Advice from Vera Wenkert,

Dramatic Soprano

and

Founder and Leader of Institut StimmKunst

Content

ADVICE FROM VERA WENKERT, DRAMATIC SOPRANO AND FOUNDER AND LEADER OF
INSTITUT STIMMKUNST 1

LEGAL DISCLOSURE 4

MY SINGING AND MY TEACHING WORK IS MY PLACE OF WORSHIP! 5

THE SPECIALTIES IN METHODE STIMMKUNST© 6

PHILOSOPHY OF “METHODE STIMMKUNST©” 7

THE SWEDISH-ITALIAN AND THE ITALIAN SCHOOL OF SINGING 8

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY 9

LIVE YOUR LIFE FROM THE POINT OF TRUTH 9

TRUTH TOWARDS OTHER PEOPLE 9

ABOUT COLLEGIALITY AND DEVELOPING A MATURE PERSONALITY 10

SELF-RESPONSIBILITY IS AN IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE 10

IMPROVE YOUR PRACTICE ROUTINE 12

DAILY VOICE CARE 12

DAILY VOICE CARE – DEALING WITH OBSTACLES 13

REHABILITATION OF THE VOICE 14

VOCAL HEALTH 15

FIND YOUR SUPPORTIVE VOICE TEACHER 16

MANAGEMENT 16

IMMERSION INTO THE WORLD OF OPERA 17

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LEARNING NEW REPERTOIRE 18

SINGERS’ TREASURES 18

PREPARING AN OPERA PART 18

BE PREPARED AND READY 19

PREPARING FOR AN AUDITION 20

RECORDING 21

GREAT AUDITIONS 21

HOW TO WORK WITH CONDUCTORS 21

CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESS 22

DEALING WITH CRITICISM 22

IT'S TIME TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT YOUR CAREER GOALS 24

CAREER AND RELATIONSHIP 25

CONGRATULATION 25

ABOUT VERA WENKERT 26

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Autorin: Vera Wenkert Kontaktdaten: Institut StimmKunst.ch, Kirchweg 22, CH-Ȁ0a2
Oberengstringen / Zurich Tel. +40 44 2a0 44 4a
E-Mail: vera.wenkert@gmail.com (mailto:vera.wenkert@gmail.com.
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Page 4
 My singing and my teaching work is
my place of worship!

Dear beautiful singer,

I feel deeply grateful that I can show through my work as an opera singer and
through my individual teaching that every rehearsal and every performance,
even every lesson is sharing: giving and taking! The meaningful aspect in
singing for me is to connect and move the audience.
Until today, after having sung 30 dramatic roles on opera stages I am thankful
and respectful towards all the teachers on my career path. I mention only a
few here: a cordial thank you to David Jones, Staatsschauspielerin Dagmar von
Thomas and to my musical mentors Friedrich and Kari. I strongly believe that
every young musician and even experienced musician in this career needs an
excellent vocal teacher, musician and coach. Everyone needs at least one or
two people in whom they trust on their career path.
I feel so blessed for my life and to walk the path of music and singing. There is
no way these pages could contain the depth of my gratitude for all the
wonderful people , teachers and coaches and friends I have had along the way.
Thanks to my husband Edwin for your belief in me and for your love. I am
blessed.
Thank you, dear singer for being here with me. Enjoy the journey.
How can we engage the audience on a deep level? The most important aspects
are a solid vocal technique and refned musicality. And of course, to work and
sculpt the character you portray before giving it life on an opera stage. This
needs a lot of professional discipline and dedication, but it is a great joy to
sculpt an opera character.
In “Methode StimmKunst©” you get advice towards becoming a self-confdent
musician, singer and actor. You can get here an insight onto my way of
teaching and the philosophy behind the succeeding results. This e book is the
precious seed of my upcoming printed book.

With my for every artist

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 The Specialties in Methode StimmKunst©

To be successful on a stage as an artist – and especially as an opera singer –

you need a lot of skills:

 A solid vocal technique,

 Elaborate musicality and rhythm,

 Outstanding stagecraft,

 Psychological skills to cope with stress situations,

 Excellent knowledge about the functioning of the opera world,

 Convincing skills of coping with agents, coaches and conductors.

