber Music Northwest, Eugene Symphony, Bravo! Vancouver, Astoria Music Festival, and Portland Summer Opera Workshop.
Dr. Kim is a member of NATS and National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity, holding a M.A. in Arts Management from University of Oregon, M.M. in Voice Performance from University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a B.M. in Voice Performance from Northern Arizona University. Additional certifications include a UNLV Continuing Education Grant Academy Certificate and Cornell University edX Teaching and Learning in the Diverse Classroom.
Albert R. Lee
MLK Observance Presentation:
Celebrating the MLK Legacy
in American Vocal Literature
Abstract: The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr is often viewed through the lens of his iconic “I Have A Dream Speech.” While this speech captures the highest aspirations of the Civil Rights Movement, there is significantly more to Dr. King’s legacy than his soaring rhetoric. As we open the 2021 NATS Cal-Western Region Conference and Student Auditions we will examine how this speech along with several other of Dr. King’s captivating texts appear in American Art Song and Chamber Music. Discussing specific works by composers David Baker, Adolphus Hailstork, and Lee Hoiby, this presentation offers a window into the life and legacy of Dr. King as it is revealed in song.
Bio: Originally from New Haven, CT, Albert R. Lee is Associate Professor of Voice and Opera at the University of Nevada, Reno. With degrees from the University of Connecticut, The Juilliard School, and Florida State University, he has made a career as a classical vocalist in opera, oratorio, recital, and liturgical music. Dr. Lee is a featured soloist on a recording of works by composer, George Walker on Albany Records singing musical settings of the Walt Whitman poem “When lilacs last in dooryard bloomed,” a poem written as an elegy to Abraham Lincoln after his assassination. Since joining the faculty at the University of Nevada, Reno, he has been a sought-after guest lecturer for courses in the English Department, the School of the Arts, and the College of Education, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, the Black Cultural Cooperative and at universities around the country. Dr, Lee was a feature speaker in UNR’s TEDx event with a TedTalk sharing his thoughts on the recent National Anthem controversy titled “When I Sing the Anthem.”. He has given the faculty keynote address for the university’s cultural graduation celebrations and at the university’s opening ceremony. Dr. Lee draws inspiration from the literary works of Langston Hughes as well as his unique artistic, spiritual, and personal journey from childhood to his current life as an international performer and college professor.
Linda Rose Linnebach
Breathing, Adapting and Growing
in the COVID Era
Abstract: Breath sustains us physically, emotionally and vocally, from one moment to the next. Now more than ever, breathing is in the spotlight. We are facing stresses and challenges of online learning, including learning to breathe and sing in masks. Studies of aerosol flow patterns inspire us to adapt. As the very act of breathing continues to be the focus of the entire world, “professional breathers” might ask: “How can we deepen our knowledge of the science and art of breathing”?
In light of this, we will explore:
• A re-examination of the anatomy and physiology of breathing
• Acknowledgement of the unique nature of each person’s breathing mechanism
• Practical strategies for assessing and coordinating breath
• When collaboration with a breathing specialist may be beneficial
Bio: Linda Rose Linnebach is a Voice Teacher and Breathing Coach. She trained both in the United States (B.M., USC; M.F.A. in Vocal Performance, UCI; Wesley Balk Opera-Theater-Institute) and in Austria (Akademie für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien; Salzburg Mozarteum). Most recently, she trained in MDH Breathing Coordination, Myofascial Release Technique for Neck, Voice & Swallowing Disorders, Laryngeal self-massage and Vocal Yoga. Her career, principally in Austria, included solo engagements with Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Harmonices Mundi, Brucknerbund Kammerorchestra and the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra, and resident voice coach to Erwin Ortner’s Chor Akademie. As Artistic Director of SOCSA's Opera Night program for 17 years, Linda directed opera scenes and full productions. She serves on the board of NATS-LA. A winner of numerous prestigious vocal competitions, Linda is the first American to win the coveted “International Singer of the Year” award at the Eisteddfod Competition in Llangollen, Wales.
Linda Lister
Programming Music by Women
Abstract: Most recital programs consist entirely of works by ma le composers. Even those interested in changing the canon may not know where to start in adding music by women. So this session will provide recommendations and specific resources to help in programming music by female composers. Based on research from the book So You Want to Sing Music by Women, this session will present repertoire from the Baroque era to the 21st century, including songs by Barbara Strozzi, Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Alma Mahler, Pauline Viardot, Nadia and Lili Boulanger, Florence Price, Margaret Bonds, Libby Larsen, Lori Laitman, and Gwyneth Walker, as well as less familiar up-and-coming female composers. In addition, opera and musical theatre repertoire will also be discussed, including works by Unsuk Chin, Gabriela Lena Frank, Missy Mazzoli, Du Yun, Lucy Simon, Jeanine Tesori.
