Melissa Treinkman

Earlier this month, National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) member Melissa Treinkman was honored with the inaugural Richard Sjoerdsma Award for Excellence in Writing. The award, presented at the biennial national conference, recognizes the best article published in the Journal of Singing (JOS) over the past two years.

Treinkman received the award along with a $500 cash prize on July 1, 2024, during the NATS national conference banquet in Knoxville, Tennessee. Sjoerdsma, JOS Editor Emeritus and the award’s namesake, as well as current Editor in Chief Lynn Helding were in attendance to present the award to Treinkman.

Treinkman’s winning article, “Focus of Attention in Voice Training and Performance: Applications to the Voice Studio,” was featured in the September/October 2022 issue of the Journal of Singing. In it, she explores attentional focus theory from motor learning literature and applies it to practical voice pedagogy. Treinkman guides singing teachers wishing to translate internal focus directives into external ones. Imagery, the use of props, character voices, primal sounds, and emotional engagement are introduced as strategies for inducing external focus.

Sjoerdsma called her article a “well written, well documented study in motor learning with practical pedagogy” and an “important contribution to the literature.”

Treinkman expressed gratitude and enthusiasm after learning that she would be the first-ever recipient.

“This is such an incredible honor and a lovely surprise!” Treinkman wrote. “Thank you so much for this recognition. I admire Dr. Sjoerdsma’s writing immensely and have been inspired by his legacy. I appreciate the committee and NATS for making this award possible.”

The award committee also recommended NATS member Travis Sherwood receive honorable mention for his article, “Powerful Dynamics: Exploring the Evolution of the Master-Apprentice Tradition,” published in the September/October 2023 issue of JOS. In his article, Sherwood advocates for student-centered pedagogy within the historical context of voice study.

The presiding committee established the following criteria to evaluate articles for the award:

• Creativity and originality of research
• Contributing to the established literature or advancing new ideas
• Cohesive structure of the article
• Solid command of language, along with beauty of expression; clarity and effectiveness of communication

“This award not only celebrates exceptional scholarly writing but also underscores the journal’s commitment to advancing the art of singing and voice pedagogy,” Helding said. “We are so pleased to honor Dick’s legacy in this way and highlight deserving contributors.”

Apart from this award, Treinkman now serves as the Associate Editor of the new “The Vocal Point” column. Beginning with the 2023 September/October issue of JOS (Vol. 80), “The Vocal Point” is now a hybrid column that pairs a video interview with an accompanying article about the featured interviewee. All five videos from Vol. 80 (as well as all upcoming interviews in subsequent volumes) are available on a playlist on the NATS YouTube channel.

About Richard Sjoerdsma and the Award

Richard “Dick” Sjoerdsma served as the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Singing for 22 years (2001 to 2023), during which he elevated the journal to its current position as the premier, peer-reviewed publication dedicated to the art of singing and the teaching profession. After retiring from the post in 2023, the JOS editorial board established the Richard Sjoerdsma Award for Excellence in Writing to commemorate his legacy.

Throughout his distinguished career, Sjoerdsma made significant scholarly contributions to musicology and voice pedagogy, including authoritative works on Franz Christoph Neubauer and numerous articles and reviews for leading music publications. In 2007, Sjoerdsma retired from a 39-year career at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he taught studio voice, opera, vocal literature and diction, voice pedagogy, and directed many opera productions. During that time, he also served nearly three decades as the music department chair and eight years as the fine arts division chair. In addition to teaching, Sjoerdsma, a tenor, performed widely in the U.S. and Western Europe. He appeared frequently as a guest clinician and adjudicator, conducted symphony orchestras, and led performance classes. A NATS member since 1971, he received the prestigious NATS Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022 at the national conference in Chicago. The same year, the NATS Board of Directors honored him with the title of Editor Emeritus and dedicated the board room at the national office in his name.

For those inspired by Sjoerdsma’s legacy and wishing to support the continuation of this biennial award, donations can be made through NATS to the Sjoerdsma Award Fund. You may also contact the NATS Executive Office at (904) 992-9101 for assistance.