Nowadays, a lot of students are pushing into the market and at the same time
theaters are saving money in all parts. So, to outperform in this market the
demands are really tough.
A lot of students and even singers in the job are gifted with talents in one or
the other of these demands. But to bring it all together, that is what really
needs more.
In Method StimmKunst© the different needs are being joined together. That is
the reason, why you cannot have one recipe that fts for all students.
Individual solutions and paths are the only way to success.
In my view, in order to develop a well-grounded plan for the individual needs in
the best case a teacher brings along a lot of experience. A well-trained ear –
combined with personal experience on stage and brilliant teaching skills are
the basics on which Method StimmKunst© achieve best results.

Louise Martyn (Ireland):

Thank you for the encouragement and the support. It was a
wonderful experience. Enjoying the path!!

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 Philosophy of “Methode Stimmkunst©”

Be a good colleague
G)ood colleagues share their experiences, inform or help each other. But even if
they have to take low blows, they stand by. Regardless of whether in private or
professional life. A bad colleague is one who exploits this relationship to gain
personal advantage, for example, on the back of the other.
I have attended also masterclasses where the teacher had his or her favorites
that were always preferred. I have learned from this to give all my students the
same attention and it is strongly prohibited to criticize others. Also, outside of
my lessons my students have to avoid any bad talking about others.
No open masterclasses
My masterclasses are limited to about 0a to02 students who get enough time
to try new things. That also means there are no spectators or passive
participants, although it would bring much more money:..
No competition or mocking
In our society, a culture in which there is ambitious competition is positively
valued. The goal – even in some institutions – is to increase the rivalry and
outdo others. But that's different from determination and commitment to a
work that you want to be good.
One of my most important rules in my masterclasses is to be cooperative. That
includes that every student is seen and accepted as a learning individual with
his or her learning felds. So, for an open atmosphere it must be possible to
make mistakes. There is no way of learning if you have to hide your
weaknesses or have to be anxious to be mocked. I strongly watch out not to let
grow any competition in the class.
I never let a student alone if she or he has something that does not work –
sometimes tears are companions to new experiences. In such situations, all
other people have to leave the room and I try to calm the emotions in a
positive way. Quality means to take responsibility – even in difcult situations…

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 THE SWEDISH-ITALIAN AND ITALIAN SCHOOL
OF SINGING

The tradition of the Swedish-Italian School of singing has its origins in the 09th
century with Manuel G)arcia, followed by G)illis Brad (Swedish voice teacher and
singer doctor. then to Joseph Hislop, Ingebjart-Isene and Birgit Nilsson, Kirsten
Flagstad, Jussi Björling and fnally Alan Lindquest.
His pupil, international voice teacher David L. Jones continues this method of
teaching in New York. In 2a02, I absolved the studies for graduation and was
awarded with the diploma as teacher of the Swedish-Italian and Italian Singing
School in the David Jones Vocal Pedagogy Institute in New York. For many
years now, I have been his associate teacher.
Alan Lindquest formulated these following areas of development:
1) Developing the right attitude.
2) Working on the correct respiratory refexes.
3) Developing awareness of relaxation in the swallowing apparatus.
4) The perception of open resonators.
5) Developing ease in the use of the articulators

“Methode StimmKunst©” meets all these criteria and leads to a

solid vocal technique.
You can fnd more about that proven technique in the book of
David L. Jones: “A Modern G)uide to Old World Singing - Concepts
of the Swedish-Italian and Italian Singing Schools ”.

David L. Jones, International Vocal Pedagogue, New York:

“Vera Wenkert is a fne dramatic soprano with a great ear for

teaching. She is very precise in hearing vocal problems and in
offering solutions that get complete results.

I strongly recommend Vera Wenkert as a teacher for any singer looking for
vocal help and wanting an accurate diagnosis. Her performance
experience also compliments her teaching ability in that she knows
languages and stage deportment.”

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 Take responsibility

A teacher in a singer’s life is a guide to learn the craft of singing, of music-

making, of stagecraft etc., but the singer has to do the work. To be an artist
means also to take responsibility for your development. This means study,
study, study; just simply do the work and stop fnding excuses.
If you want to have a career in music, you have to become like a detective on a
quest looking for the phrasing in the music, the building of the character and
the owner of a healthy vocal technique. G)ood and responsible teachers can
help you with knowledge and empathy, but in the end, you're either the kind of
person who can take the responsibility and work ambitiously towards your
dream or you're not.
Don’t wait, dive into the music studies and be active!

