I remember watching Tony Bennett and his accompanist, who has been performing with him for some 50 years or more, and you could see the breathing together, the experience of knowing what to anticipate - it takes having that experience together to be really good.

I recall my voice teacher, Suzanne, telling me that the voice of the singer is the lead - don't let the accompanist push you around or make you follow them. They are supposed to follow you. She is the best accompanist I've had. Last summer a grand piano was donated to a local art center, and as part of its public inauguration, I performed a program of Robert Burns, Thomas Moore, and Stephen Foster - she accompanied me. Suzanne said, don't worry, I'll follow wherever you go. She did.

When I first started looking for accompanists, in my frustration, I asked Suzanne if there is a book on the subject, or if any courses are taught. She said that unfortunately, it is an art that is not focussed on in academia. (She used to teach voice at the Curtis Institute.) A good accompanist is a rare treasure.

Alice