blog
Welcome to my blog!
Here I write about
- German diction topics
- Analysis of arias and art songs
- Pronunciation and interpretation guides
- how I work
- clients’ success stories
and I’ll share some insights about the life of a pronunciation coach.
Go exploring!
“Der Tod und das Mädchen” (Franz Schubert) – Translation, Pronunciation Guide and Analysis
The following article is about Franz Schubert's song "Der Tod und das Mädchen". It provides you with a translation, a pronunciation guide and an analysis of the text. Text and translation Vorüber, ach vorüber geh, wilder Knochenmann! Ich bin noch jung. Geh, Lieber,...
“Auch kleine Dinge” (Hugo Wolf) – A Guide to Pronunciation, Analysis and Interpretation
Translation, pronunciation guide and text analysis (interpretation tips) of "Auch kleine Dinge" by Hugo Wolf Auch kleine Dinge können uns entzücken, auch kleine Dinge können t(h)euer sein. Bedenkt, wie gern wir uns mit Perlen schmücken, sie werden schwer bezahlt und...
What Running’s Got In Common With Singing In a New Language
Running has been an important part of my life for about twenty years now. It helps me let off steam, clear my mind, focus on what's next and above all is my Number One source of creativity and ideas. Some people develop ideas while grabbing a shower, others while...
Does Singing in a Foreign Language Affect Your Voice?
When we learn to speak in a new language, we not only struggle with vocab and grammar but also with pronunciation. It’s not only about WHAT sounds we should make but HOW to produce them. The more different the new language is from your mother tongue, the more probable...
The German Affricate PF (or: Flatten Your Tire)
What are affricates? The German letter combination PF is a so-called affricate or combination consonant. This term describes a sound that combines a plosive (T, P or K) with a fricative consonant (S, F or V). In German there are six combination consonants: [ps] (as in...
“An die Musik” (Franz Schubert) – A Guide to Pronunciation and Interpretation
Translation, pronunciation guide and text analysis (interpretation tips) of "An die Musik" by Franz Schubert Du holde Kunst, in wie viel grauen Stunden wo mich des Lebens wilder Kreis umstrickt, hast du mein Herz zu warmer Lieb entzunden, hast mich in eine...
Life as a Pronunciation Coach: 3 Things I Don’t Like About My Job
I love my job! Really, I do. It’s taken me quite some time (and some detours) to find a way of combining my passions and create a fulfilling profession for myself. Yet, ungrateful as it may sound, there are some things I don’t quite like about my job as a...
From Zero to Hero (A Client’s Success Story)
During the last years I was able to help many singers to level up their German diction. In this article I want to share with you the success story of Wladimir who was willing to invest in himself to achieve a special goal.Wladimir is not his real name, and he knows he...
“Gretchen am Spinnrade” (Franz Schubert) – A Guide to Pronunciation and Interpretation
Translation, pronunciation guide and text analysis (interpretation tips) of “Gretchen am Spinnrade” by Franz Schubert Text and Translation Meine Ruh ist hin My peace is gone Mein Herz ist schwer ...
From Good to Outstanding or How I Work
Sometimes, before hiring me as pronuncitation coach for German diction , singers ask me how I work and what “method” I use. In attempting to describe how I work, I realized that I do have certain steps that I preferably use. I’ll call them “convictions”:
3 Simple Warm-Ups for Your Face (or How to Prepare your Face for Singing German)
Whenever you speak or sing in a language that is foreign to you, your facial and upper body muscles are strained in an unusual way. This is not the case with our native tongue or languages that – although not our native ones – have become familiar to you. Of course,...
“Im wunderschönen Monat Mai” (Robert Schumann) – A Guide to Pronunciation and Interpretation
Translation, pronunciation guide and interpretation tips on “Im wunderschönen Monat Mai” by Robert Schumann Text and translation Im wunderschönen Monat Mai In the beautiful month of May als alle Knospen sprangen, ...