Live your life from the point of truth

I know this is a big statement, but when you take time to think about it, you will
feel and understand that it means truth towards yourself and truth towards
other people.
You beautiful singer, you have to ask yourself despite your enthusiasm and
willpower: Am I ready to do this competition, audition, taking this
engagement…? Do not rush into things, take consideration towards the offers
that come on your way and decide carefully whether you’re ready for this role,
competition, etc.
Open your heart in silence to yourself and you will hear the answer. The
determination of what you want to achieve and the desired professional
confdence has to be built up in sub-goals until you feel super ready, especially
when you are young. An important thing is to be technically so secure that you
can make the music alive without struggling with vocal demands.

Truth towards other people

I am a strong believer in the fact, that only a person with integrity has the
humility for learning and dealing with all the facts and tasks which come along
with an artist’s life. Of course, it is inescapable that you have learned your craft
but you also have had to develop a character of honesty and integrity, then
you will build up a reputation of reliability and one is inclined to help you.

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I remember, I was so delighted to sing with my famous colleagues, when I sang
my frst Elsa or Elisabeth or Turandot or Marie, just to mention only a few, I
discovered for myself that making elaborated art needs reliability and honesty
to oneself and towards the people around you.
You can only fnd it yourself. Nobody will help you here because you need to
stick to some tough decisions. This is easy said but not so easy done in real
life, as lots of examples may have shown also to you.

About collegiality and developing a mature

personality

As in other areas of life, we artists are exposed to different infuences and

people in our life. In my experience, artists who are successful, are usually
generous and loving advisers or critics, because they draw on good life
experiences and well-being.
Artists or people who are always afraid to come up short or are jealous have to
make the performance of a colleague bad out of an inner drive.
My advice is: Surround yourself with good characters, strong and generous
people and critics.
Life is too short and too precious to stick to envy and misgivings. This is the
advice from my 23 years stage experience and from my experience as a voice
teacher for all the young singers out there and on their ways. You are on a
learning journey and you are allowed to make one step after another. Just go
your way.
As already Auguste Rodin has said "....Man muss erst Mensch sein, bevor man
Künstler ist…" With appreciation I wish you mindfulness every single day and
joy with your singing.

Self-responsibility is an important principle

To become a singer who will be taken seriously, you have to delete your
internal saboteur.
It is important for every singer to address the inner saboteur voice that tells us
that we can't do it, or aren't good enough e.g. Sometimes the inner saboteur

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also comes along in the shape of a sudden illness or in excuses for oneself. Be
your own detective and fnd your self-made obstacles on the way to your
success. After you have found them, I encourage you to let them go in peace
with a lot of courage.

Disciplined Mindset and Goal Setting

These are topics we singers have to work on constantly. Autumn is an
awesome time to do it because auditions are coming up, the theater season
has just started etc.
Now, I want to lead you to ask yourself a couple of questions that will empower
you to fnd your individual way towards reaching your singing goals:
0st question: Is your audition repertoire vocally and musically ready to present
with shine?
2nd question: What do you really want to achieve with your singing?
3rd question: Are you doing the things you can do to achieve the most out of
the opportunities you have?
Mindset
Your mindset is really important when it comes to your singing success.
Believing that you can be a good singer and performer and that there are
opportunities where you can sing either for money or just for the fun of making
music is very important. You have to believe it frst before it can happen that
you are shining as a singer. Otherwise you can fnd yourself talking yourself
down and distracted by doubts and negativity.
First, you have to decide that you are going to work with determination
towards your goals. This goes hand in hand with being grateful for the people
and things you already have in your life and the things you already have
achieved.
Ask yourself the question: Why do I want to have this singing career?

Discipline

A very important thing in a singer’s life is discipline. Yeah! You calmly have to
work towards your goals every single day with dedication, which means to work
on your vocal technique and on your music. Keep going and that is how you
make progress. I promise you will love it, when you are in the music every day
and fnding the phrasing, solving vocal challenges of the aria or part etc.

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G)rab your pen and notebook and write down what is in your individual power to
get your mindset and discipline in place to work towards your singing goals.
Every career path starts with a clear mindset and discipline!
I really wish you a wonderful journey into your special music land.

Improve your practice routine

Make sure that you are continuously working with your mindset. Everything
you want to accomplish in life starts with your mindset.
Believe that you can do it and surround yourself with the right people, who
infuence you to stay motivated and focused on your learning or working
process.
Practice discipline and work on becoming consistent: You want to make the
effort of practicing your technique and music every day until you have solved a
problem or achieved a different level etc.
Set specifc and measurable goals, so that you can see how you are doing as
you make progress towards your goals. You are working towards your goals!
Last tip for today: Create a plan on what you can do to accomplish your
goals. Have joy to start this now.

