My Approach to Teaching:
My approach to working with the singing voice addresses both the commonalities shared by all vocalists and the qualities unique to each individual’s instrument and stylistic pursuits. As a musical theatre specialist, my voice work begins with an acting-centered approach and explores vocal expression as a means of communicating specific choices.
My Perspectives on Training for the Industry:
Singing voice work is especially useful for a variety of professional pursuits, including film and television, musical theatre, and other live performance contexts. My philosophy for training the singing voice is two-pronged: first, one should develop fundamental skills that promote healthy, sustainable use of the vocal instrument. Second, the natural colors, shadings, and acoustic parameters particular to the individuals’ instrument should also be honed, so that the performer retains his or her versatility while also possessing the ability to offer unique interpretations.
Meet Adam Roberts:
Adam Roberts is equal-parts creative producer, artistic director, and vocologist. He is a faculty member at The Actor’s School (
theactorsschool.org),
Director of Music at Austin’s St. Luke United Methodist Church (
stlukeaustinumc.org), cofounder of TILT Performance Group (
tiltperformance.org), Resolution Creative (
resolutionaryworks.com), and Entr’acte (
atxmusicals.com), a former contributing writer for
Backstage and
American Theatre Magazine, Resident Musical Director for Education at The Long Center for the Performing Arts (
longcenter.org), and past conductor of the Texas Medal of Arts Awards. Adam’s students have performed principal roles on Broadway, Off-Broadway and in regional theatre, been nominated for the Tony Award, and appeared in film, national tours, and on network television. His choreography credits include two European concert tours.
In addition to his role as Musical Director of
Music Theatre Online and
Libretto with the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Adam is a past contributor to the
Austin Chronicle. He holds a master’s degree in music from Florida State University, an Executive Certificate in Arts and Culture Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania, and undergraduate degrees from Kent State University and Youngstown State University’s Dana School of Music. A vocologist distinguished by recognition of the Pan American Vocology Association (PAVA-RV), Adam obtained a Graduate Certificate in Vocology from Lamar University. His online course “Teaching Voice for Musical Theatre” is available from Forward Motion (
fwdmotion.org).
