News
Advance notice and Expressions of Interest
Alexander Technique and the Performing Arts Conference
University of Melbourne
We are calling for expressions of interest from Alexander Technique Teachers who teach in Performing Arts contexts to present at the upcoming conference - Alexander Technique and the Performing Arts. Teachers who work with actors, singers, musicians and dancers in all environments are invited to present related research papers, presentations, workshops and master classes at this conference.
The purpose of the conference is to advance knowledge, methodology and innovation in the teaching and application of the Alexander Technique in the performing arts context.
The conference program will be designed to engage Alexander Technique Teachers as well as all members of the Performing Arts community including teachers, performers and students who have an interest in the Alexander Technique and its integration into performing arts training and practice.
It will take place in Melbourne, Victoria on the 21- 23 September, 2012 at the School of Performing Arts, Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), University of Melbourne.
Please email a professional biography and presentation abstract (max 300 words), including technical support requirements by Wednesday 29 February 2012, to Tony Smith tonys@unimelb.edu.au.
For further information please contact the organisers. Tony Smith T: +61 3 9035 9243 E: tonys@unimelb.edu.au Carina Thomas T: +61 408 204 250 E: carina@pathwaystoperformance.com.au
The conference is in partnership with the School of Performing Arts, VCA, Melbourne University, AUSTAT and the School for F.M. Alexander Technique Studies.
World Voice Day
On 15th April 2011 – World Voice Day 2011 – an enthusiastic and appreciative audience again welcomed and heartily applauded the outstanding performance of singing students from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Griffith University and students from Queensland University of Technology Acting in celebrating World Voice Day on stage in the Queen Street Mall, Brisbane.
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As last year, a large crowd was held spellbound in the public space of the main stage, Queen Street Mall, Brisbane, as singers and actors performed classical, jazz and pop repertoire with a professionalism usually seen only in professionals.
Students ran through three half hour sessions at 11am, 12 noon and 1pm while the audience enjoyed the outstanding performance of the students, very capably prepared by Dianne Eden and Donald Hall (QUT), and Irene Barlett, Margaret Schindler and Adele Nisbet (Qld Con).
Students also paid tribute to the excellence of their accompanists.
In addition to handing out Ten Top Tips to a Healthy Voice flyers, the audience was treated to the presentation of awards to Deborah Rogers (WA) and Theresa Adermann (LD) - recipients of the Inaugural AVA Student Encouragement Awards.
Deborah, a graduate of WAAPA and currently a young artist with Opera Queensland, also sang an aria and held the audience spellbound.
And five copies of the book, The King's Speech, were given away, kindly donated by Mark Logue, grandson of Lionel Logue.
In the true spirit of the Australian Voice Association the collaboration between singing teachers, voice teachers, speech pathologists, singing students, acting students and musicians highlighted and celebrated the very special qualities of the human voice and many elements of good vocal health necessary to establish and maintain these wonderful instruments.
These very public performances over the lunch time period in this bustling environment raised awareness of the amazing attributes of the human voice and those aspects necessary to look after it.
A poster board highlighting aspects of voice production, care, structure and function was also displayed.
AVA Queensland was delighted with the exposure we received and the remarkable efforts of all concerned.
WOW!! It was indeed again a wonderful World Voice Day!
Jane Mott April 2011
Ten Top Tips(PDF 36KB)
Key dates for 2011
ASPAH-AVA Joint Conference, Sydney 21-23 Oct 2011
Speaking out on performers' health: Perspectives for a new decade
Keynote Speaker: Richard Gill OAM (ASPAH Patron)
Call for Papers (PDF 480KB)
Flyer (PDF 462KB)
Voice: Working with young children and their families" by Alessandra Giannini
A one day workshop in Melbourne on Friday 25 November 2011
The target audience for this workshop is speech pathologists who work in paediatrics in general and those who work mainly with the voice disordered population. Speech Pathology students who have a basic understanding of voice disorders will also gain from this course.
8.45 am registrations for 9.15 am start;
concludes at 4.30 pm
Earlybird Closing date: One month before event date, 25 October 2011
2011 is also 20 Years since the formation of the Australian Voice Association
Oct 2012 - 5th International Congress of World Voice Consortium, Cairo, Egypt
Download Flyer
"Voice Summit" - Symmetry Not Surgery Adelaide 21-23 Sep 2012 - Helen Tiller, John Tomich & Mary Klimek (Estill Voice International)
Download Flyer
Vale Dame Joan Sutherland
Dame Joan Sutherland had a unique and extraordinary voice.
While possessing the richness, depth and power of a mezzo soprano, she also had a very high range of extreme clarity and agility.
Most singers with such a high range also have a much lighter voice and lack the power which made Dame Joan's voice so thrilling. She demonstrated extraordinary vocal accuracy, fluidity and speed as well as great warmth, and her upper register had a bell-like clarity.
As a person, Dame Joan was extremely down to earth - one could perhaps say blunt - and this appealed to the Australian spirit.
It could be said that Opera in Australia has had an extraordinary boost in the twentieth century, due to the simultaneous interaction of three highly formative occurrences - namely the creation of Australian Opera (now Opera Australia), the building of the Sydney Opera House, and the career of Dame Joan Sutherland.
We were fortunate to have Dame Joan's formative influence and example at this time in history. She will be much missed, but her legacy will continue.
Susannah Foulds Elliott