Daily voice care

As a singer you have to take consciously care of your voice. Normally, the voice
serves us automatically and we do not even think about this beautiful habit of
speaking or singing, but if we have chosen to work with our voice
professionally, we have to develop consciousness in dealing with this very
special instrument in order to keep it healthy.
Here, I have listed some survival suggestions:
Firstly, the vocal cords work better if they are hydrated, especially in winter
time in heated rooms as they need moisture so, drink a lot. Of course, not a lot
of alcohol should be taken because this dries the vocal cords and then the
voice gets tired easily.
Even a very well-trained voice needs rest as a treatment for general care and
to stay fresh and healthy.
During my entire singing and teaching career, I have treated my voice as an
intimate friend in my mind and behavior, like I treat close friends-with
appreciation and loving care. I treat my voice with the utmost mindfulness!

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I suggest that after practicing singing for an hour, do not use the break to talk,
talk, talk, especially in a performance. My routine in the performance breaks is
to be silent, so that my voice has a mini wellness holiday.

When you have a big performance or recording session coming up, make sure
you have resting periods. You are a vocal athlete! I know in our daily life there
are so many tasks which want to be fulflled and it is sometimes hard to take a
couple of hours off for the voice, or even a day, but just try it from time to time
and defnitely reducing the amount of talking and phone calls helps to keep
your voice healthy and fresh.

The good thing is, even when you are on vocal rest you can rehearse your aria
or song mentally. I wish you a lot of fun with what I call ‘Silent Diva Days!’

Daily voice care – Dealing with obstacles

Normally your vocal function is automatic. We do not feel anything. But like
anything else in life, we also need to take care. The vocal cords react to illness,
overuse, travel or grieving e.g. because of a personal loss.
Today’s recommendation is: Never force your voice to do something it does not
want to do. Treat your vocal cords with awareness and kindness, as if they
were your best friend. When a close friend of yours is ill, you would never force
him or her to jump out of bed and go to work. You would pay attention to the
friend’s needs and respect the friend’s boundaries. Do the same with your
vocal cords. Your voice works better with resting time and good training. So
many aspects of our health have infuences on our voice.
Conclusion: I invite you to live an attentive and respectful life towards yourself
and towards others.
Your voice will be so thankful, when you take care that your body is always
enough hydrated, that you have a good and long night’s sleep, that you allow
yourself resting time after heavy singing.
When you are suffering from a personal loss, give your soul time to gently
recover step by step and the voice, normally, then wants to come back to
singing, too. Sometimes a singer comes into my institute and wants help with
her or his voice in such a tragic situation and we work with my inner certainty
that the secret key is acceptance of the situation and gentle exercises for
opening the throat and gentle cord closure.

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 Rehabilitation of the Voice

Sometimes a singer enters my institute and is in vocal difculties.

Everyone has had an experience in life where they have been lost of words. Be
this through anxiety or sadness, where the frog appears in the throat,
everything tightening up. Or they have experienced utter joy and fnally
breathing again, and bubbling over with laughter.
In contact with other people in everyday life, the demands of professional life,
we easily fall into situations where we see a change occur in the voice. Serious
operations (e. g. thyroid surgery., allergies, traumatic experiences and difcult
life (burnout, depression. may affect the voice. Abnormalities in the fow of
speech, vocal performance limitations such as vocal fatigue or hoarseness can
be felt or heard as signs of this.
I understand that it is a scary situation for the singer. My approach is to fnd
out what the cause of this condition is. There can be several:
 Overuse of the voice. For example, too much singing, not using a healthy
vocal technique, singing in a wrong vocal fach, singing on an infection…
 It can be the result of hormone change, e.g. menopause.
 It can be psychological reasons.
 Very seldom the root is a serious physiological cause. Is this the case, I
work together with a very good team of laryngologists and a specialized
hospital.
I will work with specialized vocal and breathing exercises in order to bring
energy and strength to the voice. I will help you to improve the use of the
speaking voice, and at the same time, we will work together to build up a
viable and healthy singer's voice.

The use of the voice has to be learned and practiced. Careful and professional
use of the vocal muscles leads to the preservation of the beautiful sounding
and resilient voice.
But the number one in this state of a singer’s voice and mind is:
KEEP CALM and BE OPEN MINDED TO THE CAMINO OF REHABILITATION
There will be no magic pill. When you allow yourself to taking the patience and
caring for yourself with an excellent voice teacher and the team it might need,
in most cases you will recover.
CORRAG)IO! Take care and trust also in this time your inner voice.

