Clifton Ware

Clifton Ware, professor emeritus (voice, voice pedagogy), University of Minnesota Twin Cities and a long-time NATS member, has established the Clifton Ware Group-Voice Pedagogy Award with a gift of $12,000.

The award will highlight the concept of “Class Voice” and its potential impact for singers through offerings in community, independent, and academic settings. Applicants for the award will be currently active NATS members who want to advance the concept of learning to sing together in a group-instructional settings, as in formal class offerings, studio class settings, workshops, and other innovative ways.

“I believe teaching voice classes provides special benefits that help students collaboratively and systematically learn all essential vocal-music skills, including voice production, song repertoire and styles, language diction, performance, and mind-body health,” Ware explains. “In addition, group voice provides dynamic social interactions that aid in developing social skills, like self-expression, empathetic listening, and therapeutic wellbeing. Group voice may include a variety of venues — from choral ensembles and voice-classes for undergraduate voice majors and elective-level students — to voice-studio classes, pedagogy practicum courses that combine graduate students working with undergraduates, and community-education voice classes for adults.”

With this award, NATS will celebrate the contributions of Dr. Ware to encourage many to explore, discover, and develop the potential of their singing voices through “class-voice instruction.” His publications have helped many as they developed curriculum for class voice. (Adventures in Singing: A Process for Exploring, Discovering, and Developing Vocal Potential and The Basics of Vocal Pedagogy) 

“I have great admiration and respect for the NATS Intern Program, which began in 1991, when I helped organize and host the first program at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities in Minneapolis,” Ware recounts. “It climaxed with my participation in the more highly-developed 2004 Intern Program held at Colorado State University, when serving as one of four master teachers.”

Ware made his gift through a qualified charitable distribution from his IRA.

“I learned that the IRS allows retirees over the age of 70 1/2 to a direct transfer of funds up to $100,000.00 from your IRA trustee to a qualified charity, a tactic that can reduce one’s taxable income,” Ware says. “This was a ‘eureka’ moment.”

Ware received his doctorate from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, in 1970. His accomplishments as a singer-teacher include extensive performance as tenor soloist in recital, opera, and oratorio, and authorship of four books — Adventures in Singing (4/e 2008), Basics of Vocal Pedagogy (1998), The Singer’s Life: Goals and Roles (2005), and The Aging Challenge: Making the Most of Life After 50 (2009). He also has given numerous national and international presentations, including talks, workshops, masterclasses, and service as a master teacher with the 2004 NATS Intern Program.

Ware served as Minnesota NATS president in the 1970s, and later as member of the NATS Foundation Board. Since his retirement in 2007, he has served residences at Austin Peay University in Clarksville, Tennessee and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and he has presented occasional master classes at colleges and universities. Ware and his wife Bettye are co-founders and organizers of Citizens for Sustainability and The Sustainability Education Forum, which included producing Sustainability News + Views, an e-newsletter from 2013 to 2019. The couple also created the texts and music for 36 songs, including 13 Eco Songs (2009).

If you would like to learn more about various options for a charitable contribution to NATS, contact Development Director Bob Bryan at bob@nats.org or 904-992-9101.