For the past five years I have worked as a collaborative pianist at the University of Central Florida, accompanying voice music majors in the studio of Dr. Jeremy Hunt. I have noticed that certain skills and practice steps that singers make use of (or don't) affect the rate at which they learn to sing their art songs and arias.

During Covid we were apart for a while and I realized that many singers who have little to none piano-playing experience were learning music more slowly than in the past. After thinking about that problem for a while I thought of this type of course as a resource.

Usually the first few coaching sessions or voice lessons of each semester are mostly about learning when to sing (rhythm), which to sing (correct pitches), and how to sing (diction, phrasing, ensemble skills). I thought that there might be a way to help singers learn most of these things before the semester begins, or at least give them the tools to practice on their own. This course is the tool I think will help singers learn their music faster and better so they can arrive at their first lesson as skilled as they used to arrive to their third or fourth lesson.

For the past few months Dr. Jeremy Hunt and I have worked to create a resource that helps voice students learn how to sing the Italian Art Song Caro Mio Ben by Tommaso Giordani. The goal of the course is to demonstrate the diction, rhythm and ensemble skills necessary to help singers prepare for a lesson, rehearsal, or audition scenario. We are not trying to compete with or supersede the role of the private teacher, but rather to give the student a running start so that they can be more prepared for their first lesson and the teacher can get into the technique and interpretation of the song sooner. The course is divided into chapters covering when, what, and how to sing.

Voice students can use this course to learn the song faster and voice teachers can use this course as a resource to recommend to their students.