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PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL TREATMENT GUARANTEED

Everyone has experienced that he or she had a lump in his or her throat, that
the throat felt constricted, that he or she almost burst with joy and could fnally
take a deep breath.
In everyday life we are in constant contact with
people. This can be challenging when combined
with the demands that come from having a
career as a professional singer or speaker.
Easily we can fnd ourselves in difcult situations
where we see a change in the voice. This can
come from surgery (e.g. thyroid surgery.,
allergies, traumatic experiences and difcult life
situations. Burn out and depression can also
affect the voice signifcantly. We can further be
affected by irregularities in the fow of words.
These all can limit us in vocal performance and
result in vocal fatigue and hoarseness. These
are the signs that tell us something is wrong.

Vocal Health
The healthy use of the voice can be achieved
through voice lessons, breathing exercises and
practice. A positive approach with vocal
technique will give you the power to use your
voice and result in the preservation of a nice- Vera Wenkert in the clinic with
sounding and resilient tone. Dr. med. Buchmann

In serious cases I work with the competent medical team of Dr. med.
Buchmann in his hospital, specialized on those serious problems. It is
common but often the cause is "only“ a lump in my throat..."

Page 05
 Find your supportive voice teacher

As a singer it is crucial that you fnd an excellent teacher. It doesn’t matter if

you are a vocal student or a professional singer, you need a voice teacher who
offers you solid technical results. The teacher should also be passionate about
teaching and you should feel that you can trust him or her. It is the obligation
of a voice teacher to guide you as an individual singer with your own vocal
needs.
You are part of the process and if you have found a teacher who has a very
good ear and offers solid technical results for your vocal needs, trust the
process and work day by day. You will make progress.

Anna Maske (Hamburg/ Neuchâtel):

Vera Wenkert is in my opinion one of today's most skilled,
efficient and complete voice teachers. Her caring and
consistent personality, her complex analytical skills, her
functional exercises as well as her enormous experience as an
opera singer makes working with her a very exciting, joyful,
safe and constant process.

Management

There are countless reasons why a management team takes one singer and
the other singer doesn’t succeed to get into the agency. For a young and
unknown singer, it is important to fnd an agent who is interested and who has
the time to build up a career. Big agencies are often too busy to build a career
for a beginner.

So, what can you do and what do you have to consider in order to fnd the right
agency for you?

First: Know your repertoire. Which opera roles do you want to present on the
market?

Second: Find out which agent works with which companies where your
repertoire is performed.

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There are more steps you have to take into consideration. This is the frst
glimpse into the artist/agent world. Sometimes it is better for a young singer to
be on the roster of a smaller agency. These agencies usually have fewer
singers in the same vocal fach. This has the advantage that someone can
always take care of your concerns. The disadvantage is that big agencies
sometimes have more infuences in the occupation policy of opera houses.

Here, too, it is important to be well informed as a singer and to take

responsibility for oneself. If you are auditioning for an agent or a manager, you
should be very well prepared and in your best vocal shape. Really, you should
arrive the day before the audition, so that you are well rested. Keep in mind
generally in life – and defnitely in the meeting – that you are not a student in
this situation. You are a beautiful young singer, who takes responsibility for
himself or herself.

The agent is not your father nor your mother or friend. If the agent wants to
work for you, always keep in your mind that this is a business relationship!

Immersion into the world of opera

I strongly recommend that singers study at least the piano

reduction of the opera they sing. It would be even better to
read the full orchestra score so that you understand the
dynamics, color and phrasing of your aria and the music of the
orchestra.
One way to get an easy approach into this study concept is:
G)o to your music library in your town and fnd an orchestral
score of an opera, sit at home in a comfy chair and listen to
this opera with your orchestra score in your hand. I call it:
Vera as
Singer in the Wonderland of Music…
I promise you, you will have a remarkable time in this special wonderland.
I have a couple of singers who work their stage roles with me like this. They
have an extraordinarily great time in the orchestra rehearsals and in their
performances.
So, I invite you to start this journey today and have a lot of fun.

Page 07
 Learning new repertoire

As a singer, we are obliged to have respect for every detail and nuance in the
music. We need time and experience and competent advisers and teachers to
grow as a singer and Musician. Nothing in life can develop under pressure and
therefore I try to create a friendly and nurturing environment for the singers, so
that the talent can blossom in inner peace.

