The Open Studio

The Vocal Performance Academic Area supports an "Open Studio" policy, which encourages the vocal faculty to work as a team toward the progress of every student.

Although each Vocal Performance major has an applied teacher of record, majors may take a lesson with any other applied instructor.

With the notification of the area head of the Vocal Performance area, vocal performance majors may take advantage of this policy.

The student asks for one or two sessions of applied vocal instruction from another applied vocal instructor other than their teacher of record.

The teacher of record may attend with the student (if the student so chooses) and cannot discourage this practice.

Open Studio promotes the best possible instruction for each major as it enhances collegiality among the applied vocal faculty.

A faculty member can send a student to a colleague for diction or technical assistance without fear of "losing" that student or sensing any apprehension regarding the sharing of technical instruction, but rather anticipating that s/he will return inspired.

No one has all the answers regarding bringing the aesthetic into more concrete terms technically, or specializing in all the lyric diction demands of each singer.