SUCH AS IT IS WITH FAMILY

    Such as it is with family. So, what happens when a family member is critical of you? What goes through your mind? S/he wants the best for me… s/he is doing it for my own good… S/he loves me and wants me to change, adjust, alter my actions, my habits, my behavior… or s/he is upset and doesn’t know that I am a handy target… S/he will change his/her mind once s/he calms down and comes back to his/her senses…S/he will apologize, say that s/he’s sorry and will ask for my forgiveness… What if s/he doesn’t do that? Do I challenge him/her, and ask for a change in his/her heart? Or do I just ignore it, and let time heal the wound?
   What is the risk I take by either reacting or ignoring the criticism? Surely, if I counter it with antagonism or resentment, it will impair our relationship…or will it? Some people enjoy being antagonistic and playful especially with family members… You might look at that possibility, before deciding to react. Regardless, what is my best choice? Again, you might consider the default decision, that is, all criticism is positive, and is engendered by a honest, healthy desire to offer an opinion which might bring more happiness, joy, and pleasure to my life. So, would it be best to be grateful for that? So, a genuine acknowledgment with a sincere, “Thank you” could resolve the minor conflict…
   As a family member, we have a desire to love each other unconditionally, regardless of whatever we do or say to each other… Frankly, we are being tested in the spiritual universe to deliver words, emotions, thoughts, ideas, and actions in an unconditionally loving manner. We certainly don’t want to cause barriers between us. Why would we do that?
   One of the greatest traps in navigating through treacherous waters of a relationship is having our attention primarily on ourselves, justifying our thoughts, and actions in spite of anyone else. Unknowingly, we may do or say something to someone we love which has less to do with them, than with ourselves, and results in a negative moment in time… which we would normally wish we could go back in time and change it, and would apologize readily, as long as we could abort the default position of defending and justifying ourselves, and be heartfelt and sincere is our apology.
    The basic fundamental here, is that your family member loves you and if they are critical of you, the best gift you can give them is your gratitude for their love, and your love which you continue to support them with, by silently forgiving them without expressing it, but rather having joy in your relationship with them. It all depends upon what you want out of life, whether you want to be right all the time, or whether you want to love and be loved all the time. It’s your choice.

SIX THINGS EVERY VOICE STUDENT SHOULD DO WHEN PERFORMING

Six things Every Voice Student

Should Do When Performing

1.   Focus on Communication from the View Point of the Character

·         Know who you are talking to

·         Know the point of what you are saying

·         Imagine that you are in a conversation with someone

·         Show an understanding that the viewpoint is constructed by what the character’s attention is on from one moment to the next

·         Know the thoughts of the character

2.   Use Vocal Production to hit the back wall

·         The body is prepared to support the voice, and it is apparent that the torso is feeling air pressure in the body

·         Show a consistency in “singing on the breath”

3.   Create a Singing Posture

·         Posture is strong, balanced, tall, and free of undue tension

·         The head and spine are aligned

4.   Breathe Low

·         The air feels and looks like it is filling from the bottom of the torso

·         The body is consistently prepared to support the tone

5.   Open your Mouth and Release for good Resonance

·         The mouth is open enough to help the voice to travel freely

·         The tone is efficiently produced and healthy

      6. Practice Good Diction

·         Pure vowels are used to create an even vibrato and beautiful resonance

·         Attention to consonants connects the support to the voice and increases the communication

BIOGRAPHY

    Fredric Cook was last seen at the Egyptian Theatre as Mayor Shinn in The Music Man, and previously as Herr Schultz in Cabaret. He sang as Scrooge in Mr. Scrooge , as the Wizard in The Wizard of Oz, as Mr. Biggley in How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, and as Mr. Greenstreet in Mr. Popper’s Penguins. He was Polonius in Hamlet with the Emily Company at the Rose Wagner Theatre in Salt Lake City and has performed over 100 roles in theatres coast to coast. His favorites were Ragnar in Ibsen’s Masterbuilder at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, R.P. McMurphy in the San Francisco production of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Galileo in Brecht’s Galileo Off-Broadway, Major Marcus in The Best Man at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles with Buddy Epson, and Thurio in Two Gentlemen of Verona at the San Diego Old Globe Shakespeare Festival. On Film he was Earl Long in the Assassination of the Kingfish, Hobie in Jackson County Jail, Otto in The Hot Rock, and the Curator in Scavenger Hunt. On television he has performed in several series including "Murder She Wrote," "Hill St. Blues," "Cheers," "Starsky & Hutch," "Today’s FBI," and "Paris." Television movies include Gideon’s Trumpet with Henry Fonda, Stand By Your Man with Annette O’Toole, In The Arms of a Killer with Jaclyn Smith, and The Blue and the Gray with Gregory Peck. He received his BA degree in Theatre from the University of North Carolina, then completed his MA degree in Theatre from Hunter College, finished a one year post-graduate course in the classics at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and completed his education with a PhD degree in Educational Studies from Rochville University. Dr. Cook is the founder and executive director of Utah Conservatory and teaches vocal performance. Dr. Cook has been a member of Actor’s Equity Association and Screen Actor’s Guild for almost forty years. Dr.Cook was the founder and director of the Los Angeles Academy of Dramatic Art and the Alexander Repertory Company from 1975-1982. He was an associate professor at Hunter College in Theatre from 1982-1985. After moving to Park City, Utah in 1997 He founded Utah Conservatory in 2000 with his wife and partner, Debra Cook.