Singers’ treasures
Nowadays, more than ever, a singer has to have a refned concept for a
successful singing path: Of course, a solid healthy vocal technique is
completely necessary but to catch the interest of managers or casting directors
in opera houses, the singer has to blossom into a fne unique artist; that means
to portray in any singing piece, taste and musicianship.
A performer serving the composers’ art, shaping and sculpturing his or her aria
or art song out of desire is one of our privileges, and, one of our duties. Then,
miracles can happen, the singer’s individual artistry melts with the
composition.
I remember when I studied Isolde, every day I could not wait to dig into the
harmonies to understand R. Wagner's intention between the colors of the
orchestra and Isolde’s melody lines. I studied on top of my role, the Orchestra
partitura. I suggest this for every main role. Have a glimpse into the full
orchestration, fnd your leading instruments, listen to the colors. As singers, we
are part of the orchestra.

Preparing an opera part

I work with high level performing artists. Together with them I make an extra-
mindful preparation plan. This means, we work the part mindfully, and when
the time allows it, gently into the voice. For example, pushing your voice into a
dramatic sound to fulfll the requests of dramatic sound is a completely wrong
path and the risk is falling into bad habits of tension and other compensations
that will be difcult to retrain.

In my opinion and according to my results in my own professional life and in

the performance life of my artists, it is a healthier way frst to show the singer
the special kind of self-awareness, so that he or she feels that every opera
sound has to be sung without strain in the voice.

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The singer needs patience to go through this process. Then, he or she will get
on the path of steady progress. Once the singer has digested the healthy route
to sing, it is easy to put the drama into the piece.

I remember when I sang Butterfy, I started to sing it into my voice and to learn
everything about the character etc. three months before the rehearsal time at
the opera house. Then, when stage rehearsals started, I felt so easy in the part
that I could fully concentrate on the character and staging.

Your body sensations and your mind and your emotions work together and all
three are wired into the voice. To understand this and to stay attentive to the
process of feeling the voice in effortless singing is an extremely important part
of keeping your voice healthy.

In my everyday teaching, I see that it takes the crystal-clear intention of the

singer to trust in this profound working process. Singers who get involved in my
special well-founded way of working, which I have created as Methode
StimmKunst©, experience fulfllment and success in their performances.

You cannot fnd a magic pill in a quick way, the magic pill lies in trust that your
day-to-day self-work will bring the result, and, hopefully with the help of a
trustworthy voice teacher, you will learn in your training or retraining to
understand your individual vocal production.

You are also welcome to fnd out more about Methode Stimmkunst©.

Be prepared and ready

In a singer’s life, auditions and last call engagements often happen, when it
seems to you that you have not enough time to learn the new music or aria my
advice is: Be smart!
Learn the music and the big arias of your vocal fach in advance, even when
there is no opportunity to perform them in the near future.
When I studied my Senta and Abigaille with Berit Lindholm in Stockholm, I
remember she gave me that awesome advice: Study every part in a time
schedule that you have also a couple of days to get over an infection or other
challenges and still be ready.

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From that day on I studied all my parts a long time before I went on stage with
them. I am so thankful that I have built up also a support system of teachers
and coaches around me, who I really trust and of course I treated and treat
them with loyalty, honesty and gratitude until today. It is in the art like it is in
life:
Life supports you as a musician and human being when you are reliable and
serious.
Ask yourself: What is the thing I can do today towards my goals?

Preparing for an audition

Congratulations, you are planning to audition!

Here is some ofce work you have to do properly if you are your own manager:
A good but natural looking head shot, resumes, CV, a good audio or video. To
get these things together needs time. It is wise not to prepare them in a last-
minute mood. You want to present yourself in a way that people get interested
in you and last but not least:
Get a great audition opportunity
G)o for it and enjoy bringing your special talent to the world.
Until now, I concentrated on how to prepare for an audition and what you need
in your presentation folder. Yeah, you've got an invitation for an audition or a
request to send an audio or video beforehand! Most important is: Send an
audio or video only, if it is without any musical faults (what means no
rhythmical mistakes, all dynamics the composer wanted, no question in vocal
technique, etc...
Choose only an aria or art song that you can manage to sing with ease,
effortlessly. A theater or an agent is interested to listen to a recording which
shows what you can do now. Pieces you are working at and "Fach changes" you
are working through do not belong in the presentation of an application.
On top of all this you have to take into consideration that people who get your
audio or video recording can listen to it often and it will never give the same
impression as you would give in a live audition.
I remember when I sang for an adviser for singing career years ago in New
York, how seriously he insisted that one should only send super-polished
audible materials. So, it is worthwhile to work on your presentation until every
puzzle is so convincing that you - at least - are being taken into consideration
for the role.