Bio: A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Vassar College, Linda Lister received her MM from the Eastman School of Music and her DMA in Voice Performance from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. Her solo credits include performances with the Washington Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic, Evansville Philharmonic, Piedmont Opera Theatre, Opera Theatre of Rochester, and Maine State Music Theatre. She created the role of Madge in the world premiere of Libby Larsen's opera Picnic. She is author of Yoga for Singers: Freeing Your Voice and Spirit through Yoga and So You Want to Sing Light Opera, and co-author of So You Want to Sing Music by Women, Voice Secrets: 100 Performance Strategies for the Advanced Singer and Red Rock Mantras. Her compositions are featured on her Albany Records release Pleas to Famous Fairies. Dr. Lister is Director of Opera Theater and Associate Professor of Music at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Julia Nielsen
Vibrato: A Voice Teacher's Guide
Abstract: Have you ever wondered:
•What causes vocal vibrato?
•If a vibrato is too fast/slow/wide/uneven, what can be done about it?
•How can “straight tone” be sung healthily?
• Is the dreaded wobble inevitable with age?
•What technical factors encourage vibrato development? Vibrato: A Voice Teacher's Guide will help answer these questions, demystifying the topic of vocal vibrancy, and giving teachers the tools they need to work with their students' vibratos.
Teachers will learn:
•The parameters of a healthy, normal vibrato
•The physiological causes of vibrato • The connections between breath support, vocal folds, and vibrato
•Vocal exercises that can help singers explore straight(er) tone singing in a healthy way
•How to encourage vibrato if it is absent or inconsistent
Bio: Dr. Julia Nielsen has been one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s most sought-after vocal pedagogues since founding her private voice studio in 1999. Her students have performed leading roles with opera companies worldwide, soloed with symphonies, starred in Broadway musicals, and raised their voices in elite professional choruses across the United States. Dr. Nielsen’s students have been heard with the San Francisco Opera Chorus, the Grammy-winning San Francisco Symphony Chorus, and the Philharmonia Baroque Chorale. She was the Guest Artist at the 2020 Cal-Western NATS Conference. From 1999 to 2014, Dr. Nielsen was also on the voice faculty of the award-winning San Francisco Girls Chorus, teaching young women at the chorus’s professional level.
Sven Edward Olbash
Fake It Like A Pro!
Simple Accompaniments
For The Piano-Challenged
Abstract: Insecure about your piano skills? Or an experienced pianist who wants to better support your students from the keyboard? In the age of Covid-19, many of us are finding ourselves without a pianist to play for lessons. And those of us teaching online may need to be able to simplify piano accompaniments for live lessons or for recording practice tracks. Take your existing theory and piano skills and put them to better use with simple keyboard hacks. No Pianist? This presentation will show you what notes to leave out, what to add, and how to substitute chords to improvise simple accompaniments for songs and arias—whether there are chord symbols or not. Now instead of asking "Sondheim AGAIN?" you can confidently say "I Can Fake It Like a Pro!"
Bio: Sven Edward Olbash is a teaching artist with San Francisco Opera, owner of Voice Science Studio, and creator of the online musicianship and technique video courses Sing the Right Notes and Higher, Louder, More Beautiful. He has presented workshops for Lincoln Center Education, ArtSmart, and the Gregorian Institute of Canada. With only four semesters of undergraduate class piano, Sven was able to convince people he was a professional organist for some 20 years as Director of Music at such prestigious venues as the French National Church in San Francisco. And as Artistic Director of Lacuna Arts Chorale he somehow managed to learn to sight read choral scores of up to 10 parts at the piano—without a keyboard reduction. He thinks you can, too, with a few simple tips, tricks, and tools! In his free time Sven enjoys flying trapeze, baking cranberry scones, and writing bios in the third person.
Luis F Rodriguez Morales
Singing Women
Abstract: This recital of music by women composers has been chosen to honor the NATS 2020-2021 celebration of female composers. The program was chosen specifically to represent a broad variety of composers, from the historic to the contemporary, and including women of color, trans, and cis women.
Bio: Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. B.M., Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico; M.M., Westminster Choir College; D.M.A. (Collaborative Piano), Arizona State University. Studied piano with Marisa García, José Ramos Santana, Andrew Campbell and Russell Ryan, and composition with Roberto Milano, Stephan Young, and Ludmila Ulehla. His musical works have been performed in the United States and Europe and have been included in several recordings. Additionally, he is a renown Puerto Rican danza composer, having many of his compositions on this genre been awarded prizes by the Institute of Culture of Puerto Rico and the Círculo de Recreo de San Germán. Outstanding among them is ¡Qué Tapón!, originally for piano and later arranged for chamber music ensemble, having been recorded and also featured at the prestigious Casals Festival. Currently, he teaches as part of the Music Faculty at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona.
