Gramophone Video of the Day (June 11, 2026)

“Not just a big, bold début recording—though it certainly is that—but an invigorating exploration of what art song can look like in our town time. Sisco draws on poems about travels in Italy, the lonely hearts and ships-in-the-night of ‘missed connection’ ads on semi-defunct websites from the early days of the Internet, the caustic and often unhinged wit of today’s online reviews, the unfiltered naiveté of prayers written by children, and more. An album to brandish in the face of anyone that thinks classical song has nothing new to say or nowhere to go.”

David Smith, Presto Music (June 12, 2026)

“Not sure how many people know this, but it’s no secret to those of us who have been involved in the local music scene for a while: the Town of Camden has been a Mecca for musicians for many years.

For as long as I’ve been playing, we’ve been aware that there is a disproportionate percentage of talented musicians of all types plying their trade out of this little upstate town, singer/songwriters, soloists, duos, full bands, even a fife and drum corps — and now, art songs.

This month, Métier Records is releasing “Infrastructure: The Songs of David Sisco” from the award-winning US composer, featuring over 25 years of the Camden native’s output as an art song composer, performed by pianist David Fung, two-time Grammy Award nominee soprano Laura Strickling, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Mondragon, and baritones Michael Kelly, and Sisco himself.”

Mark Sisti, Rome Daily Sentinel (June 23, 2026)

“…In Wholehearted Voice Pedagogy, Sisco goes beyond how the voice works and what skills singers should develop to explore why we teach and, ultimately, why a student would choose to learn more about singing. He encourages greater partnerships between teachers and students as both bring the best of themselves into the voice studio. He again paraphrases Brené Brown by stating, ‘What you know is important, but who you are is more important.’ A wholehearted approach, therefore, creates safer spaces of learning, where ‘students can try, fail, question, and soar.’

Many of the processes Sisco lays out for teachers may feel intuitive, like remaining curious, embracing vulnerability, and following studentcentered and equity-centered practices. Given the traditional nature of voice teaching, however, where we often teach in the way they were taught (Sisco provides a detailed analysis and reexamination of the “master-apprentice model”), it can take effort and intentionality to entertain new ideas and to honestly assess historical practices that may not be serving voice students as well as they could.

Sisco guides readers through this process, providing thoughtful yet practical tools for teachers of all levels of experience. Notably, Sisco’s writing is equally wholehearted as he gently encourages readers to mindfully reflect on their teaching philosophies and practices. Wholehearted Voice Pedagogy is an important and necessary resource, exploring a branch of vocal pedagogy that has heretofore not been given its proper due.”
Dr. Brian Manternach, Classical Singer (September University Issue), 2025

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Voice teaching is changing…it has changed. As the voice teaching profession moves into the mid-21st century, the toxicity of the master-apprentice model has been revealed, found out, and must be replaced with wholistic, mindful, and student-centric models. David Sisco’s Wholehearted Voice Pedagogy is a necessary contribution to the field, that is a must-read for experienced pedagogues with many decades of studio experience and for those teaching their first clients.
Nicholas Perna, Associate Professor and Director of Vocal Pedagogy, University of Colorado Boulder

Wholehearted Voice Pedagogy is an inspiring guide for those who seek to teach in full recognition of the inherent worthiness of both teacher and student. In the ever-changing social landscape of one-to-one singing lessons, Sisco brings us a timely and insightful discussion of pedagogical practices, both old and new. He gently challenges us to enter into authentic, informed, and profoundly rewarding collaboration with our students. Sisco persuasively argues that wholehearted voice pedagogy can transform our practices, our students, and ourselves.
Elizabeth Ann Benson, Author, Training Contemporary Commercial Singers

Wholehearted Voice Pedagogy is a transformative guide for vocal educators, blending historical insights with student-centered strategies to foster artistry, equity, and meaningful connections. Sisco offers invaluable tools to create inclusive and empowering learning environments that nurture growth and curiosity. This is essential reading for anyone passionate about vocal pedagogy and performance.
Isaí Jess Muñoz, DMA, Dean of Music, Boston Conservatory at Berklee

