Ben K
Instruments: Voice
Styles: Jazz, Pop, Folk, Country, Musical Theater, Opera, Hip Hop, Showtunes
Ben K
Instruments: Voice
Styles:
Jazz, Pop, Folk, Country, Musical Theater, Opera, Hip Hop, Showtunes
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 10-80
Master Degree: New York University, Teaching Certificate: New York University, Bachelor Degree: Baylor University
My full name is Johnathon Bentley K. (JBK), but I just go by Ben. I recently graduated from NYU with a master's in vocal performance, concentrating in musical theatre, and an advanced certificate in vocal pedagogy. While there, I taught voice lessons as an adjunct professor. I also have a BFA in theatre performance, concentrating in musical theatre. I include all that to demonstrate two things. 1) I have done extensive research on the voice. The unfortunate truth is that there are a number of voice teachers out there who have conflated singing experience with teaching knowledge/ability to the detriment of their students. 2) My expertise is in musical theatre. I am trained in other styles including classical and CCM and am happy to venture into some cross training when beneficial to a student’s process. However, I am best suited to students who are MT focused. One last thing that is important about me and my journey as a teacher is that I am a baritone. This is something I used to fight. I felt like I was being left out of the musical theatre scene because I couldn't sing as high as some of my tenor peers. I spent pretty much all of undergrad screaming in practice rooms trying to gain an upper range. Unfortunately, my teachers at the time didn't have the knowledge necessary to healthily guide me through this process (see above). Therefore, I have made it my mission to: Pursue, attain, and distribute vocal knowledge to prevent experiences like mine.
I started teaching during my time at NYU. An interesting fact about my particular vocal journey is that because I had never really had formal voice training, I was learning vocal concepts from a scientific and theoretical perspective in the classroom while concurrently learning them in my own body and voice in my own lessons. I think this gave my a unique perspective into how our bodies naturally learn and acquire new skills as they relate to singing. I was able to track both my progress in the studio and in the classroom and was a sort of live guinea pig for myself.
My practice is an evidenced-based one. I chose exercises that are specifically tailored to a certain vocal idea or skill that we are working on. From there, we modify the exercise to meet the needs of the student's unique body and other student specific needs (i.e. previous habits, personality type, etc.). I generally use this approach across the board only modifying the level at which I am challenging the student to meet their current ability. I frame my lessons like a check-in with a physical therapist or doctor. We assess things that might be giving us trouble, followed by a diagnosis of what might be the issue, finishing with a list of exercises to work on before the next time we meet.
My main objective as a voice teacher is to provide information upon which a student can build a healthy, efficient, reliable technique that frees their voice and supports their artistry. Note that I didn't say, "upon which I can build" or even, "we can collaboratively build" because the ultimate goal is singer independence. In practice, this breaks down into five cornerstones that guide how I approach each lesson: Skill - First and foremost, singing well takes practice. While there may be a select few who can find vocal freedom with minimal to no formal training, for the vast majority this is not the case. Therefore, in lessons I will provide vocalises (or vocal exercises) that will isolate ideas, strengthen and coordinate muscles, and create the foundation for efficient vocal functionality. Physiology - Since the voice is part of our physical body, the vocalises chosen will be scientifically based on the complex anatomical structures that make up the vocal instrument. However, approaches to ideas and skills will be varied and modified to address the ebb and flow of our physical bodies (fatigue, adrenaline, etc.) and to meet the individuality of each student. Expression - The physicality of our voices paired with its direct connection to expression of our most basic needs and deepest thoughts can make it difficult (if not impossible) to separate our voice from our sense of self. By utilizing a process-oriented approach (as opposed to a results-driven, or worse, a talent-based one), I strive to create a space in which progress is the only standard and therefore experimentation and vulnerability are encouraged. With this mindset, critiques can be honest and specific, focusing on the work and not external expectations. Artistry - Another, possibly more personal, aspect of our expression. This includes everything from ornamentation (riffing, messa di voce) to remaining in the moment as we perform. You cannot truly be present to embody a song - whether as a character or yourself - if you are thinking about your technique (hence why it must be reliable). This means holding ourselves to a higher standard and ingraining our technique until it is habit. Kinesthetics - Finally, regardless of how objective and scientific we attempt to be in our approach to technique, the sensations we feel when singing and the language we use to describe those sensations must be subjective. I can't tell a student they did or didn't feel something. How would I possibly know? Therefore, we will work to build a shared vocabulary through which we can understand the same concepts in our own bodies. Simply put: We will S.P.E.A.K.
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