“… A voice that is free, that feels its inherent right to speak, will have no fear of calling out, whenever and wherever it is needed. …” -Arthur Lessac
Arthur Lessac (born 1909) was a vocal coach, author and the creator of Lessac Kinesensic Training for the voice and body. Lessacs first studied voice at the Eastman School of Music (1932-36) and received a bachelor’s degree in voice and speech education at New York University (1941). Recognising limitations with traditional voice training approaches began experimenting with new techniques for what he named “organic instruction.” He incorporated his explorations into his private teaching and applied them to his work as a vocal coach and dialogue director for several New York productions, beginning with a production of Pins and Needles (1937), which became the longest-running Broadway musical at that time.
Along with his continued acting/directing/coaching work in New York, Lessac founded the National Academy of Vocal Arts (1945). In the early 1950’s he became the voice and speech teacher at the Stella Adler Theater Studio and began teaching at the Jewish Theological Seminary. During this period he received his Masters of Science degree in voice-speech clinical therapy from NYU, and continued his doctoral work throughout the rest of the 1950’s. He also continued with his private investigation into speech pathology, physiology, and psychology. He studied anatomy and neurology at Bellevue Hospital and did a clinical internship at St. Vincent’s Hospital, as well as studied at a psychoanalytical institute for one year.
As he continued to study and teach, Lessac’s ideas started to culminate in a systematic approach to training voice. Lessac privately published the first edition of “The Use and Training of the Human Voice” in 1960. In 1965 he established the Lessac Institute for Voice and Speech. Within a decade the Lessac Kinesensic Training had been adopted in over sixty universities and colleges in the United States and abroad.
Of all the recognition Lessac has received, some highlights include the Southeastern Theatre Conference’s Distinguished Career Award (1991), ATHE recognized him for Career Achievement as Outstanding Teacher (1998). He was honored at the Northeastern Theatre Conference receiving “Excellence in Theatre Education, Educator of the Year” Award (2002). In 2009 Mr. Lessac gave the keynote speech at The Voice and Speech Trainers’ Association (VASTA) conference, where they honored him.
His clients read as a Who’s Who of actors, and include Michael Douglas, Faye Dunaway, Nina Foch, George Grizzard, Linda Hunt, Frank Langella, Martin Sheen, and Beatrice Straight. Mr. Lessac died on April 7, at the age of 101, in Los Angeles, where he made his home. A month before his death, Lessac was teaching his method in Croatia, where he was dancing on the streets with his students.
“Voice is so much more than tone or timbre, vowels or consonants. It is so much more than the apparatus. A voice that is free, that feels its inherent right to speak, will have no fear of calling out, whenever and wherever it is needed. But most importantly, a voice can be a beacon in the darkness, something that lights the way for others. And therefore, for my meaning of ‘voice’, I chose “visionary”—someone who lights the way for others.” (VASTA ADDRESS AUGUST 3, 2009 AT THE VASTA CONFERENCE IN NEW YORK, NY) – Arthur Lessac
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