Coffee and Conversation
Vocal Health and Technique for the Young Actor/Singer Engaged in Music Theater, CCM, and Classical Music
Sunday, June 24 • 7:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.
Presenters: Noel Smith, Chandler Thompson
Location: Trinidad 1-3
How do you keep an over achieving high school singer’s voice healthy? In one day, your student may sing in the choir, an acapella group, a rehearsal for the musical, and at night perhaps a coffee house featuring the latest pop songs to raise money for the music program! This conversation will help participants identify and correct vocal challenges in young singers. Teachers will discuss how to set the foundation of solid technique for developing singers preparing for careers in singing and acting. Led by a vocal teacher who specializes in working with 15-22 year-old students and a clinical vocologist/voice therapist, who works with singers and actors as patients, attendees will discuss the ins and outs of training the young voice while also addressing the more technical side of vocal rehab and how to spot medical vocal issues.
About Noel Smith
Noel Smith is an international recording artist, voice teacher and coach from New England. She earned a BFA, Summa Cum Laude from Boston Conservatory in Voice Performance and Piano with further studies in Speech Level Singing, Estill Level 1 & 2, Feldenkrais technique, CCM Institute at Shenandoah Level 2 & 3, and Yoga for Singers. Noel maintains a private voice studio, her students can be found on Broadway (Wicked, Rent, Finding Neverland, Mamma Mia, Sister Act), and on NBC’s The Voice. Noel is adjunct voice faculty at The Walnut Hill School for the Arts (Theater and CCM Specialist). As a recording artist, Noel sings in Hollywood feature films, International video games, and manages a Recording Choir in Boston. Noel is the President of NATS Boston, and the MA District Governor. She is a voting member of the Recording Academy, and a Board member of the Voice Foundation, New England Chapter.
About Chandler Thompson
Chandler Thompson, DMA, MS, CCC-SLP, is the Coordinator of Voice Services at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Division of Otolaryngology, where she evaluates and treats patients with voice disorders, including videostroboscopic examination of the larynx, and acoustic and aerodynamic testing. Thompson holds three degrees in vocal performance, including the Doctor of Musical Arts from Michigan State University. She taught singing and related music courses at several universities before matriculating at New York Medical College, where she received a Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology, winning the Clinical Excellence Award. Prior to moving to Boston, Dr. Thompson worked in New York in private practice, at the Eugen Grabscheid Voice Center of Mount Sinai Hospital, and at Westchester Medical Center.
