Founded in 1998 by Voice Physiologist Patrick Michael Wickham, Performers Career Center has been home to literally thousands of singers and songwriters, ranging from curious hobbyists to established professionals, from commercial to classical music. The program joins conservatory discipline, scientific inquiry and the practical craft of performance.
Based on proprietary Vocal Integration®, PCC's vocal training curriculum draws on Mr. Wickham's clinical experience at Vanderbilt Voice Center and a synthesis of developmental voice physiology, kinesiology, structural integration and Alexander Technique. Its vocal methodologies include Bel Canto and Swedish training traditions, alongside the specific work of Cornelius Reid and Maitland Peters, Mr. Wickham's mentor. This foundation connects the study of vocal function with interpretation, musicality and the development of an individual artistic identity.
In its 28-year history, PCC alumni have performed in lead roles on Broadway and the West End, at New York City Opera and The Metropolitan Opera, gained entry into many of the world's top music and acting conservatories, signed with 11 major record labels and won Grammy Awards. But more importantly, the majority of PCC alumni include students who have evolved from low skill and confidence to highly capable performers and recording artists who enjoy music as more than a distant dream.
Over the years, the faculty has included former New York Singing Teachers' Association president David Sabella, Billy Porter, Michael Weyandt, Jonathan Price and other seminal professionals in New York voice instruction. The wider PCC history has also encompassed concerts, original recordings and Off-Broadway productions through PCC Productions, Inc., including the West Village Musical Theatre Festival. Launched in 2010, the festival brought emerging composers, lyricists and librettists into collaboration with conservatory and professional performers. The William Haralson Scholarship Competition extended that commitment by supporting singers' continued training. These undertakings connect individual study with the creation and presentation of original work, placing the development of the artist at the center of the school's history.
A personal note from the founder
As we approach our 30th anniversary as a school, I'm looking back at why I became a teacher in the first place. Most aspiring professional singers utilize "vocal coaching" as a supplementary income to avoid flipping burgers or brokering real estate while they audition. Others leverage it as a way to make money developing their own voice through instructing others. Maybe there's a little truth to that for me too, but I primarily fell into this because of a fatal flaw... curiosity.
I've been writing music since I could reach the piano keys; I had an exceptional ear, but as for singing talent, I'd use my voice as an effective method of torture! Functionally tone deaf. True story. But that complete lack of ability led me to obsession... not just over how the voice works, but why we have it in the first place. Apparently, it was the right question because 35 years later I'm still learning so many new and fantastic things.
Patrick Michael Wickham, V.P.P. Executive Director, Performers Career Center NYC
Well, as our 30th anniversary approaches, I'm reinvigorated to pivot. All those years ago I wanted to be the best teacher in the world by acquiring more knowledge and unique methodology than anyone else in the field at the youngest age, training the most famous voices I could find. Now, I'm more concerned with tearing down the roadblocks to students' success. Who cares how much knowledge I've acquired if I can't help singers absorb it?
The initial WVS motto was and is "Perfecting the Human Instrument." Somewhere along the way, I realized that the "Perfecting" part was not as important as the "Human" part. So as we go into our next 30 years, I'm committing to the PCC logo as well: "Professional Training without Professional Sacrifices." That doesn't mean that I'm getting rid of the work behind the growth... but just trying to make it feel a whole lot more fun in the process.
