Arthur Lessac was born September 9, 1909 Haifa, Pre-Israel Palestine and passed April 7, 2011, Los Angeles, USA
He was 101 years young when he passed.
Many in the Lessac community knew Arthur personally, worked with him and spent time with him as a teacher, mentor and beloved friend. As our community grows, we recognize that those who have come to the work post 2011 never had the chance to experience who Arthur was. This April, we will be sharing stories and reflecting on the life of Arthur Lessac so all might feel a little closer to the creator of this beautiful work. Our month will end with a fundraising event to help us support tuition assistance for those who need it. As we continue to roll forward, and collectively expand and offer Kinesensics to people across the globe, we hope you will enjoy learning a little more about the founder of Kinesensic Training.
From Nancy Krebs
When I began teaching at the Baltimore School for the Arts in 1980, I started using Arthur's voice text (1967 edition) with my students, and designed a four year program of study using his approach to voice training over the next few years of teaching there. Little did I know that the director of this high school for visual and performing arts had been the original illustrator of Arthur's first rendition of his The Use and Training of the Human Voice--David Simon! Years later, I learned this as David's name is included in the first paragraph under Acknowledgments and through David, I was able to invite Arthur to conduct some Master Classes for our theatre department. Meeting him and having him stay with my husband and I for a couple of days solidified my admiration and affection for him, and so began my true journey in learning the craft of teaching his, which he always called 'our work'--- guided by his genius and expert leadership of the many intensives I was invited to teach with him. Every moment of any day I shared time with him, inside or outside of the voice/body studios, I learned more about the training, (and more about him), and how to facilitate it with others, and within myself. His always kind and compassionate sharing of his time,and talent gave this fledgling 'facilitator' the skills necessary to carry it forward. Knowing him changed my life forever and It has truly been a journey of Love NRG. I owe him (and David) a tremendous debt of gratitude.
Nancy Krebs, Lessac Master Teacher, March 2024
Photos: Arthur and Nancy, Arthur and Sue Ann Park, Arthur, Nancy and Deb Kinghorn
From Kathleen Dunn-Muzingo
Arthur was my voice teacher in my master's program at Cal-State Fullerton—how lucky can one get. I soon became enamored of his work and quickly became an eager student.
I was given a stipend to co-ordinate the first workshop at Cal-State Fullerton, and as a requirement was to get my Public Transit driver's license so I could shuttle the participants back and forth in a van from their stay to the University, every morning. And it was in California Traffic.
I fondly remember driving the participants, singing songs, y-buzzing and scat singing along with the group.
Other workshops, we had emergencies with mats. One time constructing a few yards of cloth and blankets together before other mats arrived the following week. Arthur would say---life is a puzzle that presents itself and we are the problem solvers. I try to remember this amid the hectic schedule of work and life balance. Smell the flower and remind myself, this is just a puzzle meant to be creatively solved.
Cheers everyone!
Kathleen Dunn-Muzingo
Associate Professor of Voice and Movement Studies
University of Southern California-School of Dramatic Arts
FROM Kellynn Meeks
Arthur Lessac & Ruby Meeks, 2009
Here is my favorite picture of Arthur:
My daughter is just weeks old. September 2009.
Arthur: Age 100.
He is Y-buzzing to her.
Arthur was utterly generous with his time during my certification process and I was so grateful to have weekly, in person sessions with him throughout my mentorship--which also happened to be throughout my pregnancy. Often we seemed to be just chatting about the world, how I was feeling, how he was feeling (and, of course, world peace), and I would think "when are we going to get to the business of the work?" Inevitably, by the end of the hour, I was aware that we'd been "working" the entire time.
Kellynn Meeks
Past President
Operations Director
Lessac Certified Trainer
FROM KITTIE VERDOLINI ABBOTT
Kittie Verdolini Abbott, PhD
I was first introduced to Arthur’s work in a 30-minute workshop by Bonnie Raphael at the Voice Foundation Symposium in 1985. The workshop was on consonant orchestra. At that point, as a former professional singer and amateur actor, I had been a practicing speech-language pathologist specialized in voice for a few years. My approach to much voice therapy was based on techniques from classical singing teachers who had some (unverified) training in clinical voice, and mostly centered on the use of “head voice” for most speech if not singing. We were seeing good results for many patients who had what we now call “phonotrauma” (e.g., nodules, polyps, etc.), but the benefits seemed to be short-lived. Bonnie’s 30-minute presentation somehow grabbed my attention and I went back to St. Louis where I lived and worked (and had started my PhD in Experimental Psychology at Washington University) and completely revamped my approach to voice therapy as a result. It took several years – about 15 to be exact – until my approach to voice therapy settled into what ultimately became “Lessac-Madsen Resonant Voice Therapy.” I have conducted much, much research on the underlying biomechanics and even biology of this approach, which flowed from a tiny piece of Arthur’s work. I’ve had lots – I mean LOTS of funding support from the National Institutes of Health to support this work.