Beverly Stein
Unlocking Meaning
in Art Song Performance
Abstract: Looking to raise your students to the next level? This presentation aims to assist student singers in their performance of art songs by presenting practical guidelines for poetic and musical analysis. By providing frames of reference and helpful guided questions, poetic and musical content is analyzed and assimilated into an informed performance. Through critical examination of poetic and literary devices and structures, such as prosody, scansion, form/meter, and other textual attributes, students will have a better understanding of the poetry and composer’s setting of the text. In addition to examining melody and rhythm, the analysis of cadence levels (in essence a harmonic road map), bassline motion, and motive will reveal previously unrecognized meanings in a song. Subsequently the presentation will discuss how to highlight these topics through performance. An example of analysis and informed performance will be provided through the performance and analysis of Schubert’s “Meeres Stille” (II) D. 216.
Bio: Beverly Stein, professor of music history and analysis at Cal State LA, is currently writing The Singer’s Guide to Practical Analysis of Schubert Songs to teach students and emerging professionals how to engage in depth with art songs in order to understand their hidden meanings and create moving and personal performances. Dr. Stein also presents in-person and virtual workshops on Schubert song analysis to singers. At Cal State LA she is an advocate for community engagement and directs a social justice performance group, the Exploration Ensemble, which presents original themed productions featuring music in all genres and styles combined with dance, theatre, commentary, and visual images. Dr. Stein is an accomplished flutist, with solo performances in Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall, and degrees from Juilliard, Yale, and Brandeis. She also loves to dance and has appeared in a number of theatrical performances and a recent dance film.
Melanie Treinkman
Lifting the Curse of Knowledge
in Voice Pedagogy
Abstract: “If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look On My Face?” So asks Alan Alda in his book of the same name, which addresses the pitfalls that impede effective communication, including the phenomenon known as “the curse of knowledge.” The curse of knowledge, a term originally coined by economists, is a type of cognitive bias in which people do not realize that their own expertise is not shared by others. After something is learned, it is difficult to imagine what it is like not to know it and therefore, the apparent gift of knowledge effectively “curses” those endowed with it. Inevitably, communication and understanding suffer because it is assumed by the expert, who is unaware of the bias, that the knowledge is obvious. This presentation will explain key elements of the curse of knowledge and will give voice teachers strategies to combat it, thereby improving the effectiveness of their teaching.
Bio: Melissa Treinkman, mezzo-soprano, is a frequent performer with Los Angeles Opera, where she made her solo debut as the Vendor in the 2013 production of Carmen and was a featured singer in the 2017 GRAMMY winning recording of The Ghosts of Versailles. Melissa recently portrayed the role of Dulcinea in the world premiere of Juan Colomer's opera Dulcinea XL with LA Grand Ensemble. She earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern California in 2019 and her papers have been published in the Journal of Singing and the Journal of Voice. Melissa was the 2020 recipient of the Voice Foundation's Sataloff Award for Young Investigators and she was the first voice researcher to win the award in the category of vocal pedagogy. A devoted voice teacher, Melissa had the honor of being a participant in the 2019 NATS Intern Program.
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Rachel Velarde
Singing Women
Abstract: This recital of music by women composers has been chosen to honor the NATS 2020-2021 celebration of female composers. The program was chosen specifically to represent a broad variety of composers, from the historic to the contemporary, and including women of color, trans, and cis women.
Sourcing Vocal Repertoire Outside the Traditional Western Art Music Canon
So, you want to perform or recommend music outside the traditional Western art music canon. But how do you find the music? How do you know what to choose? If it’s not in English, Italian, French, or German, how do you find pronunciation guides? In this session, Dr. Rachel Velarde will demonstrate her process for finding music outside the traditional canon. She regularly prepares recitals highlighting music outside the traditional Western art music canon. For one recital, her staff accompanist congratulated her on a recital comprised solely of “music he’d never heard before.” Yet, these recitals have led to an exploration that helps her to share music which inspires and engages her students. Come, join in the fun of exploration, collegiality, and resources (she is a reference librarian’s daughter!) and find some hidden gems, while learning that the unknown does not have to be unapproachable.
Bio: Dr. Rachel Velarde, mezzo-soprano, is Professor of Music (Voice) at Grand Canyon University. Her main areas of interest are vocal performance, voice literature, voice science, and voice pedagogy. She began teaching private voice and piano lessons in 1993 and became a member of NATS in 1996, serving 3 terms as Valley of the Sun NATS Chapter President and four years as NATS Arizona District Governor. In leadership roles with NATS and the Pan American Vocology Association (PAVA), she networks with voice professionals throughout the country, including her current role as PAVA’s Membership Director. Rachel appreciates growing community influences through sharing information and connecting people. Additionally, Rachel is actively pursuing Bones for Life® teacher certification, a program developed by Ruthy Alon and inspired by Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais. Her specific interest in Feldenkrais® began after her experiences with muscle tension dysphonia. She expects her teacher training to be completed in fall 2021.