Max Rydqvist
About
I have had a lifelong fondness for music, science, and the aesthetic expression of emotion through sound. My Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Boston University serves as a hallmark of my enduring performance background in opera, art song, chamber music, church services, choral repertoire, and musical theatre. Recently, I have also increasingly discovered the brilliant educational tools that contemporary voice science has to offer the human instrument. My resultant engagements with vocal pedagogy in graduate school, through independent study, and at professional events – including National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Summer Conferences, the NATS National Mentoring Collective Program, and the Boston Conservatory Vocal Pedagogy Workshop – has garnered a developing comprehension not only over the relevant anatomy, physiology, and acoustics of the voice but also of the psychology of singing and the essential ingredients for mastery of complex motor learning. My additional experience with the Alexander Technique as well as some Yoga further helps supplement my practical understanding over the basic neuromuscular and musculoskeletal functions of the human body. I have had the fortune of putting all my learning into pedagogic practice by providing critical analysis and constructive feedback for student singers both in group studio classes as well as in the teacher’s studio throughout many years of my singing career.
These experiences have cumulatively helped me identify and rectify errors in my own singing, enriched my performing and, thus, augmented my ability to empathize with colleagues and with the needs of aspiring singers. I am dedicated to helping each individual find this same vocal independence, which will allow their technique, self-confidence, and unique artistry to blossom.
I strive accordingly to draw on these various facets of knowledge and direct personal experiences in my teaching. Amalgamating music and science as reinforcing rather than disparate arenas of knowledge, it will invite the student to explore a holistic package of practices spanning vocalism itself to its underscoring foundations: from basic Alexander Technique to vocal athleticism to bodymapping to diction (using the acclaimed IPA) to some fundamental music theory and ear training. The ultimate purpose is to directly benefit you and your particular ambitions as an enthusiastic singer. I very much look forward to working with you.
Healthy singing is a multifaceted endeavor. It requires synergistic engagement not only between the vocal folds and vocal tract but also between the entirety of the body and the perceptive mind, regardless of genre or style. My teaching addresses and fuses each component of this pivotal trio comprising mind, body, and voice. The result will allow your instrument to find a newfound freedom of expression, progressively giving you the increased power and the agility to emote in a multitude of styles across the vocal spectrum.
Recognizing singing as a deeply individual experience, I am a fervent advocate of student empowerment. My job is to bestow you and guide you with the fundamental technical tools that you can then use to earn the gratification of becoming your own best teacher for whatever you desire to sing. Although I specialize in classical technique and employ it as a foundational anchor, my holistic approach is adaptable across the range of age, level, and style and can be tailored to your particular needs and wishes.
I strongly believe any motivated person bears singing potential. I therefore welcome all who seek to explore their love for singing and possess a passion to grow both intellectually and emotionally as artists. It is my ultimate hope that the emotional rewards and confidence gleaned from honing the link between your mind, body, and voice will benefit you, not only as a singing musician, but also, more broadly, as a person.
Boston University
State University of New York at Binghamton
National Association of Teachers of Singing
Voice Foundation
Pi Kappa Lambda music society
Certificate of Distinction in Vocal Pedagogy: Boston Conservatory Vocal Pedagogy Workshop
My teaching method centers foremost upon the needs and aspirations of the individual student. While I encourage all of my students to enhance their musicianship, theory, and basic piano skills in addition to improving upon their vocal technique and broadening their repertoire selections, the particular direction in which my lessons unfold will be determined largely by the student's objectives, as expressed at the first meeting. These goals are naturally always permitted to change, and my lesson plans will adapt in response to the student's evolving endeavors.
As a general format, (and depending on the length of the lesson) I seek to spend some time warming up the mind and the ear through aural training and intonation work. I then capitalize upon an enlivened brain to engage the body and breath through movement and breathing exercises to establish the prerequisite emotional energy levels needed for free, expressive singing. This is followed by simple warm-ups and then more advanced vocalises - the nature of which, beyond the basics, will vary considerably according to the relevant genre and style - and followed by a dive into the repertoire either of the student's volition or of my personal selection. The lesson will typically conclude with some light cool-down exercises or conversational speaking about the lesson.
My adaptable yet structured teaching format is designed to encourage the student to develop their own organized practice regimen, an essentiality for motor learning and marked vocal improvement. Texts will vary according to the style of repertoire being sought.