I owe Arthur so, so much. I need not convince this audience of the impact he had and continues to have in my work (and life). For fun, I will relate a brief anecdote of many that most who knew him will recognize is “vintage Arthur.” In about 1990 or 1991, Arthur came to the University of Iowa where I was – invited through the inimitable Kate Burke – to do a research project with me. We worked our tails off from early morning to late night every day for 10 days – I’m sure 17 hours a day. He would have been around 80 then? Anyway, the morning he left, I took him to the tiny airport in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for his departure. It was probably 7:00 am when we got there. These were still the days when non-ticket-holders could actually go the gate with passengers as I recall. We had gone to a little caffe’ to get something to eat and drink. Everything out of the man’s mouth that morning was funny. I started laughing harder and harder at each of his utterances, which followed in rapid succession. I could barely catch my breath from laughing so hard. I finally blurted out, “Arthur, why are you soooooo funny this morning?” He said, “I’m too tired not to be.”
Epic. And truly Arthur. I love you, Arthur, and I miss you every day.
Kittie
Kittie Verdolini Abbott, PhD, CCC-SLP, PAVA-RV, MDiv
PAVA-Recognized Vocologist
Professor, Communication Sciences and Disorders; Linguistics and Cognitive Science
University of Delaware
Past President, Pan American Vocology Association
During one of the morning bodywork sessions in my first intensive, Arthur and Richard Cuyler were demonstrating buddy work. With Richard lying on his back on the floor, arms extended and holding Arthur’s ankles above his head and face in the air, Arthur, his head above Richard’s feet, arms extended and hands holding Richard’s ankles, began to joyfully twiddle his toes above Richard’s face below, in the essence of the “childlike”.
I have also always remembered, and often take advantage of, Arthur’s recommending the benefits of chewing an apple for the juice in terms of its salutary effects for feelings of vocal dryness or tiredness.
FROM MICHAEL COBB
FROM LAURIE MUFSON
Laurie Mufson, Arthur Lessac, Michael Mufson, Mercersberg 2000
As a child in late 1950s New York, I would get up early on weekend mornings, go to the living room and pull out one of the many Broadway musical albums my parents collected, then put one on the record player and DANCE. A favorite was a recording of Pins and Needles, not recorded by the original cast of ILGWU workers but the 25th Anniversary Edition produced by Harold Rome (composer/ lyricist) and featuring a young Barbra Streisand. I loved the humor and spirit of all the songs.I was just five when my American Labor historian mother explained the story of that musical to me. Much later, in my early 20’s, I was cast in a production of the show and was the soloist for Its Not Cricket to Picket and Sing Me a Song With Social Significance.
Imagine my surprise, while attending my first intensive, when Arthur began talking about his work with the original cast of Pins and Needles. I was bursting with energy to share that Pins and Needles had been a memorable part of my childhood and was still meaningful to my understanding of the world. This shared experience opened the door to many conversations around politics, the labor movement, the importance of art and its ability to change the world. It was clear: there were many overlaps in social / political circles that my progressive parents and Arthur traveled during the 1950s in Manhattan. And yet, they had never met. Bauhausing on these topics felt like I had come home, listening and taking part in the conversations that underpinned my core beliefs. I believe it was due to this reemergence that I felt safe broaching the possibility of hosting the next Intensive at Mercersburg Academy where I lived and worked as Director of Theatre. Working together to forge that opportunity brought Arthur into my life on a new level. We did host 2000, 2002, and 2003 Intensives and the first two, one weeker workshops: Lessac for You. I developed many other close relationships with Lessac team members.
During that summer of 2000 and the Mercersburg workshop, Arthur needed to get to New York City for a family event and my husband volunteered to drive him there, then back to Pennsylvania. Although Jim never learned Yiddish, he has always been fascinated by languages and music.. During that drive, Arthur gave Jim a masterclass on Yiddish and the two bonded, chatting and laughing through that 450 mile round-trip.
Over the following 11 years, when we annually visited the west coast (LA and San Diego) to be with family, seeing Arthur was always a must. I still hear his radiant HELLO as we walked down the hall to his Santa Monica apartment and the potent hug with which he embraced me and lifted me off the ground.
There are many other anecdotes and stories I could share. I would love to raise a glass and offer a toast to Arthur’s life and all he has given us with his favorite libation: a vodka martini (no vermouth).
