Want to know what a University Choir sounds like?

Here are some selections from the Washburn Choir concert on 10/21!

Q&A with a Vocal Education Major!

For this Q&A I decided to do the interview with Melanie Herd. Melanie is a senior at Washburn University and she is also my vocal teacher. She has helped me so much with being able to hit high notes and not be afraid of them! (which is a huge fear considering I'm a low alto!) She is also involved in the choirs at Washburn and was the Opera lead last semester in Dido and Aeneas!

Melanie Herd

Vocal Education Major

Photo Credits: Sara McVay

Q: When did you decide that you were going to be a music major?

A: I had a really great experience in the KCDA honor choir in 8th grade. I was really impressed with the director. He looked like he was having so much fun. It was so cool to be singing with 100 other kids who loved music and I thought how awesome would this be to do this as a career.

Q: You did an audition to get into Washburn, when you went to do your audition did you do any special preparations?

A: I auditioned with pieces I had done at solo contests in high school. I was musically prepared because of the rehearsal I had done with that. As far as mental preparation  I was a little bit naive about audition preparation. I knew you were suppose to like nice and pronounce yourself appropriately. It was a little bit intimidating going in and seeing the music faculty and that they are judging you. I could have done more for the mental preparation. I wouldn't say I was unprepared but it was just a new experience.

Q: Do you think looking nice is part of an audition?

A. Yes. That's the first thing people notice when  you walk in. Whether you like it or not they notice how you are dressed; is it important enough to this person that they took time to look professional. Very important thing to look like you're put together.

Q: Since you are a senior at Washburn, do you have any job plans set up for right now?

A: I am currently engaged and my fiance is settled in his career in our home town. So I'm kind of crossing my fingers that I'll get a music teaching job in that area. Praying that something works out because I want to teach at high school level. Eventually I want to go to grad school and teach at the university level. 

Q: Are you confident that there are jobs out there?

A: I'm trying to stay optimistic. It's kind of a scary thing right now in music with the cuts and everything that is happening in schools. The nice thing about the area I'll be living in is music is important in that culture. It's important to the community on a personal level. I'm not worried about the positions going away at the moment. 

Q: Describe your private teaching lessons/methods.

A: Right now I have one student in Topeka (which would be I, Kayla) and 4 in my home town. I teach out of my apartment. I focus on vocal technique rather then coaching. It's important to learn how to sing, which I am still learning, but the rest becomes easier with technique.

Q: Any advice for singing in general?

A: It's more work then I thought it would be, I expected hard work in college, but there's a lot more to singing then I ever thought there could be and it's awesome. The thing that distinguishes singing is that we have text. We serve the music and text. We tell a story while singing a beautiful melody. To people that are interested in singing: stay devoted and enjoy it. Don't let that hard work overshadow the enjoyment.

You have to work at music?! WHATTT!

Yes, I know it seems weird but music isn't just something you can do without practicing first. When I first started singing when I was 13 I didn't practice anything, I just though that since I had the talent there was no need to practice. Let's just say I was terribly wrong...

Not practicing when I was younger got me into HUGE trouble entering college.

I originally started a community college after high school and was practicing my vocal technique at all. All I would do that was musically inclined would be sing in the car on my way to class and occasionally karaoke.

I transferred to Washburn University before I finished my associates because I missed music in general, like singing in the choir. When I set up my audition for the music department I used a song I had previously sung in high school competitions and a piece from the musical Wicked. As usual my practicing consisted of singing while I was in the car.

FINALLY AUDITION DAY! And I bet you can almost guess what happened..... I bombed my audition because I wasn't prepared.

I honestly made a fool of myself. I missed my high notes on my Italian aria and messed up some words in the musical song... all because I didn't practice like I should have. The music department heads told me I had a nice voice but didn't meet the standards of vocal majors.

Singing is just like any other talent in the world, use it or loose it. I would have made it into the music department if it wasn't for my denial of practicing. As of right now, I practice everyday!


Let my mistake be a caution to you and your music dreams. No matter what your doing musically, practicing is always key.

Q&A with a Vocal Performance Major!

Zachary Cope

Vocal Performance/Violin Performance Major

Photo Credits: Kayla Quick

Q: What got you interested in music when you were younger?
A: My mother. She played piano and was a music major at Washburn. She inspired me to live up to her standards in music and I fell in love with it.

Q: Where you involved in high school music?
A: Yeah. I was involved in the orchestra and choir and some things in the band.

Q: When did you decided you were going to do a music major?
A: My freshman year in high school.

Q: How did you prepare for your audition for becoming a music major?
A: I actually did practice, practiced my two songs I needed to memorize.

Q: Would you say you did some acting in your audition performance as well?
A: Yeah, definitely.

Q: Where you nervous for your audition?
A: No, I love music so much all it does is inspire me.

Q: What advice would you give to people who want to be a music major?
A: Definitely practice, but also have the enjoyment of music that you'll still enjoy music after you work on it everyday for hours.

Q: Any other advice you'd like to give to people?
A: When you practice, don't beat yourself up. There's always another day, be happy and let the music flow.

The interview was conducted on 10/3/2012. I, Kayla Quick, interviewed Zachary Cope.

How to get Musically Involved in your Community!

The best way to get musically involved in your community is to participate in a local singing group, like church choir are auditioned choir, or audition to be in a musical at your local theatre!

Since I live in Topeka, KS all of my examples will be in that area.

Here in Topeka there is an auditioned music group called the festival singers. They perform a couple times a year and are directed by the same person who directs all the choirs at Washburn University!

There are multiple different types of community theaters you can audition at around Topeka that not only do musicals but plays as well. Topeka Civic Theatre And Academy, Helen Hocker Theatre, and the Auburn Community Theatre located in Auburn (20 min drive from Topeka) are some of the local theatres you can audition at.

Even if at these theatres you don't get a main part there is usually so much you can do to be involved with the production!