Integrated Training For The Singing Actor: Theory And Practice

In the current world of voice training, the physical, emotional and dramatic aspects of the singer’s art are undergoing a thorough re-examination. Musicals, opera, performance art, “popera” – all are placing increasing, and increasingly varied, demands on the voice, body, mind, and spirit of the singing actor. In this context, how do teachers in both the classroom and the studio prepare young performers? Playfair and Portman address this question with commentary on both the theory and practice associated with their development of an innovative training program at the Brandon School of Music that systematically integrating movement, text study, and acting technique with vocal instruction.