The other side of the table...NJ NATS Festival of Singing 2020

Yesterday I had the honor of adjudicating at the New Jersey National Association of Teachers of Singing festival in Princeton! In the span of 5 hours I heard so many incredibly talented singers. New Jersey is a talented state, y'all!

The festival is open to high school singers through adults (if the adult is not already a professional singer).  The purpose of the festival is for the singer to receive feedback from three professionals who are not their own voice teacher.  The feedback is written and scored on comment sheets, and the singer holding the most points in their category wins the chance to perform at a recital and advance to the Regional round! Of course, it's nice to win your category and advance to the next round, but what's really beneficial for everyone is receiving comments: what you're doing well and what you can work toward. When writing my comments I always try to first state what is working well, then weave in a suggestion.  

It's odd for me to be on the other side of the table. I sang in this festival (NC NATS & Mid-Atlantic Regionals) from high school into my college years and I remember the preparation, nerves, heartbreak, and joy! 

Here are 3 things I learned from being on the other side of the table:

1. If you walk in confidently, it puts me at ease. When someone walks in, hands me a form, and greets me with a simple, but confident, "Hello!" or "Good afternoon!," I am no longer nervous for them.  Clearly, they are excited and prepared to sing! 
2. Each judge values something different so scores may vary from judge to judge. I value solid technique first...but others are diction-focused, acting-focused, etc. 
3. I feel nervous for you when you forget your words, but I'm so proud when you keep going and make them up or sing another verse of the same text! I also don't hold it against you if you forget your words--it happens to professionals more than you'd think. Professionals are just masters at hiding it! Check out Christina Aguilera's famous National Anthem word mix-up at the Super Bowl a couple of years ago...

          and yes...I have done the same thing once! Nerves are wild!
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There's so much that goes into preparing for and singing in a festival like this.  Each singer is wonderfully talented, possessing their own unique strengths.  My hope for you (if you happen to walk into my room) is that you've worked diligently with your teacher to craft a program that you are able to sing well and that you enjoy.  I can tell when you sing something you like singing because you sing it with more style.