Breakout Session
Singing for a New World: How Voice Can Save the Culture
Sunday, June 24 • 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Presenters: John Nix, Erin Guinup, Lynn Helding, Allen Henderson, Constanza Roeder
Introduced by: Kathleen Otterson
Location: Cohiba 1-4
Singing with others has many well-established health, social, and spiritual benefits. Many of these benefits of singing may be linked to the formation of empathy in those who sing together. This presentation is meant to encourage NATS members to inculcate group singing back into our culture and hopefully instill empathy among both singers and listeners. We believe communal singing can be a factor in creating healthy, socially connected, understanding, and hopefully less violent communities. In some communities in America, singing is being used to bring people together. Two of our presenters, both NATS members, will share inspiring examples of their work. Our presentation will also include practical ideas for NATS members to try in their own communities. We will end our presentation with a challenge for the attendees. The presenters believe the time is right for NATS to lead a renewal of group singing in the Americas.
About John Nix
John Nix, tenor, is professor of voice and pedagogy at UT-San Antonio. Nix has taught at The University of Colorado-Denver, Eastern New Mexico University, and worked for four years at the National Center for Voice and Speech with Ingo Titze. He holds degrees from the University of Georgia, Florida State University, the University of Colorado, and a Vocology Certificate from the University of Iowa. At Colorado, he studied voice with Barbara Doscher and Alexander Technique with James Brody. His students have sung with the Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Chautauqua Opera, Opera Omaha, Arizona Opera, Nevada Opera, San Antonio Opera, The Soldiers’ Chorus, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and the Metropolitan Opera Chorus. He has won grants from The Grammy Foundation and NIH, and was awarded the 2006 Van L. Lawrence Fellowship. He has published more than 25 articles and edited or contributed to five books.
About Erin Guinup
Erin Guinup is an active performer, voice teacher, conductor, public speaker and corporate trainer. Her solo repertoire includes Handel’s Messiah, La Bohème and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and her one-woman musical theatre program, The Ladies of Lyric and Song has been praised as “an amazing tour-de-force.” Her private voice students have performed on Broadway, operatic stages and TV, including The Voice and American Idol. She founded the Tacoma Refugee Choir in January 2017 and has quickly found a community eager to raise their voices in solidarity with our most vulnerable community members. She speaks on topics including the Neuroscience of Singing and Vocal Wellness in the Workplace and leads corporate workshops using singing to address communication, teamwork and conflict resolution. Currently serving NATS as Western Washington District Governor, she has served as chapter President and was selected for the 2010 NATS Intern Program.
About Lynn Helding
Lynn Helding is associate professor of practice in voice and vocal pedagogy at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. She is an associate editor of Journal of Singing and founding author of its “Mindful Voice” column. Honors include election to head the founding of the first non-profit vocology association, PAVA, and the 2005 Van L. Lawrence Fellowship. Her stage credits include leading roles with Harrisburg Opera, Nashville Opera, Tennessee Opera Theatre, and Ohio Light Opera; and solo recitals throughout the US, Italy, France, England, Germany, Spain, Australia and Iceland. She studied voice at the University of Montana, in Vienna, Austria, and Indiana University, where she was the first singer accepted to the Artist Diploma in Voice. She earned her master’s degree in vocal pedagogy from Westminster Choir College of Rider University, and completed the Summer Vocology Institute at the NCVS, where she has returned as guest faculty.
About Allen Henderson
Allen Henderson, baritone, is executive director of NATS and professor of voice at Georgia Southern University. He holds degrees from Carson Newman College (BM), The University of Tennessee (MM) and the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati (DMA). Prior to his appointment as executive director in 2008, he served NATS as a district and regional governor, as national secretary/treasurer, and as interim executive director. Dr. Henderson was a 1993 NATS Intern and hosted the program in 1998. He was chair of the coordinating committee for the 2008 NATS 50th National Conference in Nashville. Henderson has held teaching positions at Oklahoma Baptist University, Austin Peay State University and Georgia Southern University, serving as music department chair at both Austin Peay and Georgia Southern. As baritone soloist, Henderson has appeared in concert, opera, and oratorio across the country.
About Constanza Roeder
Constanza Aileen Roeder is the founder and executive director of Hearts Need Art: The Arts in Cancer Project. As a 17-year survivor of adolescent leukemia, she uses her personal experience with cancer and music background to bring the healing power of the arts to cancer patients and their families. She spent several years after college performing in music theater. Her stage credits include such roles as Cosette (Les Miserables), Clara (Light in the Piazza), Laurey (Oklahoma), Rosa Bud (The Mystery of Edwin Drood), and Maggie (A Chorus Line). But, her favorite gig has always been singing for cancer patients in the hospital. She earned her degree in Vocal Performance from Bethany University, completed the CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute at Shenandoah University, and is level three certified in Somatic Voicework, the LoVetri Method. Ms. Roeder maintains a vibrant voice studio, specializing in music theater and CCM singing.