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 Recording

Dear singer, only send recordings and videos to agents or competitions, if the
product shows you as a young singer, whose intonation is brilliant and whose
musical phrasing is beautiful. There are so many young artists outside.
Therefore, it is crucial that you present yourself very professionally.
A G)erman saying remains true: Patience brings roses. In this sense: Wait until
your arias are on their peak before recording.

Great Auditions

This time of the year is audition time. Yeah, superb! You made it until here. So,
let's see, if everything you need is on the peak:
Number one: Your beautiful voice is a free voice with the help of a good vocal
technique. The effortless fow of sound, vocal freedom is a satisfying
experience for any audition panel.
Number two: Perform with unfettered musicality.
Number three: Is your confdence and self-esteem so solid, that you feel
secure in yourself in any aspect and that you communicate the joy of being a
singer and performer to the panel?
Number four: Your Italian diction sounds Italian and your G)erman diction
sounds G)erman... You have translated the text by yourself and not only with a
given translation. So, you do understand the meaning of every word.
Feel inspired by this frst part of the checking list for an audition.

How to work with conductors

Young singers often ask me, how they should present themselves in their work
with conductors.
My advice is: Learn the music!
What I do when I learn a part and what I ask my students to do is to be your
own detective and search in the partitura for every musical detail and advice
from the composer.
A conductor will be delighted, when he sees that you know and mean what you
are singing.

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Sometimes the conductor wants a different tempo than the singer. I
recommend talking tempo issues with the maestro in a one-on-one rehearsal. I
remember once I sang Tosca with a conductor from Finland and we discussed
the tempo of the famous aria Vissi d'arte, and we worked its nuances in a very
refned way, and my feeling in the performance was that I was fying over the
big orchestra sound. This conductor was breathing with me and he was
assisting my voice. (You can only work on nuances if the basics of your part are
digested in your whole system, if you are still struggling with vocal or musically
basic issues, there is no way to get a conductor excited about your
presentation..
I also suggest that you train difcult spots with a metronome in different tempi,
so that you get fexible to the tempo suggestions of a maestro. You should try
to be a musical partner for a conductor.
In daily rehearsal work, I recommend that you as a young singer do not talk
back and do not treat conductors as your friend. You both are there to serve
the music and the goal is to present a good performance at the end.
I wish you an exciting way to the next performance.

Celebrate your success

After you have mastered an audition, a concert or some other performance, be

proud of your success and do celebrate it.
You are on a wonderful path to fulflling your dreams. There are enough
obstacles you have surmounted until now. Some more will appear, be sure, but
do not look at them. Instead take a break and look back on the ones you have
overcome by now. Concentrate on the parts that have worked out well. If an
audience is there to congratulate you, enjoy it and take all the positive energy
for your further work.

Dealing with criticism

We singers are more often exposed after a performance to criticism from
journalists, friends or audience. The question is, how do we handle it. One way
to bring clarity to the seriousness of the criticism are the following questions:

 Who criticizes me?

 What is the motivation behind the criticism?

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  Was the criticism objectively and lovingly approached to me, or was it a
rude self-expression of the opinion of the critic?

 Does the critic at all have the expertise to practice a sound criticism?

 Is there anything I can learn from that criticism?

Last but not least:

Any criticism is just an opinion.

I am convinced that people who are self-contained and who have inner
strength express every criticism mildly and constructively, because these
people do not have to grow big at the expense of others.

I remember, when I was a student, I studied the role of Elsa with the famous
Birgit Nilsson and I learned so much from her, for example, how to sing piano.
She was very accurate in things she wanted from a student’s approach but
never mean.

So, one day I was there and I could not sing the piano in "Euch Lüften..." Birgit
Nilsson said "You have to learn how to sing piano otherwise you can only sing
in Buenos Aires".

I will always remember these words and how the criticism packed in joke-form
sparked the ambition in me to learn to sing piano.

Until today, my artist soul is full of well-meaning criticism from study days
which I could take in these days and was eager to solve the subjects. In the
meantime, I have released all the non-constructive criticism from my early
study days because I know that had more to do with the critic than with me
and my performance.

This is also the reason why I take care that the singers in my institute do not
criticize each other in my masterclasses.

In my opinion, one should generally be careful with criticism and only

pronounce what is helpful and supportive.

