Biography
Corey Dalton Hart, tenor, is an active performer of opera, oratorio, and song repertoire as well as an eager chamber musician. He has been a featured soloist with the American Symphony Orchestra, the Albany Symphony, the Asheville Symphony, the Bard Baroque Ensemble, and The Orchestra Now. As a chamber musician, Corey has collaborated with Blue Heron, Skylark, Ensemble Altera, Calliope’s Call, Zenith Ensemble, the Handel and Haydn Society, Emmanuel Music, Boston Baroque, the Boston Camerata, Seven Times Salt, Boston Baroque, Renaissance Men, The Ashmont Bach Project, and Upper Valley Baroque. He was also named an American Scholar of VOCES8, one of the world’s most versatile vocal ensembles. Corey holds degrees from Furman University and Bard College as well as a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from NEC where his research focused on the part songs of English Renaissance lutenist, John Dowland. He is currently a member of both the NEC College and Prep School faculties as well as the Longy School of Music of Bard College.
Teaching Philosophy
Every singer who desires to learn and expand their art has a need to communicate. We sing because there is no better or more poignant way to express our innermost hopes for the world and our place in it. In a time of national uncertainty for arts organizations large and small, it is more important now than ever that our passion for singing be shared generously, cultivated creatively, and practiced diligently. I teach because sharing music with others is at the heart of my love for the art. Singing is extremely vulnerable yet rewarding work, and voice pedagogues, therefore, must trust their teacher-student relationships for art to flourish.
My teaching centers around acknowledging all students as uniquely individual artists with varied backgrounds, physical bodies, vocal talents, storied weaknesses, and artistic pursuits. It is important to accept that while patterns of physiology, learning style, and vocalism emerge, success in the voice studio relies on constant return to the goals and singleness of the individual student. I believe it is my responsibility as a voice teacher to help students reach their goals, whether those relate to a career in singing or revolve around mind and body care. Whatever the goals, I work to develop in each of my students an efficient, foundational vocal technique that carries them through any vocal endeavor. This technique is defined by a functional instrument with balanced sub- to supra-glottic pressure, freedom of the vocal apparatus and articulators, and an appropriately engaged singing body. This work presents a constant balancing act that requires an intuitive instructor with acute listening skills, extensive knowledge of both mechanistic and holistic approaches to a given deficiency, and a willingness to learn in order support the student. I believe this balancing of an efficient vocal technique is not the end goal but a means to an end. By cultivating a flexible pedagogical approach and acknowledging the individuality of each student, I allow students to leave the studio feeling empowered with a flexible instrument that serves them in their varied artistic pursuits.
My teaching style is well-rounded, built on the foundational need to communicate and informed by historical models of vocal pedagogy and new research and practices of modern voice science. In structuring my lessons, I rely on extensive knowledge and application of the bel canto teaching methods of Vaccai, Marchesi, and Concone to address breathing, onsets, and blending of registers, as well as an understanding of more recently documented concepts of formant/harmonic tuning and “absolute spectral tone color” as taught by modern pedagogues Kenneth Bozeman and Ian Howell. Further, I draw heavily on basic speech pathology tools like semi-occluded vocal tract exercises and tailor them to the needs of the individual singer. Through my own work as a student of the Alexander technique and through my study of body awareness and anatomy, I work to isolate inefficiencies in the singing body and correct constrictive physiological habits to encourage a balanced vocal production. I also incorporate exercises in ear training, sight singing, and improvisation to address my students’ musicianship skills. I believe this type of work is crucial to empowering students not only to sing music but to understand how it is constructed and to learn it efficiently and accurately. Another large pillar of my pedagogical approach is my own commitment to lifelong vocal study. This includes attending masterclasses, lectures, conferences, and professional development programs, as well as keeping up to date with the most recent vocal pedagogy research.
My goal in teaching is to give my students the tools they need to teach themselves. Since such a small amount of their singing lives are spent in my studio, I feel it important to impress upon them that they are the captain of the ship. I encourage them to take an active hand in their lessons, describing their kinesthetic experiences, taking large vocal risks in a safe environment, and taking ownership in interpreting their repertoire so they can feel confident in their practice and see progress outside the studio. I set clear expectations for practice schedules, encouraging practice in all its forms, including warm-up routines, vocalises, endurance work, score study, and memorization techniques. I work with students to set both weekly and yearly attainable goals so they can garner the skills needed for a self-driven freelance career. I strive to maintain an open, non-judgmental dialogue with my students regarding their vocal history and vocal hygiene, encouraging regular check-ins with speech language pathologists and other professional voice advocates. My wish for my students is that they leave each lesson with a game plan and a varied set of tools to take responsibility for their singing work.
Helping students find their unique voices and musical interests anchors my work as a voice educator. As a young singer, I thrived in both academic and professional environments that encouraged diversity of repertoire, performance practice, and teaching styles. I found myself interested in music spanning from Gregorian chant to newly composed opera and song, but very frequently felt pigeon-holed into repertoire that didn’t interest me or felt vocally and intellectually limiting. While I was lucky enough to have a few mentors who encouraged such a varied musical education, I often felt my voice lessons were structured around repertoire that did not set me up for professional success. I often had to focus on what I might sing in the distant future and not on what I could get paid to sing in the present. I work with my students to explore the many possibilities for a career in singing and structure lessons around the demands of their chosen repertoire and performance style. In an ever-evolving musical climate, I recognize that not every student will have an identical path to professional success. As the primary mentor and supporter of my students’ vocal education, I take great pride in exposing each of them to the many potential avenues and helping to facilitate projects that align with their individual interests.
The development of vocal technique is not the end goal but a means to an end. The work my students do in the studio adds to the tools they use to communicate with an audience. Whether on an opera stage or as part of an entrepreneurial, multi-media vocal ensemble, my students work with me to build vocal flexibility, endurance, and confidence so they can most effectively share what they have to say. As I said before, singing in front of people is one of the most vulnerable things a human being can do. My deepest hope is to help my students turn this vulnerability into eager, creative art.