David Sisco’s Wholehearted Voice Pedagogy is a timely and much-needed arrival on the vocal pedagogy scene. As the title implies, this book delivers practical advice on studio teaching, grounded in a holistic paradigm whose aim is to create pro-social learning environments and caring, productive student-teacher relationships. This is a resource that all studio voice teachers will benefit from, and I strongly endorse its contents.
Linda Barcan, Lecturer in Music (Voice), Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne

The voice studio is a unique teaching space. In Wholehearted Voice Pedagogy, David Sisco explores dynamics that emerge between student and teacher. With heart and a commitment to technique and artistry, Sisco offers a holistic teaching approach, balancing contemporary influences such as social media and industry changes, with age-old values including curiosity and joy.
Harriet L. Schwartz, PhD, Author, Connected Teaching: Relationship, Power, and Mattering in Higher Education

Wholehearted Voice Pedagogy offers an insightful and compassionate approach to vocal pedagogy, blending evidence-based research with the nuances of interpersonal communication between teacher and student. By integrating science and empathy, this book provides valuable tools for creating supportive and empowering learning environments for aspiring vocal artists.
Brian Kremer, Associate Professor of Musical Theatre & Musical Theatre Program Coordinator, Elon University

David’s text provides an intentional and practical invitation for voice teachers to lead with curiosity rather than assumption. By centering dignity in every interaction—particularly the inevitable discomfort of conflict—his approach continually calls us back into relationship with our students, our colleagues, and ourselves. A must-read for the contemporary pedagogue.
Megan Durham, MM, SVS, Contributing Author: Trauma and the Voice

“Performing in Contemporary Musicals offers a comprehensive and highly informed view of the world of creating new musical theatre. Sisco and Josepher understand this world through long experience working closely with every part of the process. This book is an essential part of any serious theatre-makers’ library.”

Joe Deer, Chair, Department of Theatre, Dance, and Motion Pictures at Wright State University

“Performing in Contemporary Musicals details the foundational skills necessary to approach new musical theatre works. The mastery of these skills will allow actors to bring their authentic selves to a new project and collaboratively serve the vision of the creative team. I will absolutely include this book on my syllabus!”

Michele Pawk, Tony Award winning actress and Associate Professor at Wagner College

“Working on a new piece of theater is an exciting but often nebulous process. David and Laura have taken their years of experience in developing new works and created a valuable resource for future generations of theater-makers to give shape to the sometimes-shapeless process of making new musicals.”

Telly Leung, Broadway Veteran

“As an actor who has spent much of his career developing new work, it is so exciting to finally have a comprehensive book dedicated to the process of creating new musical theatre. It breaks down all the tools an actor needs to be an informed and prepared collaborator.”

Jason Gotay, Broadway Veteran

“Musicals are like icebergs: we only admire the little part we see. Performing in Contemporary Musicals takes us below the water line, however, and gives us a glimpse into the entirety of what makes up the creation and collaborative nature necessary to the success of a new musical.”

Jean-Paul Yovanoff, Founder of MusicalTheatreRadio.com

“David and Laura have their finger on the pulse of the industry as it’s changing and understand how training must change as a result. In Performing in Contemporary Musicals, they are both meticulous and incredibly soulful about setting artists up for success.”

Sheri Sanders, Founder & CEO of Rock the Audition

“While resources exist that proffer advice for music theater auditions, many do not pertain specifically to those for college admission. David Sisco and Laura Josepher, who between then hold degrees in vocal performance, musical theater, and educational theater, offer guidance on a wide range of topics relevant to the college music theater applicant. The authors speak not only to students, but also to parents and teachers who are usually involved in the process…

“The college application process has grown highly competitive, and students look for any
edge to make themselves stand out in the audition pool. Mastering College Musical Theatre Auditions contains useful tools for prospective music theater majors, particularly when consulted in conjunction with the advice of parents and teachers. Students who are contemplating a college degree in music theater should investigate this volume.”

Debra Greschner, Journal of Singing (January/February 2018)

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“I purchased this book because my 17-year-old daughter plans on auditioning for musical theatre college programs this coming fall. One of the main reasons that I chose this book was because of the authors being exceptionally well-qualified to offer guidance on the musical theatre audition process given their backgrounds in teaching courses at musical theatre colleges, performing arts schools, national and international workshops, and being involved in audition coaching. Mastering College Musical Theatre Auditions has turned out to be incredibly enjoyable to read, and it is brimming with extremely beneficial information. It is well-organized, well-written, and is understandable even to someone like me, with no background in musical theatre whatsoever. I especially like how the book devotes its opening chapters to helping students really think through if they genuinely want to major in musical theatre and if so, knowing what type of program would likely be best suited for them.

