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I’m excited to share my interview with soprano and educator Anne Slovin, a classmate of mine from Northwestern University. I’ve always admired Anne for her thought-provoking social media posts and her willingness to speak publicly about her experience with a vocal injury; in fact, she’s my inspiration for discussing my own injury on this blog! We sat down to discuss the ways her varied interests have impacted her career as a singer, her experience as a vocal performance major in college, and the ways her injury has continued to shape her as a teacher and performer. You can connect with Anne via her website, YouTube, and Instagram.
03:23 How Anne knew she wanted to pursue music as a profession
13:03 Her audition experience and goals when she started studying at Northwestern
19:19 Why being a voice major is great for someone with multiple interests
24:12 Anne’s advice for young musicians about majoring in music
28:28 The evolution of Anne’s obsession with Gilbert and Sullivan
34:30 A few of the different places you can hear the “Modern Major General” song in pop culture
36:55 The beginnings of Anne’s vocal injury
37:24 What happens to your voice when you go from childhood to adolescence
39:21 Why Anne couldn’t go bowling in high school
42:21 How Anne found out about her injury during college
43:11 What are vocal nodes? Anne’s visual explanation
44:56 How an important opera role led Anne to decide to have vocal fold surgery
46:37 What her recovery process looked like after surgery
50:28 Why Anne talks about her surgery despite being advised not to
54:13 The difference in how athletes and musicians talk about injuries
55:01 Why poor technique does not always equal an injury
55:33 Anne’s opinions on Adele’s vocal problems
59:05 Why it’s important to talk about injuries publicly – especially as a teacher
1:00:29 Anne’s approach to social media with regards to performance-related injuries
1:02:33 Why music teachers also deserve to recover from their injuries
1:06:17 How Anne’s injury has made her a better teacher
1:10:32 What’s next for Anne!
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