Edmonton, Alberta. 

Saturday, June 2, 2018.

 

In Attendance (in alphabetical order):

Shannon Blanchett, Alana Hawley-Purvis, David Ley, Jane MacFarlane (minute taker) and Dawn Sadoway (host).

 

Minutes from the meeting are as follows:

 

We worked off the agenda for the national meeting to be held in Stratford, August 4 & 5, 2018.  

 

Section 1, discussion of the history in the area:

• Not a lot of evidence of voice coaching in Edmonton.  More voice teachers in post secondary, actors seeking coaching for individual needs

• Doug Mertz is the Director, Education & Outreach, for the Citadel Theatre and dialect coaching for productions falls into this category and is informal, as part of his overall contract

• In Calgary, Jane has established a culture of voice, dialect and text coaching, all under the umbrella of voice coaching, starting as Resident Voice Coach for Theatre Calgary, then as consultant for Vertigo Theatre, ATP and The Shakespeare Company.  TC and Vertigo hire annually.  ATP and TSC hire as needed.

• Jane was the first voice coach formally hired by all of these companies.

 

Section 2, strengths and challenges:

• What is a voice coach?  Someone who covers voice, text and dialect

• Mentorship and learning is a huge issue going forward that encompasses the development of a national voice association

• What are new models for delivery of training? I.e. mentorship through theatres, in association with post-secondary institutions

• Addressing the needs of diversification, First Nation coaches and differently-abled coaches.

• One of the challenges is in recognition of the value of the work, with individuals and organizations. For example, companies calling for dialect work the day before rehearsals start or after rehearsals have begun.

 

Section 3, establishing a National Voice Association:

• A national organization would help us to set standards for the work, legitimize the profession and help give recognition for the value

• As a group, we can set a foundational knowledge of what the work is to help educate the value of the work

• We can also set out guidelines for members for a fee schedule and compare what the industry will bear for a fee structure around large regionals, smaller companies and commercial work, that covers what the market is in Toronto and in smaller markets

• We also discussed how, in Canada, we tend to work on a more broad-based knowledge and understanding of the voice work that is supplemented by certifications. Certifications do not legitimize the work here and we don’t look for one technique to solve all issues that come up in the process.  

• A National Voice Association to be more professionally focused than academic. It does not preclude membership in VASTA but can work in a complimentary fashion

• What is the knowledge base, experience and skill set needed as a prerequisite for membership?  

• Where do Speech Arts [ARCT / Trinity College / RCM] fit into this?

• ARCT diplomas use Linklater work as part of the testing, for example.  Does the National Voice Assoc., include this training?

• The work tends to be all text based with no knowledge of the physiological use of the voice.

• Membership should be national.  If you are from one region but find yourself in another and a meeting is happening, as a member, you are entitled to attend.

 

In the end, we felt very positive about the opportunity a NVA would afford us. As we tend to work in isolation, even if we are in the same city or region, it is nice to have chance to come together and share ideas, to support the work each of us is doing and to have our own organization. NATS and VASTA are wonderful resources and, as we said, membership in the NVA would not preclude membership in these other associations but would allow us to address what is happening across this country.