With all my appreciation, I wish you mindfulness in dealing with each other.

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It's time to get serious about your career goals

I know deep inside every artist wants to be successful and wants to be admired
for his or her art. But wishing is one thing. To really come into the chance to
get a great career takes more than wishful thinking. You have to be crystal
clear about the few foundations that I can mention here:

Steps to check:

1. The belief that you have what it takes to sing

Because you are singing, it's not about your past, it's about what you do in the
here and now and about moving forward.

2. Motivation

You have to build up the motivation that keeps you going even on 'bad voice
days'.

3. Self-responsibility

Every singer should take his or her self-responsibility: e. g. time management,

budget, vocal needs… Self-responsibility is an important principle to become a
singer who will be taken seriously.

4. Delete your internal saboteur

It is important for every singer to address the inner saboteur voice that tells us
we can't do it, we aren't good enough e.g. Sometimes the inner saboteur also
comes along in the face of a sudden illness or in excuses for oneself. Be your
own detective and fnd your self-made obstacles on your way to success. After
you have found them I encourage you to let them go in peace with a lot of
courage.

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 Career and Relationship
This chapter is about your love affair with yourself, your singing career and
your honey.

First of all, it is wonderful to have a singing career and a private life. Most of
the time, the life of a singer is busy and demanding in one aspect or another
and needs attentive, disciplined handling of oneself.

Not infrequently, loved ones have to compromise with their wishes in favor of
the singer’s needs.

But remember, the road to a good relationship includes that you as a singer
also fnd respect and time to value your honey’s needs.

The most helpful tool for putting some loving attention on your career with
private balance is to sit down and write down what your dreams and goals are
in your upcoming career path and in your relationship and then have an honest
talk together with a willing heart and mind.

Example at this point: I bow in love and gratitude to my husband, who has
been by my side with love, understanding and deep appreciation for 25 years.

Congratulation
Bright sun outside and I feel that this is the perfect time to let our voice and
singing personality shine. I would like to congratulate you that you have studied until
here and I do hope that you enjoyed reading.

You can fnd information about the upcoming Masterclasses and Workshops on
my website www.stimmkunst.ch

Wishing you all your wishes to come true

With my for every artist

Vera Wenkert

Let's get started.

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 About VERA WENKERT

Vera Wenkert is one of European top voice coaches. Her musical experience
spans 23 years on opera and concert stages in the dramatic vocal fach with 05
years of professional teaching. In her Institut StimmKunst, students are
coached in the Methode StimmKunst©, developed by her. She specializes on
vocal technique – based on the Swedish-Italian and Italian School of singing, on
performance, acting classes based on Stanislawski method combined with the
acting method, the beautifcation and vocal health for singers, actors and
public speakers.

She has sung more than 3a principal roles on opera stages in Trier, Kaisers-
lautern, Münster, Nürnberg and Zürich for example Katja Kabanova, Fidelio-
Leonore, Madelaine (A.Chenier., Marie Wozzeck, Amelia (Un Ballo in Maschera.,
Leonora (La Forza del Destino., Abigaille (Nabucco., Lady Macbeth (Macbeth.,
Madama Butterfy, Turandot and the Wagnerian parts.

Her heart beats for the R. Wagner’s music. Vera Wenkert has brought to life on
the opera stages many of his women's fgures like in the double role of Venus-
Elisabeth (Tannhäuser., Elsa (Lohengrin., Sieglinde, Senta, Brünnhilde and not
least the Isolde in a concert version in New York.

G)et more information about the dramatic soprano on the website:

www.vera-wenkert.de

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Highlights of her career are the Marie in Franz G)rundheber's frst Wozzeck
production, Ariadne at the Antiques festival Trier. She has got the prestigious
reward of the „Theatermaske der Theaterfreunde Trier“ for her outstanding
interpretation of Tosca and Fidelio-Leonore. She was nominated as "Best Singer
of the Year" in the magazine "Opernwelt" for her Hedwig in the premiere of
„Die Rheinnixen“.

From 2aa0 to 2a00, she has been a member of the jury for the fnal exams of
the vocal students at the Conservatoire de la Ville de Luxembourg.

2a00 she founded her international Institut Stimmkunst in Zürich. Vera is glad
that she can give her students a concise, systematic effective approach to
voice training based on the Swedish-Italian and Italian singing school and on 23
years of stage experience and voice studies and profciency.

Vera shares her life‘s work and up-to-date voice research.

Vera Wenkert is a member of the Association of alternative practitioners and

naturopaths.

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