Thomas Jamerson
What are some of your most memorable experiences as a performer, and who are some of the artists you’ve performed with?
When I was still attending graduate school at Louisiana State University, I was offered a contract with the Metropolitan Opera National Company, which eventually led to the exciting opportunity to sing the role of the Marquis in a recording of La Traviata with RCA Red Seal Records in Italy with Montserrat Caballé, Carlo Bergonzi, and Sherrill Milnes. Soon afterwards, in my debut season at New York City Opera, I sang Valentin in Gounod’s Faust at Lincoln Center with Beverly Sills, Norman Treigle, and Michele Molese. At first I felt quite intimidated by the thought of working with these fabulous artists, but they later became dear friends of mine.
The response of our audiences was deeply gratifying. One example that will always stand out in my mind is our reception singing La Bohème with the Israeli Philharmonic. After the final performances, fans mobbed the stage door, requiring security to place three cars surrounding the area just outside the stage door for our safety. Beyond that area there seemed to be over a thousand people trying to get to us for autographs and pictures.
Two special opportunities which I had as a performer were singing the Papageno – Papagena duet in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and singing the role of Pish Tush in excerpts from The Mikado, along with fellow singers from City Opera in the movie Foul Play. Dudley Moore played the role of the conductor, but his part was filmed in San Francisco, while we were filmed in Los Angeles. The proscenium of the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles was made to look like that of the San Francisco Opera House, and the videographers were able to blend together the shots of the stage and of the audience perfectly in the movie. I remember our eating lunch, which was brought to the shoot and served in the parking lot outside the Shrine Auditorium. Goldie Hawn questioned me as to how we had managed to arrange for the prime rib, as the actors had never been served such a good lunch previous to this!
A very important aspect of the profession is the special relationships you develop with your colleagues over the years. I still remember the production of Andrea Chénier with Plácido Domingo in the title role, in which I sang Roucher, Chénier’s best friend. Due to a scheduling delay of a recording being made of Mr. Domingo, he arrived only a few days prior to the first performance (quite an uncommon situation for Plácido). My entire role consisted of our scenes together. There was no time to actually stage the scenes with him, so he and I improvised the staging — quite well, I might add. It was different in each performance. Later, we realized that we had each previously done a different production of this particular opera which was directed by the same director (not the one credited for the production we were in), and we were able to use that character relationship to improvise on the spot. I still have an autographed photograph of the two of us in that production, and it is one of my most prized possessions.
What is the value of the MCW Vocal Academy experience for students, and what it contributes to the vocal program?
The Vocal Performance Academy is an intensive two-week summer program, which the Conservatory initiated to provide a more intensive study experience for young singers of age fourteen and above. Students are trained in vocal technique, stage movement, sight singing, diction, vocal anatomy, and musical styles and genres, including classical, musical theatre, jazz and gospel. Our teachers, who have extensive experience in the fields of opera, concert and musical theatre, pass this knowledge on to the students and give them a thorough understanding of what to expect in these fields. We assign students repertoire appropriate to their age and level of experience, to challenge them and help them grow alongside their colleagues in a supportive environment.
During the two weeks, the students prepare a two-hour concert of classical, opera, and musical theatre scenes, which they perform on the final evening of the Academy. The past two years, we also gave shorter run-out concerts for the community during the second week of the Academy. Two years ago, we performed a program of excerpts from the American Songbook at the Pelham Arts Center, in conjunction with an exhibition they were giving of vintage American sheet music, and last year we gave a concert outdoors at the City Center in downtown White Plains, in conjunction with the Recreation and Parks Commission. Over the three years in which we have held the Vocal Academy, our program has proven successful in giving the students a more complete knowledge of the voice and its use in performance, as well as providing a more complete understanding of the requirements needed for working in the opera, musical theatre, and concert venues.
Working at this level enables the students to apply good vocal health practices to their performing and to gain a better understanding of their stamina and potential. For the students to be exposed to this level of intense work and to realize that they can be successful has proven to be quite rewarding. In addition, the success of the Vocal Academy appears to have contributed to the reputation and enrollment of the Conservatory’s overall vocal program.
What further developments would you like to see happen in the vocal program?
