President’s Letter - May 28, 2020

National Association of Teachers of Singing
Virginia Chapter
May 28, 2020

Dear VANATS Members,

Nothing seems normal today. 

It’s a cool, rainy morning here in Winchester—it hardly feels like we just celebrated Memorial Day. Like all of you in academic settings, I am missing closure—the congratulatory hugs after graduation, the good-byes, the rhythm to which we are all so attuned. 

For those of you in private studios, while your work likely goes on through the summer, your own students, many of whom are high-school aged, are missing these same things, and that impacts you as their voice teachers! And there are all the cancellations: recitals, studio get-togethers, musicals, operas, choral concerts, and our own performing gigs…it just kept on coming. 

And then the summer cancellations…this would have been my 9th summer teaching at Seagle Music Colony. As painful as it was for all involved, management made the right decision to cancel. 

I remember that first week of online lessons back in March. (Doesn’t it seem like an eternity since that moment?) I was just trying to keep my head above water—survival mode, really—trying to stay positive and focused for my students who were dealing with a wide range of at-home realities. Then, I started to shift my thinking. I realized that I couldn’t let this new (to me!) mode of teaching be a poor substitute for what I would rather be doing, not and stay mentally and emotionally healthy, that is. No, this represented an opportunity to use different tools, to empower my singers to take charge of their progress in really profound ways, and to learn more about myself as a teacher. What followed was a rich experience for me as I guided my “kids” to all sorts of discoveries about themselves and their artistry. 

And discoveries about myself, too, and about how we learn and how we teach. I really am a life-long learner! 

Would I rather have my singers in the room with me? Yes, 100%, absolutely. I miss the shared energy, the sense of common purpose, how we pick up on each other’s moods, the subtleties that a virtual lesson just doesn’t reveal.  But, I feel like I am coming out of this whole experience (and it’s not over) a better, more perceptive, more adaptive teacher. 

My hat is off to all of us in VANATS. We persevered, we adapted, we gave of ourselves in ways we didn’t know were possible. We supported each other, and we made sure the our collective voices continued to be heard. That is what we’re about, right? 

At a recent Zoom meeting with our national leadership, I was reminded of just how strong and supportive our organization is! During that meeting, NATS introduced its first strategic plan, “Framing our Future 2020 – 2025.” We have so much to celebrate: all that we have accomplished and also what we are poised to achieve. Let’s remind ourselves of our vision and mission statements:

Vision: Transforming lives through the power of singing.

Mission: To advance excellence in singing through teaching, performance, scholarship, and research.

Our voices will continue to be heard…loud and strong!

There is one voice in particular I am thinking about as I write—one that refuses to be silenced: that of our own Susan Randolph Braden, a tireless warrior in her battle with a rare cancer, an indomitable spirit as she used her considerable creative gifts to educate and inspire, and a guiding light to all of us in VANATS. 

Susan lost her five-year battle with cholangiocarcinoma on March 27, 2020. 

Through the incredible generosity of Susan and her devoted husband Bill, we have set up the Susan Randolph Braden Memorial Fund, which will be used to support VANATS singers in a variety of ways. Many thanks to Anne Wick, treasurer, for her diligent work on this. We can think of no better way to honor Susan than to have her “voice” continue to be an advocate for the transformative power of singing. 

I encourage us all to contribute to this fund as we can. Visit www.vanats.org/donate to donate and learn more about the ways this fund will be used. Be on the lookout for a request soon from Sarah Hamilton for help with creating a video tribute to Susan that will live on our website.

Together, through Susan and Bill’s generosity, we can all continue to make a difference in the lives of our singers. 

With my very best wishes,

Byron Jones
President, Virginia Chapter of NATS
Associate Professor of Voice, Shenandoah Conservatory