Working With Aging Singers

Description

Voices age from birth through old age. In this presentation Karen will cover many perspectives about what changes in our singing as we get older. What are the changes in our bodies that we need to work with? What needs to be “remapped.” What are limits to live within or accept? What exercises can actually help? What is our new normal. How can we help our ageing students? How can we successfully keep singing and what might need to be redefined? We will dig into all of this!

​About Karen

Karen Brunssen, Mezzo Soprano, is Professor of Voice and Co-Chair of the Music Performance Department at Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University. She is Past-President of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS). Her book, The Evolving Singing Voice: Changes Across the Lifespan, published by Plural Publishing, chronicles changes in respiration, vibration and resonance, and realistic expectations for singing throughout life. She has done many teaching residencies in St. Johns, Newfoundland, Zurich, Switzerland, and Cambridge, and is in high demand as a master teacher and presenter. She was honored to receive the 2024 NATS IMPACT Award at the NATS National Conference. She was presented with the Luther College Weston Noble Award in 2013 and the Excellence in Teaching Award from Northwestern University in 2005. Her singing career included appearances with orchestras, festivals, and ensembles across the United States and Europe. Karen’s students have gone on to win major competitions, perform with orchestras and opera companies in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, as well as Broadway and national music theater tours, and teach privately and at universities and colleges around the world. Karen is a member of the American Academy of Teachers of Singing.