Get to Know Joshua May, D.M.A., of the Music Department!
Joshua May, D.M.A., is a Lecturer I in the UM-Flint Music Department. He will be presenting research at the Voice Educator’s Symposium at Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, on February 20 & 21, 2015. His research centers on the connection of historical bel canto technique development for training young tenor voices through the use of Mozart’s concert aria repertoire.
Name: Joshua May, D.M.A.
Title: Lecturer I
Department: Music
Biography:
Dr. Joshua May teaches applied voice and vocal arts courses in the Department of Music at the University of Michigan-Flint. Prior to his appointment at UM-Flint, Dr. May served on the faculty of the Community School of the Arts at the University of Connecticut. As an educator, he has served as a master clinician for solo voice and choral workshop series. In addition, he has presented research and workshops on vocal health and pedagogy. Dr. May was selected for the 2014 National Association of Teachers of Singing Intern Program. As an advocate for community engagement, he has coordinated and directed the opera outreach programs at the University of Connecticut and the University of Michigan-Flint. Dr. May’s research projects currently include teaching applications and the presentation of vocal formants and the male passaggio for undergraduate development, Mozart’s tenor concert repertoire for historical performance applications to help train maturing voice, and the LGBT song and aria project for a historical presentation of the music and poetry of 20th century composers next fall. Dr. May was selected to present his research on Mozart and the tenor voice at the New Voice Educators’ Symposium at Indiana University-Bloomington on February 20-21, 2015. These concert arias offer a variety of exciting challenges for the young tenor in recital to the professional artist on the concert stage. These beautiful concert arias offer valuable technical vocal training tools for studio teachers to help their students prepare for future operatic literature.
Dr. May is a lyric tenor with an active performing career in opera, oratorio, and art song. He has performed a variety of vocal repertoire and premiered works at such prestigious festivals and programs as the Atlantic Music Festival, Harrower Opera Workshop, Intermezzo Opera Festival, Halifax Summer Opera Festival, Tyrolean Opera Program, Contemporary Americana Festival, Opera in the Ozarks Festival, and the Aspen Music Festival. He has recently performed with such companies as Hartford Opera Theatre, Boston Metro Opera, Metro West Opera, Boston Opera Collaborative, and Opera Providence. Recent operatic engagements include: “Rinuccio” in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi as a guest artist at the Flint Institute of Music, “Ferrando” in Mozart’s Così fan tutte and “Il Duca di Matova” in Verdi’s Rigoletto, “Prince Paul” in La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein, and the premier of Philip Martin’s The Family Plan as “Pietro” with both the Hartford Opera Theater and as a guest artist in performance at the Mark Twain House in Hartford, CT, “Male Chorus” in The Rape of Lucretia and “Samuel Parris” in The Crucible. Dr. May has been praised for his dynamic performances of the Mozart operatic repertoire, including “Tamino” in Die Zauberflöte, “Ferrando” in Così fan tutte, and “Don Ottavio” in Don Giovanni. If you would like to listen to recent recordings or find out more information about his upcoming performance schedule, you may visit his website at www.joshuamaytenor.com
Education:
D.M.A. Voice Performance University of Connecticut 2014
M.M. Vocal Pedagogy New England Conservatory of Music 2010
M.M. Vocal Performance New England Conservatory of Music 2009
B.A. French Grand Valley State University 2007
B.M. Vocal Performance University of Florida 2003
Classes I teach:
MUS 151-MUS 452 Applied Voice
MUS 100 Introduction to Music
MUS 366 Diction for Singers
MUS 230/430 Opera Workshop
MUS 210/410 Interim Chorale Director (Fall 2014)
UM-Flint Summer Vocal Academy Conductor
Membership:
National Association of Teachers of Singing
Phi Mu Alpha
Pi Delta Phi
Omicron Delta Kappa
Order of Omega
How I fell in love with my field:
I have been blessed with the opportunity to share the stage with many wonderful musical artists. I found my love for performing as an undergraduate student at the University of Florida in both my applied voice studio and the opera workshop. I was able to learn how to make a character come to life, while using all of the wonderful bel canto training that my teacher helped me find in my applied voice lessons. My teachers were able to show me the depth of the art form of singing, which included chamber works, art songs in recital, or operatic performances. It inspired a passion in me to perform, teach, research, and give back to my community through my music.
What I hope for my time at UM-Flint:
I hope to bring opera to our community! The opera outreach ensemble will bring opera into our elementary schools this semester with children’s opera, “ The Three Little Pigs.” I want to encourage a new generation of audience members in our community to be able to enjoy the beauty of the arts. The opera workshop will be performing with the orchestra this semester to help bridge the gap from student to professional development for our singers. I believe this will help provide an artistic opportunity for students and the UM-Flint community to come together to experience a truly unique art form.
What I hope for students in my field:
We have gifted students in our music department, and I want to be able to offer them the artistic guidance that my mentors provided me with along the way toward my professional career. In addition, I want to be able to help the next generation of singers find the technical and artistic development to pursue their dreams. I am preparing them for a career filled with beautiful music. It takes great technical practice and discipline to prepare for auditions, competitions, recitals, and concerts. I believe that music is a universal language, and I hope that my students will learn how to express themselves in their own unique voices. Singing brings out a wealth of colorful emotions through story telling in music. I am so happy to get to share in the growth of their artistry in our work together.
Three things you should know about me:
1. I am originally from Grand Haven, MI. I love the beach, and it is nice to be close to my home town and family in the great state of Michigan!
2. I am a tenor, which is the best voice type to be by far! I love making music, whether it be classical music, musical theatre, or jazz. It is a wonderful experience to bring music to an audience! I believe everyone should give it a try!
3. I love cooking, baking, and all of the delicious culinary arts! I think that food and music really go hand in hand. I am always up to try a new dish on the weekends, bake a pie, or go out to a new spot to see what a chef is up to in town.
