The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) School of Music will combine the science of voice and the art of performance when it hosts the annual Vocal Arts and Science Symposium at its Hattiesburg campus Feb. 3-4. The symposium is open to members of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), private studio teachers, professional singers and speakers, K-12 teachers, choir members/directors, students and all who have an interest in the vocal arts and the science of the voice.
Featured speakers will include two of the nation’s leading pedagogical and voice science experts, including Dr. Stephen F. Austin, professor of applied voice and vocal pedagogy at University of North Texas, and Dr. Raymond Wise, associate director of the African American Arts Institute at Indiana University.
Additional lectures and masterclasses will be presented by Dr. Robin Aronson, professor of voice and acting at USM; Dr. Phyllis Lewis-Hale, assistant professor of voice and director of the Opera Workshop at Jackson State University; and local hearing health specialist Dr. Ronald Hancock, owner of Beltone Hearing Care Centers in Hattiesburg.
Symposium topics will cover various vocal techniques and their applications, vocal and hearing health, professional career building, and many more. Masterclasses open to both teachers and students will reaffirm topics such as building the classical voice, gospel singing, and developing chiaroscuro.
“How the musician hears sound is as important as how they produce it,” said Dr. Hancock. “In my presentation, I look forward to highlighting the parallels between the science of hearing and the art of singing.”
For more information or to register, visit https://www.usm.edu/music/vocal-arts-science-symposium.php or call The USM Office of Professional Development and Educational Outreach at 601.266.4186.
