Cambridge Academy of Music recognizes the benefits of a music masterclass for their students and has had two vocal masterclasses. In 2022, Dr. Patricia Callaway, retired vocal professor from LeGrange University and instructor at The Healthy Voice Studio, conducted a very successful class. In 2024, Mr. Todd Wedge, associate professor of voice of Kennesaw State University, led our students through a very productive vocal masterclass.
Future masterclasses with other instruments are currently being planned.
Aspiring musicians, and their teachers, typically consider masterclass to be one of the most effective means of musical development, along with competitions, exams, and practice.
What is a music masterclass?
A music masterclass is a class given to students by someone with expert knowledge in their musical fields. In a masterclass, all the students watch and listen as the master teacher teaches one student at a time. The student usually performs a single well-prepared piece, and the master teacher will give advice and suggestions on how to perform the piece better, often including anecdotes about the composer, demonstrations on how to perform certain passages, and admonitions of common technical errors. Sometimes, the students are expected to perform certain sections of the piece or the entire piece again considering the master teacher’s comments, or the student may be asked to perform a passage repeatedly to attain perfection.
The value of the masterclass set up is that all students can benefit from the master teacher’s comments on each performer and each piece. Students who attend the classes will learn from observing the performance and how the master teacher works with the performer.