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.