Patricia Shanks Voice Studio

A Personal Note

 

I am honored to have worked with many fine coaches and teachers in my own personal musical journey. Chief among them was the dynamic, brilliant force of music and nature, Natalie Limonick. From Ms. Limonick I learned to always aspire to and respect truth, forthrightness and musical excellence. Almost daily, I remember Ms. Limonick and hold fast to these principles. She and they remain my strength and my guide. 

 

No matter what obstacles life may present, and life does present them, I will always promote the highest standards in training, and nothing less. Call it paying it forward, the Ethic of Reciprocity, the Golden Rule, or whatever you want to call it, it compels me to give my best to every individual. As the old expression goes, it is a tough row to hoe -- especially in our fast-paced times where too much running around and the acquisition of things, over the development of character, takes away from the incredible, life-enhancing experience of exploring training in-depth. Even the understanding of what it takes to train is lacking, we have moved so far away from it. The quality of introspection, and the desire to learn to do something well are all but completely replaced by the quick fix, the gimmick and the short-term quest for instant gratification, fame, and fortune, above all else. 

 

My former website prominently displayed this comment. "My Studio is a place for those who wish to serve their art, not a place for those who want their art to serve them." Some were intimidated by this and by the detailed information in the former site. I’m sure that a number of viewers didn’t even understand what it meant. But those who were artists, either innate and beginning or fully developed, responded favorably. They understood that serving the art returns much more to the artist than the other way around, and that ego is the enemy of the highest art. And there are no tricks. Quick fixes have a limited shelf life.

 

I look forward to working with artists and artists-in-training, and with those who desire attentive, dedicated, faceted training from a teacher who genuinely cares about their education and development. Mutual respect is key.

 

I vividly remember calling Ms. Limonick and hearing her outgoing recorded message. She entreated callers to leave their name and callback information and to, "...go on, and on, and on."

 

Thank you for listening, and watching and giving me your all, Ms. Limonick. For many of us who you taught and coached your influence goes on, and on, and on.