THE ART AND SCIENCE OF GREAT TEACHING Celebrating the Legacy of William Vennard (1909–1971)

This one-day symposium on Friday, May 18, 2018, will
celebrate the life and work of William Vennard, chair of
USC’s voice department from 1950–1971, and a pioneer in
the science and pedagogy of singing—a field which, before
Vennard, had evolved little over the previous centuries.

Author of the landmark work Singing, the Mechanism and
the Technique, Vennard recognized the importance of
incorporating contemporary anatomical and physiological
research into the study of singing, as well as fostering
collaboration between singers, physicists, psychologists,
and voice scientists.

The symposium will also feature the dedication of the
William Vennard Collection, which consists of
his personal lesson notes, books, and other research
materials generously donated by Thomas Cleveland
(Director of Vocology at the Vanderbilt Voice Center and
former student of Vennard), as well as images taken by
Vennard while working on his award-winning 1960 film
Voice Production: The Vibrating Larynx.

Speakers include Stephen Austin, Ken Bozeman, Thomas
Cleveland, Cindy Dewey, Lynn Helding, Scott McCoy,
Kari Ragan, and Donald Simonson. This event is made
possible by a USC Libraries Dean’s Challenge Grant and
is cosponsored by the Thornton School of Music.

For additional information, visit libguides.usc.edu/vennard.