MANSFIELD – Singers from the Richland County area and beyond took advantage of high-level voice training this weekend during a lecture residency by Dr. Arlene Shrut of The Juilliard School.
Throughout Memorial Day weekend, Shrut will work one-on-one with seven voice students from all areas of Ohio, including three local singers Jamie Reynolds, Rachel Ballitch and Nick DeWalt. The singers were chosen from approximately 30 applicants from across the country.
Joel Vega, artistic director at Mid Ohio Opera Inc. organized the lecture residency, hoping the classes would both attract outside singers to the area as well as cultivate Mansfield’s existing audience.
“This really is like being a fly on the wall at Juilliard,” Vega said. “Most people love beautiful singing, but they’re very intimidated by it. So if you can show through master classes and concerts that it’s not scary or elitist, and anyone can become aficionados, then local audiences can stop apologizing and just enjoy it.”
Vega brought the lecture residency to Mansfield after previously taking a master class with Shrut, who teaches a number of master classes around the country at various music festivals or colleges interested in the subject matter.
“I didn’t realize this was such a new thing for this area, so I’m just delighted,” Shrut said. “There is great talent everywhere. Without an opera company, these people wouldn’t have the chance to express that part of themselves so it’s a big gift.”
On Friday, Shrut opened her weekend residency with a lecture on successful auditioning, followed by a public master class with Ohio-based conservatory and professional singers. Saturday will consist of private, hour-long classes with the students to review notes from Friday.
On Sunday, the public is invited to a gala concert at John and Pearl Conard Performance Hall, located within Reidl Hall on the Ohio State Mansfield campus. The concert will consist of all the singers who participated in the lecture residency, beginning at 4 p.m.
Shrut said typical master class topics include auditioning, how a voice coach is different than a voice teacher, and the relationship between singer and pianist. On Friday, Shrut worked with singers on presenting themselves to the audience when auditioning, including their verbal introductions, and coached them through their audition pieces.
Nick DeWalt, a voice student who is currently studying music education and vocal performance at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, said he was excited not only at the opportunity to get feedback directly after a performance, but also to work with a Juilliard professor.
“I’m hoping to learn different strategies to use not only while singing, but while teaching different singers,” DeWalt said. “Part of being a musician is learning from others as well, so even when she is working with another student I can learn a lot just by observing.”
Learning from others in the group was exactly the goal of Shrut in the public master class.
“In terms of the singing life, they’re really young right now,” she said. “So they’re starting into it and they need to find their signature in terms of voice type and personality and the types of roles they’ll do. And they are their own instruments, so they can’t hear themselves well.”
Ultimately, Shrut said she hopes her students learn that they have to be a real person up on stage, and show themselves and their personalities well. Vega said he hopes the students take away that there is high-level work in Mansfield vocally.
“We bring in serious professionals, and these singers can come here and work and perform whether they live here originally or not,” Vega said. “Mansfield is a place for singers.”
