Cantoria frieze:

Luca Della Robbia

The Beginning Level is The Joyously Singing Body. This is a course for those who have never sung or for those who have singing experience but no vocal training. Topics to be covered include sound and movement, breathing, articulation and resonance. Simple songs in various languages and introductory vocal exercises will also be taught. No ability to read music is required. The emphasis will be less on what is sung than on how it is sung and what is felt while singing.

The Intermediate/Advanced Level is The Vocal Ensemble. This is a performing ensemble for those with choral singing experience and familiarity with reading music. Sacred and secular repertoire of the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque, modern compositions and spirituals will form the basis of instruction. Prerequisite requirements for this course are experience in choral singing and familiarity with reading music.

The Expert Level is Individual Vocal Training. This course consists of solo singing lessons for the experienced singer. It is suitable for singers preparing solo recitals. The course will work on perfection of vocal technique and the expansion of solo repertoire. The prerequisite requirements for this course are background in singing, proficiency in reading music and a repertoire which the student wants to study and perfect.

Note: It is expected that students enrolled in the Art of Singing will focus primarily on the singing curriculum. Access to studio arts classes (painting, drawing, photography, printmaking) will be limited.

About Orfeas John Munsey: Orfeas John Munsey received his Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin College Conservatory with specializations in singing and music history. Post-graduate studies were with Karl Schmitt-Walter at the Bavarian State Conservatory and Corrie Bijster at the Amsterdam Conservatory. He studied the French Art Song with Pierre Bernac and Janine Micheau and the German Lied with Hans Hotter.

From 1973 to 1979 he was Professor of Singing and Music-Theater at the Arnhem Conservatory in Holland as well as singing teacher at music schools in Amsterdam and Den Helder. He conducts choirs and vocal ensembles and trains young singers in his studio in Amsterdam.

His love of the vocal music of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance led him to study classical Hindustani singing (Dhrupad) with the Dagar Brothers in New Delhi for nine consecutive winters. He was vocal artist-in-residence in Auroville, South India in the winters of 1995 and 1996.

Earlier in his career, Orfeas was asked to give vocal workshops to a group of actors, his first experience with teaching novice voices. Teaching singers with naturally beautiful voices was easy work, but teaching students who had little or no experience with singing required a different approach. This work led him to the development of "The Joyously Singing Body." Orfeas believes that if the ear is sharp, anyone should be able to train the voice and discover the pleasure in the art of singing.