NATS National Mentoring Initiatives Accepting Participants

NATS is proud to offer many options for mentoring at the national level.  Please click on the links below to choose which option might work best with your needs or listen to this video.  If you need further information, please reach out to Jeanne Goffi-Fynn, Chair of the National Committee for Mentoring Initiatives. mentoring@nats.org

NATS National Mentoring Collaborative

The NATS National Mentoring Collaborative (NNMC) was launched in Fall 2019.  It is our continued intent to foster learning for our teachers by offering this collaborative approach to mentoring.  This is an opportunity to improve your skills, collaborate with new people, and consider new strategies. We will focus on creating an interactive and inclusive environment with three components including:

• Two one-hour sessions with a mentor of your choice (see list and links below)
• Two shared videos of your teaching with your mentor teacher. 
• A collaborative session with all currently enrolled mentees to discuss points of interest.

The deadline for the Fall Session for mentee applications is October 1st with enrollment dates October 15-December 15th.  Spring dates will have an application deadline of February 1st with enrollment dates from February 15-May 15th, 2021.  

Those interested in being mentored are able to choose from a list of Mentor Teachers to aid in developing their own teaching pedagogy. The program also includes collaborative piano. The fee for Mentees is $250, from which a stipend will be paid to Mentor Teachers. (CLICK HERE for an informational video.)

The Art of Teaching is a complex topic involving content knowledge, communication and organization skill, and curiosity about how people learn. Given the variability in both singing pedagogy and how people acquire knowledge, a teacher needs a wide repertoire of strategies to address his/her students. NATS believes strongly in the role of mentoring our teachers and, as such, this initiative begins!

Here are what people are saying about the NNMC:

“Great experience - Super helpful – just what I needed – always open for further conversations and questions…”
“Great time – looked over my résumé and cover letter and offered suggestions…”
“I so enjoyed the conversations – a personal approach to our discussions…”

“Receive validation, new perspectives and advice…”

“Brought new ideas into my studio, connected dots and ignited my own singing…”

NATS Intern Program

The NATS Intern Program is in its 31st year and is a 10 day intensive mentoring experience which will take place in June 2021. Deadline for application: December 15.  

NATS Mentored Teaching Experience

The NATS Mentored Teaching Experience at Workshops  is accepting applications for the NATS Winter Workshop in January 2021.  This affordable opportunity provides a one on one evaluation of your teaching through the submission of lesson videos and includes a written evaluation as well as a one on one session with a mentor. 

NATS Mentoring Program for Composers

Our newest mentoring experience, the NATS Mentoring Program for Composers is a new opportunity for composers which intersects with the work fo several national programs and committees. Recent work between the new NATS Art Song Coalition, the Art Song Composition Award committee, and the NATS Advocacy Committee and intense interest from a group of celebrated art song composers has resulted in creation of a unique opportunity for emerging and early career art song composers to be mentored by this group in order to promote and encourage the composition and performance of new works. For the first year, this program will be reserved for composers from underrepresented groups, with a special emphasis on Black composers. The deadline for this year was September 7th and the announcement of those selected should happen by the end of September

Select the opportunity that is right for you and experience one of these mentoring opportunities this fall.