I started studying voice when I was 19.  I had wanted to study composition at the University of Minnesota, but decided to take some voice lessons as well. My voice (Chest Voice) developed quickly and soon I was able to make loud vibrant sounds in my lower and middle range.  I had a naturally darker sound and was categorized as a Baritone, and immediately had some success in university productions and choirs. 

   My voice developed very quickly the first couple of years, but pretty much remained steady for the next few. It stopped getting bigger or more resonant, my improvements came in style and from experience.  I never developed easy high notes. I could get to an E or sometimes F when my voice felt 'good'. It was difficult to feel consistent, sometimes the voice was resonant and free, sometimes I had to push, sometimes it felt difficult to make a good sound at all.  I did not understand how good baritones could sing well in their entire range and the best baritones could sing very high notes with no issue (Leonard Warren could sing a high C!).

   I was frustrated, I thought I had worked long enough with my teacher and I needed fresh ideas. I auditioned for various schools and was accepted to NEC, Michigan and UC Santa Barbra. I went to UCSB because I got a full scholarship, and the voice teacher there, a soprano, had a very good reputation. I taught voice there, both privately and in a class setting. However, I found that my voice was not improving. I worked hard, practiced every day, learned rep, read voice books, but my voice was the same. It was not growing, it was not getting more and more squillo (resonance) and it was not increasing in range, no matter how hard I tried. My Masters Degree was almost complete, but I was on the verge of quitting.

   This was when I stumbled on the book by Anthony Frisell- 'The Tenor Voice'.  Here for the first time, I found what I was missing.  I had always had a nice falsetto, light head voice, but every teacher I studied with thought it was 'pretty' and that was it, that it was nice for 'effect' but not really usable. I realized that it was the development of the head voice that was missing. It was the real 'voice building' that I had not had in many years since I had first built my chest voice. Just working on my own, trying to do the exercises in the book, I had some improvement. I switched to Tenor, and went on a very long journey of studying with teachers, many teachers!  Several from good Universites, several who had singing careers and teachers of famous singers.

  I tried many techniques, and by lightening my voice and developing my head voice, I was able to change from a 'short' Baritone (one without the easy high notes) to a short Tenor!  I lightened my passagio, I changed my tone--but in the end I still had trouble easily singing high tones or getting a complete voice.

   Little did I know Maestro Frisell was still alive, and teaching a small collection of students in New York City. I went to study with him, and with his help I gained clearer understanding of his method. Doing the exercises properly, my head voice came in and so did all of the benefits that came with it.  Easy high notes, a voice that can sing for a long time, blend in choirs and ensembles, change colors easily and blend to give me a large range of sound.  I have included some samples in the next section.  I started studying with Maestro when I was almost 40 years old, so it is never too late, or too early to start training your entire voice. I have been lucky enough to sing with many great choirs, perform in many Operas, and I thank Maestro for showing me a path to constant improvement and discovery!

​