Variety Editor- Colleen Coleman
This past weekend, 13 Gustavus student musicians traveled to Bemidji State University to compete in the student audition competition hosted by the Minnesota chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS).
NATS is an international non-profit organization that focuses on supporting voice teachers with backgrounds in lesson studios, school choirs, higher education, and more. Their mission is to “advance excellence in singing through teaching, performance, scholarship, and research,” according to their mission statement.
While Gustavus musicians had attended the competition in past years, this was the largest group that had represented the college. “My students have had such positive experiences at NATS in years past, both in terms of vocal development and the opportunity to build relationships and deepen friendships. I wanted more of our students to have the opportunity to experience that for themselves,” Instructor of the Practice in Music David Kozisek said.
At this past weekend’s competition, students performed a repertoire from a variety of genres, time periods, and languages for a panel of judges, and received feedback on their work. While students are expected to perform for their peers and voice faculty every semester, this weekend presented a unique opportunity to hear from other professionals in the field outside of Gustavus.
“I truly believe that the people around you are vital to a person’s musical growth, and at Gustavus we have very encouraging professors and students. This being said, I feel that an individual’s success isn’t just their own, it’s also the community that helped them get there,” Vocal Music Education major and First-year Emily Collings said. Collings placed third in her division of Lower Musical Theatre – Treble Voices, of students 1-2 years post high school
“I will take away different musicianship skills such as expression, breath support and language interpretation, and it is important to have extracurriculars so that we can learn and grow as singers and musicians,” First-year Sophia Smith said.
While Gustavus students were competing, their voice faculty were serving as adjudicators in other categories. “It was fun to hear so many different singers ranging in age from 11 to graduate students, and it was also a good learning experience getting to be a judge and hear an entire category of singers,” Instructor of the Practice in Music Molly Clinefelter said.
“I spent quite a bit of time judging other vocal categories this year, so I was pretty busy throughout the competition. I always enjoy the opportunity to hear new repertoire and become familiar with emerging trends in vocal performance. I also appreciate getting a sense of the quality of singing happening at other institutions across the state. If anything, it only deepens my appreciation for the wonderful singers we have at Gustavus,” Kozisek said.
“Getting inspiration from the winners’ performances, and understanding all the work that went into their performances, is valuable information for students. Experiencing a vocal competition, and particularly learning how the pressure of a competition affects one’s singing, is also very helpful information,” Instructor of the Practice in Music Melyssa Rice said.
Many Gustavus students that attended felt supported by their peers, and appreciated the opportunity to share their work. Students were able to attend performances and use them as learning experiences to bring back to campus for their own coursework.
“It was really fun to get to hear everyone else from Gustavus sing their songs, I think everyone did a very good job. It was very helpful for me to have my friends, and other people from Gustavus in the room while I performed, there was a great support system through the weekend, and I felt that it helped me succeed at NATS,” Collings said.
While bringing a record high of 13 students, Gustavus represented their musical excellence at the student audition competition hosted by the Minnesota chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing at Bemidji State University.