Another Special Guest Performance at Blair: Tenor – Drake Dantzler
As a Blair student, I am required to attend faculty and guest concerts when professional musicians come and give recitals. This past week, Blair graduate Drake Dantzler came and gave a recital, masterclass and voice lessons to any interested students. Not only has he performed on some of the biggest stages in classical music, but he is a well-versed clinician and professor of voice. I speak for the whole voice department in saying he impressed with his vocal talent and communication skills.
Read more below
During his recital, Dr. Dantzler performed a variety of works in multiple languages, periods and even genres. In addition to his technically sound voice, I was impressed by his clear focus, intent and characterization of every piece he performed. I could tell he truly understood every nuance of the material and wanted to convey the story to each one of his audience members. He even sang a small set of musical theatre pieces at the end of his recital. Not only did he do them justice, but he had a unique way of blending his classical technique with the modern musical theatre approach. In all, he was a classy, engaging and energetic performer.
His masterclass was not only entertaining, but also intellectually stimulating. The sounds he got out of the students that sang for him were mature and rich and he was able to do so very quickly. He also provided us all with some more useful knowledge about our vocal instrument. The more you know about you voice, the more aware you are – an integral component to growing as a vocalist. I wish Dr. Dantzler all the best in his personal endeavors and thank him for visiting and Blair for making his visit possible.