On Monday I had the opportunity to observe Dr. Koehler give a lesson to a baritone named Ryan. My first impressions of Ryan were very positive. He seemed to have a great grasp on proper technique in almost every category. Dr. Koehler’s comments and corrections dealt with more advanced techniques and realms of thought. During the warm-up, Dr. Koehler critiqued Ryan’s phonation, saying that you shouldn’t use force or push when starting phonation. Ryan was coming off of an illness, and his initial phonation was a little fuzzy. Dr. Koehler went on, explaining that the air support should simply release, comparing it to “water spilling over the edge.” Ryan’s support and phonation were instantly improved, indicating just how effective Dr. Koehler’s
