by Darci Balkcom

Ireland is famous for its mythical backdrop of endless green, misty rain, dramatic coastlines, and ancient ruins. But it is the music that keeps pulling me back…

During our first trip to Ireland, my mom and I were drawn into John Benny’s Pub.

As we stepped inside, our eyes took a moment to adjust to the dark-wooded, dimly lit interior. The musicians were setting up for the evening. The guitarist fiddled along his strings. The box (accordion)...

“Where there is a depth of awareness, there is reverence for presence. Where consciousness is dulled, distant, or blind the presence grows faint.” 

– John O’Donohue

“Awareness” is a word that often used to puzzle me.

It was an idea I looked for in the ether, that I equated with enlightenment. Once...

NOTE: This is a conversation featuring the five members of the TVF faculty (pictured above, L to R: Michael Hanko, Molly Kittle, Peter Jacobson, Darci Balkcom, and Eleni Vosniadou). This is a transcription of a recent conversation they had about the Alexander Technique. Enjoy!

Peter: Hello everybody, welcome. I am here with Michael, Eleni, Darci, and Molly. Our topic for today is: What is the Alexander Technique? I’m going to start with a personal story on this topic. This...

Frances Farrell recently graduated with her Doctorate of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the University of Toronto. Her interest in vocal improvisation turned into a full-blown doctoral dissertation, Improvisation in the Choral Setting. Currently, Fran conducts two senior high choirs as part of the Halifax Regional Arts Program and an adult community choir called the Dartmouth Choral Society. Fran has also worked as a choral clinician in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario,...

By Karen Archbold

Have you had the experience of walking into a rehearsal with a new group of people and immediately listening closely to determine who is the best singer?

Do you find yourself classifying other singers in your head, so you know where you fit in?

Does your opinion of someone change after you hear them sing the solo/aria/whatever?

Do they go up or down in your estimation?

Just imagine, you show up at a singing masterclass….you sit down and the person next to you...