Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • Winter 2026 9 slightly more frequent (always respectfully interrupting with, "If I may add something..."), and unsurprisingly, he had many tricks up his sleeve to offer us. One of these tricks was the "circular clap," which first came up when I coached Francesco Paolo Tosti's "Ideale." In this song, the singer's eighth notes are sung against the piano's triplets, creating a two-against-three texture. The student had trouble hearing how he fit into this puzzle, so Mr. Vignoles suggested he clap with a circular motion on each beat. (Try it by clapping your hands in front of your chest, then move your hands up and around to make a heart or circle in the air before the hands come together again.) Mr. Vignoles devised this technique during the pandemic and the era of online lessons, which helped singers embody the rhythm and feel more in control of a song's pulse. Another common suggestion was to draw inspiration from the piano part. This could mean pointing out important harmonies, paying attention to counterpoint or melodies passing between piano and voice, or simply noticing how the two parts interact before each voice entrance. In a challenging song like Lili Boulanger's "Reflets," harmonic analysis helped the soprano hear where her note fit into a chord and repeating one section several times helped her get it into her ear. In Copland's "My Heart is in the East," identifying phrase structure helped with the student's pacing. At the end of this song, the voice jumps up (and back) a fourth and then up (and back) a sixth. Mr. Vignoles pointed to the piano part, which begins this pattern a measure before the voice. Mr. Vignoles introduced more concepts over the next several days, and each pianist had the opportunity to try them while coaching a total of eight songs (two per day). Since we also observed each other's coachings, we could see from the outside how his suggestions impacted the pianists' teaching. Sometimes, one small idea inspired a pianist to shift their focus or approach an issue in a new way, usually with quicker results. On the last day of the workshop, Mr. Vignoles quietly placed a piece of paper on his desk: a list of topics he felt most important to reiterate from the week. There was a brief shuffling of papers and bookbags as we prepared to take diligent notes. At first, he listed specific techniques for coaches to use with the overall goal of making every song "sound natural." This included the circular clap and many musical reminders like pointing out interesting intervals and harmonies. Other suggestions were more general and foundational for pianists. "Get to the music quickly," he said, re-phrasing his "keep them singing" mantra. "Lead the singer with active playing." In his opinion, a coach can avoid lengthy explanations by instead accompanying so clearly that the student instinctively follows the way they have been musically set up to sing. He concluded with one succinct and enthusiastic suggestion: "Sing!" I appreciated the simplicity of Mr. Vignoles' suggestions. Many of his ideas are foundational concepts, like "intervals are interesting," but when working with young singers, these concepts can streamline communication and make the process of learning music less confusing. In my own pianistic training, and in these early stages of my career as a coach, I have often felt overwhelmed by the seemingly endless amount of knowledge and skill there is to learn. I put pressure on myself to maximize "lessons learned" in a coaching session by discussing every aspect of a song— translation, diction, poetry, interpretation, musicality, collaboration, etc. But, perhaps, the opposite approach is more effective. Minimal, foundational comments can help a student process information more effectively and leave more room to add new concepts. As someone who has tried to make up for education lost to the pandemic, I often thought there must be a "secret" to coaching that I hadn't yet learned. Every time I've participated in summer festivals like Aspen or Songfest, I was blown away by the creativity of legendary teachers like Javier Arrebola, Warren Jones, Margot Garrett, Lydia Brown, Rita Sloan, and so many more. Over and over, imposter syndrome has said, "Who am I to teach singers when they could get better answers from someone with more experience?" After my first coaching at the Vignoles Program, a fellow pianist commented on the differences in style each of us had brought to the day's sessions. I coached Ralph Vaughan Williams' "The Vagabond" that day, and she pointed out my "literary perspective:" I had identified instances of alliteration and asked the singer to emphasize the beginning consonants on a series of nouns ("White as meal the frosty field/Warm the fireside haven"). She also pointed out another pianist's tendency toward harmonic discussion (he is also a composer), and another's knack for making jokes and having fun at the piano. Since we came from different backgrounds, with varying levels of experience and training, we had different opinions to offer. In her eyes, this was a benefit of the program—learning from one another and feeling validated in our own ideas. I think this is what Mr. Vignoles believed, too. He only ever interrupted a pianist to offer advice that could help us help the singer more efficiently—never to change an opinion or challenge our work. Throughout the week, Mr. Vignoles reminded us that the situation was unusual, since most coaches learn how to coach "on the job" and we rarely get the chance to workshop this skill. Plus, we are never in one room together watching each other work. Attending the Vignoles Program felt transformative and necessary for my journey as a pianist and coach, and I hope that other pianists can take advantage of this opportunity. I hope others can also take inspiration from this concept or start interesting conversations about the career and training of vocal coaching. While many pianists in the US continue to push for a more equitable work environment (from the often outdated "accompanist" title to the current, more popular term, "collaborative piano"), we could all benefit from consistent encouragement and honesty around the chaotic and exciting career of being a pianist. This experience was made all the better by being hosted at my alma mater, Vanderbilt, where I was initiated into the Iota Phi chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota and where my journey as a collaborative pianist really began. Thank you to SAI Philanthropies, Inc. for supporting me with a Professional Development/Education Grant, and I look forward to putting these many lessons to use in the years ahead. Maggie Hinchliffe is a pianist and vocal coach. She works at Stephen F. Austin State University. Maggie was initiated to the Iota Phi chapter at Vanderbilt University and is currently affiliated with the East Texas Alumnae Chapter. SAI Philanries, Inc.

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