New York Singing Teachers' Association (NYSTA)

Overview:

Profession(s): Vocal Training
Member Type(s): Voice Teachers, Vocal Coaches, Singers, Speech Pathologists, Medical Professionals who care for the Professional Voice
Scope: Regional - New York tri-state area
Formed: 1906
Registration No.: 501(C)3
Address: 142 West End Avenue, 14V, New York, NY, 10023-000, USA
Website: www.nyst.org

Description:

The New York Singing Teachers' Association was founded and incorporated one hundred years ago in 1906 and was the first association of singing teachers in the United States. First named the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the organization acquired its current name officially in 1917. The organization actively encourages sound vocal pedagogy based upon scientific and artistic principals. All NYSTA member teachers, coaches and associates agree to a professional code of ethics.

NYSTA plays an important role in "educating the voice teacher of tomorrow" and in breaking down barriers between voice teachers and those in related disciplines by encouraging a free exchange of ideas about the principles of good singing and the practices of sound vocal pedagogy.

Mission/Aims:

NYSTA's Constitution defines its mission as follows:

To establish and maintain a standard of vocal production and voice instruction based on scientific principles.
To encourage the highest standards of musicianship and artistic singing.
To promote American vocal music and the craft of singing in English.
To uphold a code of ethics governing the relationship of voice teachers to each other, their students, and the public.

Principal Activities:

NYSTA strives to provide teachers with the tools and inspiration needed for an increasingly informed and creative pedagogy. Immense advances in voice science, neurology, psychology, education theory, medicine, and mind/body healing offer new information and techniques from which voice teachers can draw. By making these resources accessible to members, NYSTA fosters a pedagogy rooted in the great traditions of the past while incorporating the new knowledge of our time. With these goals in mind, the Official NYSTA Bulletin was renamed VoicePrints - the Bulletin of the New York Singing Teachers and is printed five times a year between September and June. NYSTA also maintains its own website with a "Find A Teacher" directory, to assist voice students in finding a qualified voice professional.

Member Benefits:

The "Find A Teacher" directory on our website receives thousands of hits per month and has become an important resource for connecting voice students with well-qualified teachers and coaches.

Presentations by leading figures in vocal performance, interpretation, pedagogy, and health are presented annually. In recent years they have included international artists Regina Resnick, Teresa Stratas, and Elly Ameling, master teachers Oren Brown, Cornelius Reid, and Ruth Falcon, Dr. Peak Woo of the Grabscheid Voice Center, Anat Keidar, Ph.D., CCC-SLP of the Department of Otolaryngolgoy at St.Luke's/Roosevelt Hospital, and Dr. R. J. Baken, Director of Laryngology Research at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary and performing luminaries from the Broadway Musical Theater world including Victoria Clark, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Judy Kaye.

Training/Licensing/Certification:

Oren Lathrop Brown Professional Development Program (PDP). The program offers a series of outstanding courses in Anatomy and Physiology, Acoustics, Vocal Health, Repertoire and Pedagogy, taught by leaders in each field. Those who successfully complete all five courses earn the designation Distinguished Voice Professional. Graduate credit for these courses is offered through Westminster Choir College of Rider University.