Coffee and Conversation

How to be a Great Adjudicator

Sunday, June 24 • 7:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.

Presenters: Allen Henderson, Daniel Johnson-Wilmot
Location: Partagas

Tone is king! Good diction is an absolute! What about that dress?! All of these could be important aspects of adjudication. No matter what scoring system used to adjudicate, the art of being a great adjudicator lies in knowing what to say at a particular time in relation to what you hear and how to say it constructively so that the singers and their teachers can interpret and apply your comments and develop a plan for improvement. Bring your questions about the NATS adjudication system for discussion.

About Allen Henderson

Allen Henderson - hi-qualityAllen Henderson, baritone, is executive director of NATS and professor of voice at Georgia Southern University. He holds degrees from Carson Newman College (BM), The University of Tennessee (MM) and the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati (DMA). Prior to his appointment as executive director in 2008, he served NATS as a district and regional governor, as national secretary/treasurer, and as interim executive director. Dr. Henderson was a 1993 NATS Intern and hosted the program in 1998. He was chair of the coordinating committee for the 2008 NATS 50th National Conference in Nashville. Henderson has held teaching positions at Oklahoma Baptist University, Austin Peay State University and Georgia Southern University, serving as music department chair at both Austin Peay and Georgia Southern. As baritone soloist, Henderson has appeared in concert, opera, and oratorio across the country.

About Daniel Johnson-Wilmot

Dan_Johnson_Wilmot_100px.gifDaniel Johnson-Wilmot serves as Vice President for Membership of NATS, as well as National Student Auditions Coordinator. He is a Professor of Music in the Music Department at Viterbo University. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Music from St. John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota and a Master of Music in Voice from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In his 45th year at Viterbo, he currently teaches Applied Voice, Opera Workshop, and Vocal Pedagogy.

As a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing since 1976, he has served the Wisconsin Chapter as Auditions Chair for thirty years and was a Regional Governor of the North Central Region of NATS. He has served on the National Conference and the National Student Auditions Committees and he is currently finishing his second term as NATS National Vice President of Membership.

Opera is a favorite interest of Professor Johnson-Wilmot. He has sung roles in The Marriage of Figaro, The Wings of the Dove, Rigoletto, La Boheme, The Rake’s Progress, and Die Fledermaus. As a District Metropolitan Opera Audition First Place Winner, he received early recognition as a fine soloist. Johnson-Wilmot has sung dozens of solo recitals. Works he has directed include The Marriage of Figaro, The Consul, The Robbers, Riders to the Sea, Dido and Aeneas, Hansel and Gretel, Amahl and the Night Visitors, Cinderella, The Barber of Seville, The Magic Flute, and Die Fledermaus and numerous one-act operas.

He studied voice with Sr. Mary Helene Juettner, Dr. Samuel Jones, Bettina Bjorksten, Mary Makower, Ilona Kombrink and Paul Kiesgen. He has been coached by Martin Katz, Stephen Lord and Phyllis Curtin at the Blossom Festival in Kent, Ohio.