The Wisdom of Abbey Lincoln
The world is falling down hold my hand
Abbey Lincoln
Music and magic are closely aligned. voice and creativity are also.
Jeanie LoVetri
This past July I took the opportunity to review the teacher training for Somatic Voicework, the LoVetri Method, created and founded by Jeanie LoVetri, my voice teacher for close to 20 years now. The training was held for a week (I could only stay for several days) outside of Cleveland, OH. It was a great reminder of the standout values and effectiveness to this functionally based method that I’ve taught for the last 16 years.
When I was a young college student (and after college) I searched for a voice teacher who understood healthy vocal technique and appreciated the wide range of musical styles this world has to offer. I was looking for a teacher who could make art out of science and our human need for expression. Low and behold I found Jeanie LoVetri! She was, and still is, a rare gem in the field of voice pedagogy. In much the same way that an Abbey Lincoln or Betty Carter were standouts in their field of music, so too does Jeanie’s voice and experience ring out.
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These two very different but impactful voices came together my last night at The LoVetri Institute. I was reflecting with other students on how amazing Abbey Lincoln’s writing was in speaking to the current state of our world. Her song “The World Is Falling Down” captures much of this political and environmental moment we are currently in. But not only does she describe the landscape as literally “falling down”, she also advises us on what to do, “hold my hand”. Similarly one way to view our work and service as voice teachers and performers is to lend a hand. Through the chaos we can find other good people doing good work, join them and hold on.