STEP 1: FREE ANALYSIS VIDEO CALL

TEACHING CONCEPT – Mateja Potočnik

​

As a voice pedagogue, it is of central importance to me to approach each individual student with systematic and well-founded knowledge, supporting them based on their personal prerequisites, abilities, skills, and talents. Students should become familiar with the essential features of the anatomical functioning of the vocal instrument—supported by relevant professional and scientific literature. Based on these insights, they gradually transfer this knowledge to their own bodies and, with my guidance, develop awareness of the breathing process, inner auditory imagination, and ultimately vocal sound production.

​

A central focus of my teaching is breathing technique. Students deepen their natural inhalation, become aware of the musculature involved, and learn to maintain a stable and controlled airflow. This keeps the diaphragm active for longer, forming the basis for free tone production (appoggio). In addition, I integrate breathing exercises from Yoga and Qi Gong, which I regularly practice before performances myself. These methods not only encourage deeper and more natural breathing but also support calmness, concentration, and physical presence—skills essential for concerts, auditions, and artistic projects.

​

Another important component of my teaching is vocal hygiene and the development of efficient and healthy practice strategies. Many students practice without clear orientation; therefore, I place great value on structured, conscious, and technically grounded work. I create individualized practice and warm-up plans with clear sequences, suitable exercises, and a defined vocal range. Since not every exercise is appropriate for every register, I always adapt the material to the respective voice type and technical situation. Targeted warm-ups serve not only to prepare the voice but primarily to support technical advancement and the development of a healthy, economical vocal function.

​

I teach students how to practice effectively: in short, focused sessions, with clear goals, conscious breaks, and with the help of audio and video recordings for self-reflection. Equally important is the early recognition of physical warning signs such as pressure or hoarseness.

​

An indispensable part of the training is the development of a differentiated inner auditory imagination. I foster this through joint listening and analysis of recordings of outstanding singers as well as through targeted demonstrations in lessons. Together, we train the perception of different vocal qualities and the analysis of the parameters that define a healthy and artistically high-quality voice: resonance and unified timbre, vocal formants, chiaro-scuro, purity of sound, freedom and vibrato, lyrical versus dramatic qualities, and clear articulation. I strengthen these parameters through individually tailored technical exercises.

​

When selecting vocal repertoire, I orient myself to the vocal prerequisites, technical development, and artistic needs of the students. In interpreting vocal works by international composers, students engage with literary sources by major poets and writers. They acquire knowledge of numerous languages, including German, Russian, Latin, Italian, French, Spanish, English, Slovenian, Czech, Croatian, and Serbian. They translate texts, grasp their meaning, shape them with phonetic precision, and develop an authentic artistic interpretation.

​

During my studies at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin, I worked intensively with the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). I systematically pass this knowledge on to my students. The IPA is a globally standardized phonetic system that represents all human speech sounds precisely. It enables singers to learn accurate pronunciation independent of spelling. Using IPA, we analyze the vowels and consonants of a text, define their exact articulation, and transfer this into clear, stylistically appropriate vocal diction.

​

Through music and text, students explore various emotional states and shape them on stage with the help of vocal colors, dynamic nuances, and scenic presence. They broaden their artistic range by attending concerts and opera performances, by reading relevant literature, and by engaging with other art forms.

​

Through dealing with the stylistic characteristics of the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and contemporary periods, students gain a deeper understanding of the character, aesthetics, and modes of expression of each era. Digital competencies—such as the use of notation programs, transposition tools, or online databases—support them in preparing and researching repertoire, sheet music, poetry, and recordings.

​

Since artistic creation always emerges within a cultural and social context, students learn to place musical works in their historical framework, reflect on them critically, and develop a personal, reflective, and stylistically responsible interpretation.