Konstantina Gotouhidis

At the end of my senior year of high school, I had the honor to intern for Joe and observed many lessons; in my years since graduating from SVS, I have yet to meet a voice teacher who quite rivals Joe in his deep understanding of vocal anatomy and ability to communicate his extensive knowledge to a variety of different kinds of learners. While observing Joe’s teaching of so many different students, I was so inspired by his ability to adapt and redirect his exercises when something that may have worked for one student was not resonating with another. I watched in awe as he created new intricate exercises on the spot for his students to address their specific needs. He is a lifelong learner who is constantly researching pedagogy and frequently brings his new findings to lessons.

Joe is not only an incredible pedagog, but a wonderful friend and consistent supporter to all of his students. He juxtaposes his rigorous expectations with his hilarious sense of humor, showing his students the immense value of pairing lightheartedness with hard work. Joe’s multifaceted teaching is why I return to him over and over again whenever I am in town; I even had the privilege of studying with him years later when I took a semester off from college. During this time, we were able to explore the voice at a higher level and work through sophisticated technical challenges. I always say that I have a “little Joe on my shoulder” who is there to remind me of what he has taught me through the years, both as a performer and as a human being.