I hope I have my mail programs figured out this time! It looks like this is
going to the list, which is my intention!
As a NATS members for 33 years, I'm going to tackle Linda's question.
>===== Original Message From Linda Fox <linda@f...>
>===== Original Message From Linda Fox <linda@f...>
=====
>This is going to sound like a very innocent question, but could some of
>you explain to me what NATS is exactly? I mean, I know what it stands
>for, but how are these competitions - are they competitions - organised?
Since NATS is a singing teachers' organization, we hold student auditions
to give our students the opportunity to learn more about good singing. A
nice by-product of this process is, as Jeff S. pointed out, the chance to
show off our own abilities as teachers, which makes us feel good and
which may attract us more students. This IS our livelihood, after all!
The goal of our student auditions (different from our young artist
auditions) is for students to sing for adjudicators (other NATS voice
teachers) and get written comments on what they do well and what they
can improve. We like to reward the best singers with small money prizes
and, in some areas, performance opportunities. Student auditions are
held on local chapter, state, and regional levels, depending on how
people want it. In my NATS region, which is one of the smallest, having
only two states (TN and KY), we have an annual spring regional audition,
alternating the location between the two states. Kentucky has a state
audition, but Tennessee does not. However, our Memphis Chapter has
an annual audition. I send my students to get experience, to hear other
singers, and to get objective comments from pros. It is usually a very high
motivator.
The NATS Artist Auditions are for a different purpose - to discover young
artists who are ready to launch a professional singing career. The
NATSAA repertoire requirements are for the more mature and
experienced singer. There is bigger prize money and bigger performance
opportunities. And this is an international competition. I.e., the state
winner goes to the regional competition. The regional winner goes to the
semi-finals (held at the biennial NATS convention) and selected finalists
compete for the top prize.
>It sounds like a cross between two things we have in the UK: the grade
>exams, which are done in private with just the candidate and the
>examiner, and the competitive music festivals, with all the other
>competitors and their teachers and Mums (because they start at 7 or
>sometimes even younger) in the audience all wanting you to sing well
and
>come second :)
All NATS auditions that I have ever attended are open to listeners. This is
part of the benefit that our students gain. In the early rounds of student
auditions, sometimes rooms are too small to accommodate a lot of
listeners, but usually the final rounds are held in an auditorium where all
can enjoy.
>There's also been a lot about the Met auditions, which sounds to me like
>something more than just simply straight auditioning for something - is
>it?
Met auditions are for an entirely different purpose than NATS auditions.
The Met seeks promising young opera singers, i.e., those who will make
a career in opera. NATS auditions are for ANY voice student who enjoys
studying singing and wants to improve. I send ALL my students to NATS
auditions, not just the super good ones.
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