For two years I studied personally with Dr. Coffin in graduate school. He was a genius who truly knew how the human voice works through much research from the standpoint of a physicist and a musician and pedagogist. He repaired my voice, damaged by erroneous former instruction, and added an octave to the upper range. I use this method for my students now and know it works very well when used properly, with proper understanding. The first part of the book should be helpful to all voice students in gaining an understanding of how the human singing voice works.

The information contained in Phoenetic Readings of Songs and Arias is an absolutely necessary tool for every student of classical vocal repertoire. Not only do the authors understand what the novice singer needs, in terms of word order and pronounciation, but the information is also a very handy reference for the advanced singer and teacher. The best thing about this volume is that translations of the original word order of the original language is given, so that the student can see "how the language works" in its own word order. A great book!.

Word-By-Word Translations of Songs and Arias: Part I German and French by Coffin is an excellent resource for literal translations of both German and French Songs and Arias. In many cases the exact translation is awkward due to its syntax. In these cases, Coffin also offers a translation in English format. This book is an excellent resource for both teacher and student.