Amanda Wood has joined the executive staff at the National Association of Teachers of Singing as its membership and program coordinator, effective April 22.

Before beginning her career in non-profit organizations, Wood spent several years working for resorts throughout Florida. As a member of various resort sales teams, she was responsible for handling the meeting needs of government and association clients, which spurred her interest in the non-profit sector. Wood returned to school in 2010 to obtain her bachelor’s degree in management & organizational leadership, specializing in non-profits.

World Voice Day is a worldwide annual event devoted to the celebration of the phenomenon of voice. The aim is to demonstrate the enormous importance of the voice in our daily life, as a tool of communication, and as an application of a large number of sciences, such as physics, psychology, phonetics, art, and biology. The celebration of the World Voice Day is scattered around the globe, including concerts, symposia, open house at voice clinics and voice education institutes, TV shows, radio programs, flash mobs etc.

The executive office of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) announced this week that 12 members have been selected to participate in the 2013 NATS Intern Program, a 10-day forum that pairs experienced and recognized master teachers of voice with talented, young professionals in the profession.

This year’s class includes teachers who primarily teach in university settings as well as those who operate independent studios. This year's interns will work with master teachers Kenneth Bozeman, Karen Brunssen, Allen Henderson and Edrie Means Weekly at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., from June 12-20. Donald Simonson is the director of this year's NATS Intern Program, while Jonathan Retzlaff is the on-site coordinator.

Guest panelist Lynn Helding joins moderator Kari Ragan on Sunday, April 7, for NATS Chat. A Mezzo-Soprano, Helding’s many stage credits include the title role in the first American production of Luigi Rossi’s Orfeo, and leading roles with Harrisburg Opera, Nashville Opera, Tennessee Opera Theatre, and Ohio Light Opera. Helding’s artistic interests center on re-envisioning the solo recital as theatre that directly engages the audience, using repertoire that spans the classical to cabaret.

NATS and Opera America recently collaborated on a panel event at the new National Opera Center in New York City before the January meeting of the Singer Training Forum. This panel focused on transitioning to teaching for the actively performing singer/stage director. NATS Executive Director Allen Henderson was joined by soprano Amy Burton, Lynn Eustis, soprano and author of "The Teacher's Ego," and stage director Jonathan Pape.