the VASTA Voice - July 2009

Hello VASTANS!

From rain on the East Coast to stifling heat in the South, this summer is showing us all that she’s worth. But the good news is that relief is on its way: in the cooling balm of the VASTA New York City conference!

Conference planning is going exceedingly well thanks to the leadership of Michele Cuomo, and it’s promising to very exciting. For those of you who cannot join us in New York City, I hope your summer is filled with sweet and savory morsels of interesting work, restful vacation, and lots of joy. For those of you who are attending, I’m looking forward to seeing you in NYC!

Beth
president@vasta.org

FROM THE EDITOR

Greetings, Fellow VASTAns!

This is my first letter to you as the new Editor of the Voice, having served for the past year as Associate Editor Guy William Molnar

under Editor Jeff Morrison. Before going any further, I want to thank Jeff and Michael Barnes, Director of Technology and Internet Services, for their help and kindness to me; both of them were patient and generous, sharing their time and expertise as I learned the various tasks that have to be done and/or coordinated to get the newsletter out.

Agreeing to be the Associate Editor was the best thing I’ve done for myself since joining VASTA in the first place: through my work here on the newsletter I have already “met” and corresponded with a number of you, and I have been grateful for this chance to get to know you, at least online. You have made me feel welcome as a part of a wonderful community, one whose members – here in the Voice and through the vastavox – teach me something about our work virtually every single day.

I wish I could say I was going to have the chance to meet you in person in New York next month, but unfortunately the Conference coincides with my move to Pennsylvania, where I’m starting a new position teaching acting and voice in the Department of Speech Communication and Theatre at Kutztown University. The conference actually overlaps with my new faculty orientation, and however grateful I am for this new job I very much regret missing out on all the amazing opportunities at this Conference.

But I can’t wait to meet you next summer. See you then,
Guy

2009 VASTA Conference Announcement

Dear VASTAns:

The 2009 VASTA conference will be an historic event, bringing together the foremost voice teachers of our time. The event will be held from August 3-7 at The Downtown Conference Center at PACE, 157 William Street in the heart of the financial district, close to the Brooklyn Bridge, and will feature master classes and panels with Catherine Fitzmaurice, Kristin Linklater, Patsy Rodenburg and Arthur Lessac, who will also deliver the keynote presentation.

There will be, in addition, over 50 workshops and presentations offered by our membership in concurrent sessions. There will be invitations for conference goers to join affinity groups to discuss issues such as tenure & promotion and diversity over casual lunch or dinners.

Michele

VASTA Board of Directors & Officers