Teaching Background and Philosophy

Barbara Dunn-Prosser has over 40 years of teaching experience. In addition to teaching privately, both voice and piano, to students of all ages, she has taught high school music, drama and musical theatre in Lennox and Addington County, and vocal jazz at Humber College in Toronto. She currently teaches voice at Western University in London, Ontario and has a small private studio in Stratford.

Singing is a whole body endeavour, physical, mental, emotional and even spiritual. To develop a person’s unique sound takes many years of gentle guidance and suggestion. Discovering the strengths and limitations of each individual is important for both teacher and student so that realistic goals can be set and achieved. Singing is a natural and intuitive way of communicating but it is important to learn the fundamentals of good vocal production, to develop confidence about sharing this talent and to be introduced to different kinds of songs. As a person matures so does the body and so does the voice. It is always changing and evolving throughout one’s entire life. And that fact can be both frustrating and exciting. Learning to sing well requires a great deal of patience and commitment.

In addition to “building” a voice, or developing a balanced vocal production, a singer must learn musicianship skills. Keyboard skills are highly beneficial and often can be studied with a singing lesson in the early days of instruction. Learning music has been shown to improve intelligence and versatility in learning other disciplines. If appropriate, students are encouraged to participate in the Royal Conservatory Certificate Program which fosters healthy vocal production, performance, and technical proficiency in a progressive stream. Even students whose focus is contemporary commercial music can strongly benefit from the discipline and instruction involved in this program.

Singers tend to like to share their voices and performing is a positive and deeply fulfilling experience when one is well prepared and supported by a friendly audience. Students are encouraged to take opportunities to perform; at church, community music festivals, school events and choirs or even just for parents and friends. The skill of memorization and standing in front of people is invaluable and can be empowering. Once I was asked to help prepare the general manager of an important corporation for an important professional development meeting. They had been told they had to sing a song in front of their peers at a conference as an exercise in strengthening leadership and public presentation skills!

Good physical, emotional and spiritual health is essential for good singing. Life management skills are often part of the learning curve of a singer because everything affects the voice. And, as with any athletic exercise, practise is the only way to improve.

In 40 years of teaching I have been blessed with many happy graduates who continue to flatter me with their thanks and praise. Some are now teachers themselves, some are professional performers in both musical theatre and opera, some have gone on to create music or form folk/rock bands and some completed a level of learning that was satisfactory for them to sing as non-vocational soloists or in the ensemble of community or church choirs. I have also tutored dozens of singers successfully in the Royal Conservatory Certificate Program.

The following quotation from a renowned singer and master teacher of voice sums up for me what singing is all about:

“Being a singer and musician is one of life’s rarest and most precious privileges. It also brings with it exacting responsibilities, which can be both exhilarating and humbling. When you stand before your audience you sing the hopes and dreams of other men and women and you sing the whole range of human emotions and understanding. To be a fit channel for this wonderful but awesome task requires that you do all you can to nurture and sustain your emotional, spiritual and intellectual lives. A vital part of your musical discipline is this readiness to communicate the caring for human values that give substance and understanding to your musical emotions….” – Jan de Gaetani, NATS Journal article 1995

Biography

Barbara’s performing career is a versatile one. She has appeared opposite Dmitri Hvorostovsky as Donna Elvira in Rhombus Media’s award winning film of Mozart’s Don Giovanni and has been a featured soloist with symphony orchestras across North America in her role as Mme. Cuzzoni in the Classical Kids production of Halleluiah Handel and in Pops Concerts with the Victoria Symphony, Orchestra London, the Kingston Symphony and the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. She has written and performed two historically based one-woman shows, Come to the Woods, about pioneer artist and writer Anne Langton, and Lest We Forget, which interprets the way WW1 affected the lives of women in a small Ontario village.

Operatic credits include Mme. Silverklang in Mozart’s The Impresario and Sharon in Master Class for the Stratford Festival Workshops, Fanny in Rossini’s La Cambiale di Matrimonio, Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, Ophélie in Hamlet and the Witch in Hansel and Gretel and Lucy in The Telephone. Barbara has also spent several seasons with the Canadian Opera Company, appearing in such productions as Béatrice et Bénédict, Dialogues des Carmélites, Der Fliegende Holländer and I Pagliacci.

Barbara was a member of the acting company at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival for seven seasons appearing in productions such as, The Elephant Song, Into the Woods; The Gondoliers; The Sound of Music, Hello Dolly, The Seagull and H.M.S. Pinafore. She performed in the ensemble and as Carlotta in both the touring and Toronto companies of The Phantom of the Opera. In 2002 she released her CD Till We Meet Again. In 2010, Barbara was the featured soloist at a gala fundraiser for the Barnardo Society in Scotland, U.K.

Barbara holds a BA, MA and BEd from Queen’s University in Kingston, and is an Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music in voice and piano. She is currently an adjudicator for Canadian music festivals, and a member of the Ontario Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing where she has served on the executive and as District Governor. Barbara has been a member of the Royal Conservatory College of Examiners since 1996. With her colleague Susan Ambrose, she revised the voice syllabus for The Royal Conservatory and compiled Resonance: a comprehensive voice series published in 2012. Barbara has been teaching voice at Western University since 2008.

Lessons and Policy

Lessons are either 30 or 60 minutes long depending on the level and needs of the student. The lesson begins with vocal exercises to develop breath management, range and flexibility. Repertoire will be chosen that is appropriate for both the vocal level and the emotional maturity of the student and will include a variety of styles. The purchase of music, rather than photocopying, is preferred.

It is expected that 24 hours notice will be given for the cancellation of a lesson or the fee will be charged. Exceptions will be made in the case of emergencies or inclement weather. Parents may attend lessons unless this causes inhibition or lack of focus for the student.

Contact Information

• email: barbara.dunnprosser@gmail.com
• telephone: (519) 272-2076
• cellphone: (519) 301-6033