Emotional Architecture Method™
for Performance
Stop simply performing the emotion.
Discover the human being.
You know the notes. You know the text. You've been told she’s heartbroken, he’s furious, they’re desperate, they’re in love.
But what does that actually mean?
Emotional Architecture Method™ (EAM) is a one-on-one coaching process that helps singers investigate the human being inside the music. Together, we use the text, music, circumstances, and behavior already present in the work to move beyond generalized and performative emotional choices and discover a more precise, evidence-based understanding of the human being you’re portraying.
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EAM isn’t about me telling you who your character is.
It’s about learning how to investigate for yourself. Through guided questioning, we’ll examine what the work actually gives us, distinguish evidence from assumption, use neuroscience and emotional intelligence to explore how your character perceives and navigates their circumstances, and notice where your own emotional experience may be shaping your interpretation.
You’ll leave each session with a deeper understanding of the person you’re performing and specific questions and discoveries to take back to your score, practice room, coach, teacher, or rehearsal.
The goal isn't for me to give you an interpretation. It's for you to discover one you can defend.
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You bring a piece. Together, we become emotional detectives.
We'll look closely at the text, music, circumstances, and behavior already present in the work, following the evidence wherever it leads.
Through guided inquiry, we'll move beyond generalized emotional choices, challenge assumptions, uncover possibilities you may not have considered, and explore the person emerging from the work.
Along the way, we'll pay attention to the places where your own experiences and assumptions may be shaping what you see.
You leave with a more precise understanding of the person you're performing and new questions and discoveries to take back to the score.
You don't need to arrive with the “right” answers. Curiosity is the point.
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Opera. Art song. Musical Theatre. Oratorio. Contemporary repertoire.
Preparing a role? Building a recital? Revisiting something you've performed for years? Working on a piece that just hasn't quite clicked yet?
EAM can help you move beyond the first, most obvious interpretation and investigate the person speaking through the music with greater depth and emotional precision.
You don't need a fully developed character, a dramatic plot, or even a named speaker. If there's a human being speaking through the music, there's something to investigate.
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Singing isn’t required in the initial session(s).
Our first work together is focused on discovery: slowing down, investigating the work, and developing a deeper understanding of the person speaking through the music.
As that understanding develops, future sessions can bring those discoveries into performance, including singing and collaborative work with a pianist when it's useful.
First, we discover. Then, we explore what those discoveries make possible in performance.
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1:1 EAM Coaching · 60 minutes · $150
Bring one piece or dramatic moment you'd like to investigate.
Includes:
✓ 60-minute private EAM coaching session
✓ Guided character/speaker analysis
✓ Evidence-based exploration of the person within the work
✓ Artist-character differentiation using the ABCD™ framework
✓ Clear discoveries and questions to take back to your scoreAvailable online via Zoom or in person in Athens, Georgia.
Not sure EAM is right for what you’re working on? Ask me a question.
Cost a barrier? A limited number of reduced-rate sessions are available. Ask about accessibility pricing.