My name is Zeb Phillips and I'm a junior majoring in vocal performance.
My dream is to perform for a while and then teach at a college level.
Lorraine Marian DiSimone, an assistant professor in the school of music, has been
very special to me. No teacher has ever been able to make me want to
excel at everything I do. I came in to the School of Music as a
transfer student and I had no clue what was going on.
Ms. D, as we all like to call her, worked extra hard with me to help me catch up with the
other singers. If one method didn't work, she would find a way
or create her own way to help me understand what I needed to do.
I had a lot of trouble finding my mature singing voice and not sounding like a little
kid when I sang. In just two semesters Ms. D had helped me find that voice.
This past semester, everything clicked and now I can stay in that voice
much more easily. She rarely has anything negative to say. Even if you do
something wrong, she praises you for what did well and then works on fixing the
mistake. I've spent two years studying with Ms. D and I've learned more than I did
two previous teachers in six years. Ms. D is a remarkable kind and talented woman.
She has helped me find my voice, not just as a singer but also as a
person and I would just like to say thank you so much, Ms. D.