“Your visit really served to invigorate students and faculty alike. This is exactly the kind of intellectual and artistic stimulation we seek through the mini-residency program. Your excellent presentation in the University Forum helped us reach beyond the campus audience and contribute to the cultural life of the Las Vegas community.” Thomas C. Wright, Dean, College of Arts and Letters, UNLV.
	“You were able to achieve the enviable goal of adapting your presentations to each student at their own level of progress: as a result, all of them were able to relate to the experience in a very positive way.” Dr. Carol Kimball, Coordinator, Vocal Studies, UNLV.

"I just wanted to thank you again for coming to Oregon and having such a positive impact on everyone you dealt with . . .I’ve had great response to your class here at OSU. Several of the better voice teachers in the area attended and have called since to thank me for the opportunity. . . .” Richard Poppino, Head of the Voice Department, OSU.

Red River High School, Grand Forks, ND. October 4, 2002 

	"On behalf of the Red River Concert Choir and Madrigal Singers, thank you so much for sharing your story and talent with us. We all learned a great deal from your visit." N.Y., RR Concert Choir President
	"I think I learned more from you in 10 minutes than I have in 6 months. Thank you for all your help. You are such an inspiration!" M.P.
	"I really appreciated your taking the time to help me with my French and style. I don't feel like I'm blindly throwing syllables into the air anymore." N.M.
	"You have inspired me through your words and by your accomplishments. Thank you for sharing all of your wonderful gifts with us." E.M.T.
	"It was a great honor to work with you, and it gave me an entirely new perspective towards the songs I perform. You have opened a whole new door for me to the expression and emotion of music. I've performed many songs before, but I never paid much attention to what I was singing, or what the song was really about. Watching the techniques and details of the songs with the students you worked on made me able to assess what I need to work on, too. It gives me the courage and hope to achieve anything I set my mind to. This was a life-altering experience, and I am forever grateful to you for the generosity, effort and skill that you've shown me." G. C.

University of North Dakota (Grand Forks). October 5, 2002. Distinguished Artist Series 

"Dear Mary: I wanted to pass on to you an encouraging sign. Our students seem not so intimidated by French.  Since your visit, I have had several students insist that we assign and practice some mélodies.  One student is working on Fauré, one on Chausson, and the girl who sang Porgi amor, is working on two Bizet and one Délibes.   Again, thank you for your visit and inspiration." Royce Blackburn,  University of North Dakota Dept. of Music

"Dear Mary, We are still feeling the thrill from your concert! And as for the master class, you have been voted the ideal clinician. Everybody left the session improved in some way. We are all so proud of you and honored to have been involved in some small way in your preparation. Love, Thelma (Willett)"

Linfield College, October 30, 2002. French songs and arias. 

"Thank you so much, Mary, for spending an hour with the French students. I think the exercises in speaking really helped them - they told me so Friday. Enjoyed the evening concert also.  I'm glad it was so well attended. Merci encore - A bientôt, j'espère..." Margaret Krause, French faculty Linfield College

Oregon State University, November 1, 2002. French songs. 

"Thanks so much for coming to OSU and giving us your time. As always, it was a treat for me personally. And the students got a tremendous amount out of it."  Richard Poppino,Professor of Voice, OSU

Whitman College (Walla Walla, Washington), 2003. French and German songs. 

Southern Methodist University (Dallas, Texas), September 15, 2003. Class in French Art Song.

North Texas University (Denton), September 19, 2003. Class in French Art Song.

University of Wisconsin Milwaukee February 2004. French and German songs and Arias.

"Thank you so much for coming to Milwaukee and working with all of us!  I know that it was appreciated, and Rebecca and I were especially grateful for all of your guidance....  It helped a great deal :-) " Barbara Castonguay

University of Miami Summer Program at Salzburg (Austria). August 2006.

International Opera Center. Brenau University, Gainesville, Georgia. September, 2006.

Piedmont College, Demorest, Georgia, September, 2006.

Clayton State University, Atlanta, Georgia. September 2006.

Thank you for the the beautiful concert, and the wonderful master class you gave for our students at Clayton State University. It was an excellent experience for them--You worked with each of them so well--and went right to the heart of their personal "issues."  Kurt Zeller, Director of Opera and Vocal Activities

I just wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know how much your time at Clayton State was appreciated this past Wednesday. I know that our students learned so much from you, and I only wish that a few of our piano majors who dabble in accompanying could have been there to see that there is so much more to this line of work than just "playing the piano." (It was also nice to participate in a master class where I felt like more than just a piece of furniture in the background!)  --Alex Benford

The Minnesota Opera, Resident Artist Program, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Fall 2007.

Dear Mary, I want you to know how much I enjoyed the class today. It is amazing how much you are able to accomplish with various singers, and everything is through language, style, colors, drama, and not through technique. And yet, the technical things improve because of how you talk about the former items. It is very educational and inspirational for me as a young conductor and coach. --Andrew Altenbach, Associate Conductor in Residence, The Minnesota Opera

The Wanda L. Bass School of Music, Oklahoma City University, Fall 2007.

It was so great to have you here. The class was incredible! You made the French language seem so much easier. Also, they got that it is really singing from vowel to vowel. They sometimes forget. Thanks so much for the info. And I can't wait to see you this summer. --Dr. Frank Wayne Ragsdale,  Assistant Professor of Voice

The Crane School of Music, State University of New York-Potsdam. Fall 2007.