The Conservatory has an excellent voice faculty, with extensive knowledge and experience in the field. At the present time, the Conservatory offers private lessons, as well as Youth Chorus for children up to the age of eleven, the Teen Vocal Ensemble, a sight singing class, and a weekly musical theatre workshop. In addition, we encourage our voice students to take advantage of the Music Conservatory’s fine music theory program, which gives complementary theory classes from beginning to advanced levels to all students who are registered for individual voice or instrumental lessons at the Conservatory.
The Conservatory also has an Honors Program, which is being expanded and upgraded to include additional courses, as well as the graduation recital which each of our Honors students gives in their senior year of high school. Graduates of our Honors Program receive a performance certificate, which is a useful addition to their resume if they choose to apply for music programs at colleges or conservatories, although not all of our honors students necessarily go into music as a career. Application for this program is by audition upon recommendation by the teacher.
I am pleased that, starting this fall, we will also be offering the Vocal Performance Workshop for experienced singers, ages fifteen and up, including adults. In this class, students will learn textual and musical interpretation, stage presence and performance techniques. They will learn the appropriate methods of style and diction required for singing in Italian and English, as well as touching on French and German. In addition, they will have the valuable and enjoyable experience of performing with other students in duets, trios, and even sextets or septets from the classical repertoire, including opera, and musical theatre.
What experiences in your career, including your experience as a leading artist with the NYC Opera, have helped shape your teaching style?
When I worked in the profession with the Metropolitan Opera National Company, New York City Opera, and in venues all over the country, I was exposed to some of the top musicians in the world. I worked with wonderful musical coaches such as Joan Dornemann, Margaret Singer and Martha Gerhart, who had the most profound influence on my ability to interpret and project the meaning in the score. I worked with some of the best conductors, such as Julius Rudel, Mario Bernardi and Imre Palló, who knew how to get the most out of my performance musically. I worked with the finest directors such as Frank Corsaro, Tito Capobianco, Jay Lesenger and Sarah Caldwell, who gave me intimate knowledge of the dramatic aspects of the works I was about to perform. In addition to all this, I sang alongside some of the top singers in the world and was able to observe firsthand what it takes to give a topnotch performance. Through this process, I learned to become the best musician and performer I could be. This experience is something that cannot generally be learned from books alone. Once I had experienced this, I felt that I had to teach it to my students. It was due to my experience working with these coaches, conductors, and stage directors, not to mention my own voice teachers, Loren Davidson and Cornelius Reid, that I can disseminate the knowledge the student needs to help them be a consummate performer. When studying singing, the student learns to utilize his or her body as the instrument; the larynx, the breath, and the resonance are used for transmitting the interpretation and the emotion of the music being performed. I believe that a student can learn a song with its notes, rhythms, and text, but that this is just the beginning. In order truly to perform the song, the student needs to be able to express the idea, interpretation and emotion of that song through their vocal technique.
How do you think music training contributes to students’ all-around development?
When a student acquires excellent methods of learning in one area, it will affect learning processes in all other disciplines. Music as a whole incorporates several aspects. You have to learn discipline, to keep within the parameters of the printed page; you have to understand the emotion being portrayed in the music and the lyrics; and you have to be able to express this to the audience through your performance. In certain instances emotion can become a hindrance to the vocal production: one can’t begin to cry while singing. In order to project emotion, you have to have an understanding of yourself, your personal emotions and character, and then portray to your audience exactly what you feel. This is done through a very strong vocal technique. When you study music, you study all of the above within the context of the music, and in so doing, it will bring to realization the person you are.
How would you describe your years at MCW and the education students receive here?
I started teaching at the Conservatory in 2001, shortly after the opening of the new Conservatory building on Central Avenue. I was immediately impressed with how friendly and supportive the faculty and staff were and with their commitment to helping the students realize their full potential. During my time at the Conservatory, I have taught students of all ages, from youngsters to seniors. At MCW, we cater to the needs of students of all ages and levels. Students are able to progress, starting at their current level, and to enjoy themselves while pursuing their studies in music. Beginners get an idea of what the process of learning music entails, and more advanced students can polish their skills with the benefit of expert instruction. MCW provides many opportunities for our students to perform in a solo situation, as well as with small or large groups, in a supportive environment.
For more information on the Summer Vocal Academy or vocal offerings MCW has this fall, call 914.761.3900 or email info@musiced.org
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