“It does a fantastic job of systematically outlining how to choose material for auditions with several appendices regarding the steps to learning a new monologue or song, songs and monologues that are best for voice type, and of great importance, choosing material that is not overdone or inappropriate. Finally, the book masterfully walks the reader through what to expect on audition day with extremely useful strategies on how to best approach it. I have read other books on the musical theatre audition process, but without a doubt, I have found this one to be the most useful, and my daughter and I continue to refer to it on a regular basis. I highly recommend this book — it is a must for any parent/student/teacher wishing to make sense of the somewhat daunting process of musical theatre college auditions!”

Gail Kang, Parent

Winner of 6 awards including Best of the Festival
2006 Columbus National Gay & Lesbian Theatre Festival

“It needs to be said… Charlie, Justin, the Gay Bait hosts, and the other 28 men looking for a date are all miraculously played by two versatile actors: Tom Gualtieri and David Sisco. Without costume changes, but with instant, carefully chosen shifts in voice, posture, manner, and level of nelliness, they transform into all of BAIT’s 32 characters.”

Gary Larcan, www.stageandcinema.com (October, 2011)

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“The laughs throughout are plentiful due to some sophisticated humor and the undeniable talents of Gualtieri and Sisco. These guys roll through 49 characters, one funnier than the other. Accents, genders, ages, body language, and speech impediments – no problem. They only serve as a showcase for the actors’ versatility. If you want to laugh for two hours straight (no pun intended), BAIT N’ SWISH is the place you need to be.”

Laurie Lawson, www.eljnyc.com (October, 2011)

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“The whole evening is a testament to the strength of Sisco’s writing and the brilliant performances of Gualtieri and Sisco. Gualtieri, particularly, shines in the second act, in which he plays every character that’s not Charlie—probably around two dozen or so, including a succession of outré drag queens; the delightful trio of Adam, Ryan, and Bill; and, especially, the formidable and fabulous Delores. Sisco has written enough meaty parts to satisfy an entire company of expert actors, and he’s lucky that, in Gualtieri, he’s got the one-man equivalent.”

Martin Denton, www.nytheatre.com (October, 2011)

For more reviews, click here.

Winner of the Alex Libby Award for Best Musical Performance
2002 Columbus National Gay & Lesbian Theatre Festival

“HERE I AM is not only a coming of age tale – it is a one-man show about self-acceptance, growing up, the search for love, love and the sentient ability to find humor in it all. David Sisco has written himself a surprisingly witty and touching musical memoir.”

– Adam Hetrick
EDGE Boston (June, 2000)

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“While it’s too early to identify festival bests from such a small sample, HERE I AM appeared to be the well-deserved favorite so far. Bookwriter/actor David Sisco, deftly accompanied by pianist Jill Brunelle, has fashioned a charming and witty one-man musical about the ups and downs of gay life and love. While a few of his beautifully sung melodies are rapturously romantic, others score with clever lyrics and a wry self-awareness.”

— Michael Grossberg
Columbus Dispatch (October, 2002)

My Best Beloved

“Melody dominates text in this song in terms of the word rhythms, but the melody is so lovely and so well expresses the mood of the text that it does not matter. In fact, the little twists and turns in the melody itself give proper stress to the words, either by a change in direction or harmony.”

— Judith Carman
NATS Journal of Singing

Dear God

“Although the texts are childlike, and the music does not overwhelm them, neither are the vocal lines and the piano parts in any way simplistic. Sisco both reflects the moods of the texts and penetrates to the core meaning, which can be simply a child’s surface feelings or something more profound, provoking wonder at their powers of observation and understanding.”

— Judith Carman
NATS Journal of Singing

AIDS Quilt Songbook

“Of the 17 songs that were heard Saturday, the best remain Ricky Ian Gordon’s “I Never Knew,” sung with heart-breaking sincerity by David Sisco.”

— T.J. Medrek
Boston Herald (February, 2001)