	Your teaching has been amazing for me to employ with my students. You are one hell of a good listener. Thank you for everything. I hope you will want to return at some point to work again.  --Deb Massell, Assistant Professor of Voice
	I am a student of Deborah Massell. I would like to thank you for working with me in the master class on October 24th (I performed the Boulanger piece!). Your advice on French diction and the interpretation of the song has helped me immensely. I had to perform "Reflets" for NATS on October 27th, and the tips that you gave me (especially concerning vowel sounds) really enabled me to sing freely and with a greater emotional connection. Even though I still have a lot to learn about the language, I feel like you've set me on the right track. Working with you was an amazing experience, and I am glad that I was granted such a wonderful opportunity. Again, thank you for your time and knowledge. Have a lovely evening! --Sincerely, Danielle McMullen
	I am a junior at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. I spoke with you after the round table discussion for the performance majors last week and we discussed the Salzburg summer program out of the University of Miami's Frost School of Music. The reason I am writing you today is to thank you for visiting us at Crane and congratulate you on a wonderful performance and master class. It is always inspiring to watch the countless professionals, visiting or in residency, at our school. Such opportunity can be taken for granted when it happens so often, but for me each experience opens my eyes a little bit wider to the beauty in which music is expressed and taught. The passion of which we all share for our music can sometimes be hard to express. However, the professionalism, the beauty, and the harmony of which you and the other vocal faculty brought to the stage exemplified the passion shared within all of us as musicians. My whole life I have always lived by a certain quote. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "Nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm." It's this enthusiasm you shared with us this past week, that proves to me why you are so successful. I was inspired and walked out of the master class feeling refreshed and eager to jump into my own repertoire to apply some of the techniques of which had just been discussed. I know that the inspiration that I speak of can sound a little far-fetched when I wasn't even one of the ones who got to work with you. But I truly was touched by your presence here and sincerely appreciated the knowledge and incite you brought with you to share with me and my colleagues. I was once told by someone very wise that sometimes you can learn more by sitting, listening, and watching, than you can by doing. I am lucky that my mom still shares these different incites with me.  I hope that one day our paths will cross again, and rather than only being an audience participant, I will be able to further my growth and learning by taking a more kinesthetic part in your teachings. Perhaps with the Salzburg opportunity, our paths will cross sooner than later. --Most sincerely and much thanks, Bryan Elsesser
	Thank you all for a truly wonderful recital last night. We are very fortunate to have such fine performing faculty in our school. And thank you particularly to Mary for bringing her tremendous artistry and understanding of the French repertoire and for promoting the magnificent music of Leguerney. --Francois Germain, Lecturer in Piano, Crane School of Music

“Thank you for a beautifully presented master class today. . . . I really appreciated your sensitivity to the ages and backgrounds of the various students. . . . While you had much to impart in terms of diction, style, musicianship and artistry, you did so in such a graceful and elegant manner that the students were able to respond to you in a relaxed and easy way. . . . My profound thanks to you for a stunning master class and best wishes for the success of your new books.” Linda Di Fiore, Vice-President, DFW Chapter NATS

“Thank you again for an absolutely wonderful class! . . . It is very rare to find someone of your international stature who can speak so clearly and articulately to both singer and pianist.” Barbara Moore, Professor of Voice, Southern Methodist University

“You worked so well with both singers and pianists, while making your comments in a way that engaged the audience as well. Thank you for sharing your broad knowledge of the repertoire, your intimate knowledge of French composers and performers, your fabulous musicianship and sense of style—as well as humor— with us. We all left with a deeper understanding of French repertoire and style as well as practical tools with which to achieve a higher level of performance.”  Martha L. Malone, Education Chair, Georgia NATS

"Thank you so much for coming to us and conducting a marvelous workshop.” Ute Freund, President, Puget Sound Chapter NATS

“It was such a pleasure to have you visit the Cascade Chapter of NATS and to provide us with such an engaging introduction to the music of Leguerney and a wonderful masterclass. . . . I hope we’ll be able to look forward to future visits to Oregon.” Kurt-Alexander Zeller, Program Chair, Cascade Chapter of N.A.T.S.

“Dear Mary, You are a terrific coach with all the qualities that make a great teacher: a complete command of the material, patience, a gentle sense of humor, the ability to explain things several different ways depending on the student, and the wonderful talent of finding something positive in every student. I hope our paths cross again. . .” Ronald Banks, baritone

Tahoma Chapter, Tacoma, Washington, March 9, 2002. French Song Workshop.
 

	"Hi, Mary---Megan said she had a terrific time working with you last Saturday.  I was happy to see her so buoyant about her time with you. I'm really sorry I couldn't be there.  Love," Richard Poppino, Professor of Voice, Oregon State University, Corvalis
	"Thank you so much for the wonderful opportunity to work on our French repertoire!  Vanessa and I had a great time on the drive home today discussing all we learned and all we want to work on for Paris as a result of our two coachings yesterday. It was so wonderful to be in such a nurturing educational and supportive environment." April Duvic, Portland, Oregon
	"I was so gratified to sit and listen to everyone's singing and diction details. Mary, we MUST have you give a lengthy French diction CLASS where you can go through the diction books with us and clarify the little details. Since the books differ in some important points, I for one would love to know  from an expert the SOUND of these things and get explanation for some of the discrepancies."   Sandra Glover, President, Tahoma Chapter

Cascade Chapter (Portland, Oregon), Pacific University at Forest Grove. Italian and French Songs.

"I have heard nothing but praise for the class.  I know that the students received a great deal from you, and, as a member of the audience, I too learned a great deal.  I hope that we will have the pleasure of doing something together again sometime." Valerie (program chairman for NATS Cascade Chapter)