I have had a few notable teachers in my lifetime, but the teacher who changed not only my own technique and approach to singing but my style and approach to teaching was the legendary Betty Jeanne Chipman. Betty Jeanne was known as a technician and master teacher. I have encountered few who understand the voice and vocal production as well as she did and even fewer who understand how to communicate that knowledge to the student. Many of her former students went on to prestigious young artist programs, university programs and careers in teaching while others have enjoyed singing careers on national and international stages, including the Metropolitan Opera.
Over 70+ years of teaching, she studied Alexander Technique (which was an integral part of her approach), the old bel canto masters (Lamperti, Garcia and others), attended countless seminars and lectures with the top researchers and teachers in the field all in an attempt to better understand the voice. Betty Jeanne was always experimenting and trying new things, all with the goal of helping her students reach their potential. She was always reading and re-reading, her philosophy, "the teacher who stops learning, is the teacher who should stop teaching." Even toward the end of her career (which ended in her early 90s), she was trying new things, re-evaluating approaches and borrowing exercises from other genres because she was continually discovering things that strengthened the voices and technique of her students.
Betty Jeanne believed in a free and natural voice. Allowing each student to discover their own unique sound within the framework of a healthy technique. "A student shouldn't sound like a particular studio," she would say, "the voice should simply be free and beautiful."
Working with this master teacher has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. She was a loving and dedicated teacher and I hear her voice every time I work with a student. So often she would say, "Singing should be easy! We just need to learn to get out of the way!" And in this lies the foundation of my work.
Over 70+ years of teaching, she studied Alexander Technique (which was an integral part of her approach), the old bel canto masters (Lamperti, Garcia and others), attended countless seminars and lectures with the top researchers and teachers in the field all in an attempt to better understand the voice. Betty Jeanne was always experimenting and trying new things, all with the goal of helping her students reach their potential. She was always reading and re-reading, her philosophy, "the teacher who stops learning, is the teacher who should stop teaching." Even toward the end of her career (which ended in her early 90s), she was trying new things, re-evaluating approaches and borrowing exercises from other genres because she was continually discovering things that strengthened the voices and technique of her students.
Betty Jeanne believed in a free and natural voice. Allowing each student to discover their own unique sound within the framework of a healthy technique. "A student shouldn't sound like a particular studio," she would say, "the voice should simply be free and beautiful."
Working with this master teacher has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. She was a loving and dedicated teacher and I hear her voice every time I work with a student. So often she would say, "Singing should be easy! We just need to learn to get out of the way!" And in this lies the foundation of my work.
