AWAKENED EAR WORKSHOP

Did you know your right ear processes higher frequencies faster than the left ear? That singers with clear, ringing, and far-carrying voices lead their voices with the right ear?

Ten years into my tenure with New York City Opera, I learned of a method of sound stimulation invented by Alfred Tomatis for opera singers and undertaken by Maria Callas, Luciano Pavarotti, Beniamino Gigli, and Sting.

Curious about the effect it might have on my voice, I went to the Listening Centre in Toronto for a 60-hour training, where, biblically, my ears were opened. I experienced a panoply of vocal events: notes appeared on either end of my range, the tone became fuller and more focused, the head voice extended high above the staff, long-buried stuttering was extinguished, and I heard “ring” higher in my head.

Fascinated and intrigued, I had to know more.

Subsequent training, study, and consultation with Tomatis professionals provided a practicum and knowledge base, which, when applied in the studio, revealed a direct connection between Tomatis’ theories and observations and the teachings of Manuel García and Francesco Lamperti. I concluded those bel canto singing masters were in the business of molding the listening ability of their students, and with it—the voice itself.

The fruit of twenty years of experience and exploration, the Awakened Ear Workshop gives participants highly effective tools and techniques that determine how a singer is using their ears and the effect on the voice, awaken the singer’s listening ability and the right ear’s capacity, and enable artistic freedom with bel canto principles and vocal techniques.

Please know this workshop is not a substitute for a licensed Tomatis practitioner's 60-hour listening training course. Nor can it replace a multi-year study of vocal training with a qualified voice professional. It will, however, provide you with game-changing techniques that transform the voice.

Presented exclusively via FarPlay*—a low latency platform with excellent sound quality, the Awakened Ear Workshop is designed for conservatory students, experienced singers, voice teachers, Tomatis practitioners, and SLPs. The Awakened Ear Workshop is interactive and requires vocalization, movement, and proprioceptive ability. Auditing is not permitted.

*See here for Farplay requirements. An external audio interface (Focusrite) with a good microphone is recommended.

This workshop is available to eight participants.

  • "Daniel is a very experienced teacher, combining modern psychoacoustic research with 19th-century singing pedagogy."

    NICHOLAS CORNIA, ARTIST DIRECTOR, LE VECCHIE MUSICHE

  • You may not think that this is your cup of tea (bel canto & Tomatis), but if you go in with an open mind, you are going to be surprised at the discovery of some very practical, useful tools that you would have never come up with yourself.

    MICHELE TROISE

  • "I was really surprised at just how well the exercises conveyed the point of listening and feeling, allowing the voice to naturally find its resonance.”

    ANTHONY WRIGHT

  • "The Awakened Ear Workshop is a great workshop that will guide the participant through biology-based exercises that aid singers to improve the quality of their listening and, as a result, refining their vocal technique."

    EARL GREY

  • “Daniel has a huge amount of experience and knowledge and had created some interesting exercises to try out and was very welcoming and energetic. Nice that the group was small enough to have a kind of intimacy and Daniel managed us all extremely well.”

    JANET SHELL

  • “The best part? The Wonder Vowel and Tomatis exercise. I enjoyed the whole of it! Great experience. I enjoyed the feedback from other participants too.”

    FRANÇOISE NICOLOFF—DIRECTOR, AUSTRALIAN TOMATIS METHOD

  • “I like when an exercise produces immediate observable results. I appreciated all of the exercises that allowed me to feel something right away!”

    MICHAEL PHILLIPS

  • “The face-to-face interaction was really helpful. I’ve read about some of these issues on your blog, but hearing you talk about it, then having you give us feedback really helped me to understand.”

    BRANDON MULLET