Manhattan School of Music faculty Mark Oswald's Voice Lesson

[MisterPapageno]

It sounds to me that the sound is too barked and I feel no expression in the piece. Good student but not good enough singer.

[iamsingin]

Oswald is one of the top teachers in the world. It is almost unfortunate that these very brief videos are available so that people with insufficient data feel obliged to remark positively or negatively... Working with him has been one of the highlights of my career.

[hubcity1981]

Ummmm... yeah I just love Oswald singing those 3 Ab's at 2:21 not even trying. Amazing!

[dasteufelhund]

The hand gestures....seemed artificial...practiced in...?

[DoctorofVoice]

Oh, that poor singer. What a voice that doesn't understand that the mouth doesn't have to be open more than a half an inch. And the "teacher's" demonstrations were fraught with so much tension his tongue retracted, meaning he closed his throat to accomplish the pitch--not a good thing. Modifications were logical and physics-wise sound, at least in words if not in demonstration. The singer had no facial muscle activity and that would make even Italian ah difficult, let alone sing a French one!

[wiseguy847]

@DoctorofVoice @DoctorofVoice yes I couldn't agree more. There is not the least bit of zygomatic lift in his cheeks. The over opening of his mouth leads to a more strident sound, which to the untrained singer (and in proximity) sounds impressive, but anyone who knows anything would know that over opening merely closes the throat by creating a very small back space. With pharyngeal vowel training there is no need to sing anything but pure vowels!!

[rovingdesertfox]

@wiseguy847 Over opening the mouth.....didn't seem to bother Mr. Ramey at all though, did it?

[hamb4]

@wiseguy847 Well Mr Know it all, let's here you. and tell the to Jesse Norman. I'm waiting to hear you well trained voice. 

[awwwyesse]

Do you sing at the Metropolitan opera? Because both these guys do. Sorry to tell you, but this is the way to sing at the top level. The only one full of b.s. is you.

[imhailing]

i was thinking about attending this school in fact i just received the view book in the mail, but this is not the style of music i would enjoy singing.....*sighs* im going to need to search more schools

[ElliePearl]

I just had a lesson with him. He is very good. If anyone is wanting to sample teachers around the city, I do recommend him.

[russellcusick]

Very talented guys at work here! I used to study with Mark and he really has a great deal to offer. I'll never forget when I was a young singer and heard Mark for the first time....he'd won the Met Competition...and was performing in the "winner's concert"....Sang "Largo al Factotum," and of all the singing I've ever heard in my life.....that was some of he most exciting!....great to see that Mark's still teaching! Mark Oswald....definitely one of the good guys!

[hillsdeville]

2:50.... ball gazer!!!!

[Bigman240]

I don't like his "U" vowel in l'oublie.

[MrCafiero]

The point is he is not really addressing it properly. Mentioning the word means nothing. He does nothing to actually help this student develop properly nor does he address what the student actually needs to be focusing on.

[choirguy06]

What is the title of this piece?

[clarksc1988]

"O vin dissipe la tristesse" from Ambroise Thomas' Hamlet

[dasteufelhund]

Please keep your hands off the piano, singer.

[MrCafiero]

Wow, he takes an already great talent and voice and does nothing, but praise it and give himself the credit. RIDICULOUS!!

[dennisdeemii]

@MrCafiero I noticed that too. Not much teaching going on here.

[rayer1000]

damn john, you got all the ladies wantin' a piece! haha. hope your tour went well!

[iheartverdi]

I totally agree

[ciociosan]

cute baritone.. hot teacher!

[omniscope99]

agree

[neochmia]

i'm sorry but i do not understand a word of french... i hear something awful: a stressing accent! Please Young baritone learn to speak French or listen to Susan Graham because that does not sound french at all!

I would try to cover much more the Gs than he says but that's the american technique... nice to understand though why it vibrates so much!

[josiahgulden]

Oz and J-Mo... two wonderful baritones at work! And "nice guys" of the highest order!

[gibraltarrr]

cute baritone

[lucyliesinashes]

aw, yey for both these guys! so much awesome baritoneness in one video, haha.

[ilmaestro18]

what is he singing?

[travtrev]

"o vin, dissipe la tristesse" from HAMLET

duuuuuuhhhhhhhh.

[awwwyesse]

@ilmaestro18 "O vin" from Thomas' Hamlet

[Webarton]

wow wtf this is piano singing? these people are crazy proffesional

[thepossessor]

most people hate opera but they really don't understand how hard it is to sing opera and sing it well

[Superphilipp]

I don't think that's it.

[krankensobriety]

lol

[empirejet]

Oh John. Awesome as always.