Photo above is me Arthur and my brother Michael Mufson at Arthur’s apartment in Santa Monica
Laurie Mufson, Past President, LTRI, Certified Trainer
FROM AIMEE BLESING
Arthur Lessac & Aimee Blesing, 2007 Intensive Workshop
I was so fortunate to have a week of training with Arthur at my first intensive in 2007. The impact of that week in his presence was truly life changing, not to mention meeting Nancy and Deb and having my entire life’s direction altered by the influence and the learning that took place with these extraordinary humans. I had never felt so completely seen as I did when Arthur looked into my face and simply asked me to tell him about my life in Australia. He hugged me (and anyone he hugged!) with such love and unapologetic joy - and the strength of a thousand Potency experiments! I think his hugs got stronger as he got older, as every time I saw him afterwards I was almost gasping for breath after one of his delightful, heartfelt squeezes. He was a magical being, and I feel so lucky to have spent some time learning from him and sharing moments with him. Thank you for everything Ol’ Man River.
Aimee Blesing
Past-President
Certified Trainer
FROM CRYSTAL ROBBINS…
In 1998 I had been working on closing my dad's estate for about a year as executor. The first time I met Arthur a curly head of hair and light blue eyes popped out of his apartment door, "KRIS! You're here," was his impish greeting. Unknowingly he was shortening my name to what I was always called as a child. He invited me in and he and Jo Lenhart and I spoke briefly before we headed out to the theatre. So, you see, this is just as much a story about Jo.
I studied with Jo at Memphis State, as it was known then and Jo had been in town for summer working with Arthur. She had been trying to get me to come over to meet Arthur. I was in the chaos of estate issues and still mourning. After multiple attempts she finally succeeded at planning a night out for the three of us to see Sir Ian McKellan at the Ahmanson in downtown LA. I agreed to be our transport and brought a nice picnic dinner from Angeli Caffe', flagship restaurant of chef/author Evan Kleiman of KCRW's Good Food, my then employer.
Arthur, Jo and I were in crazy rush-hour FWY 10 traffic on the way downtown, but we all laughed and by the time we arrived to dine al fresco outside the theatre, we were friends. We talked of Arthur playing Lear, and me Cordelia. We ate great food and dessert and had good wine. Jo's eyes twinkled, she had a plan, but she didn't state it yet. We then saw a good play.
We talked more on the still busy freeway back home. Arthur wanted to know about my life, my three years of backpacking with my new husband, my growing up, my dad, a journalist who had passed away at 57 of colon cancer. The age I am now.
It seemed we had all the time in the world that day in LA traffic. Because by the time I dropped them off at his Second Street home, he offered me a job, Jo naming all the ways it would serve us both. I demurred, I was happy working with Evan, being her assistant proved flexible for my audition and travel life, plus I was about to do a travel writing Intensive in Northern California and work with a writer I really admired. He urged me to come see him when I returned from that. By end of summer he had convinced me that he could offer me just as flexible and interesting work.
One of my first jobs was to go through his entire archive and all of his files. We needed to talk though each and every document. You can perhaps imagine what going through 89 years worth of what he had saved might be like and how long it might take. I know I did not anticipate that 13 years lay ahead for me there. I heard a lot of stories and slowly got to know the man first, and then the work. I didn't know how my life would change soon, once I would have my first child. I didn't know I was 2 years away from accepting a teaching job at SMC in 2000. I didn't know I was 5 years away from being Certified or that a career shift would happen that used all the parts of my lived experience to good advantage.
I continued auditioning and he also gave me lessons. It was very strange work to me. We would walk on his green blanketed floor, heel to toe, we squatted, we rolled, we did hums. I read the chapters in the blue book, and thought I was doing it, but didn't understand. I argued with him and questioned and challenged. At some point later I began to feel something and articulated it back to him, what I was feeling. He smiled a knowing smile. I got to know how he thrilled to the 'bauhausing' moments.
I remember how he would sigh, when I was helping him with a speech or a keynote or an email, when I told him "Arthur, that's too many words." But he did listen and would work to edit before I returned my next work day. A journalist's daughter is familiar with a red pen. Editing to Arthur meant he had a large print version of text printed out, scissors and a pot of glue or tape nearby, magnifying glass in hand.
Arthur gave me a lot. He was the only person my kids got to call "Grandpa". He helped me to find my teacher within. At a time of great sorrow and loss, he and his work entered my life in a way that helped me find a path, a path I could navigate myself. It is a lesson that continues to instruct.
Crystal Robbins,RSME
Photos: Arthur Lessac with Crystal’s son Jarek, Arthur and Crystal, Kathleen Dunn-Muzingo, Crystal Robbins, Arthur Lessac, Kellynn Meeks and Deb Kinghorn, Arthur & Crystal.
From Yvette Hardie
Yvette Hardie with Arthur Lessac, 2000
I discovered Arthur’s work in his book at the back of a cupboard at the National School of the Arts in Johannesburg, South Africa, and started to use the work, hoping to find a solution for my voice which had been seriously weakened after an experience of septicaemia of the vocal tract at drama school. This must have been around 1996.
I felt that after some years of searching and trying other methods with no marked impact, this technique was working, even though I didn’t know much about how to apply the work. This led to my discovering that Marth Munro was to be starting a masters programme in the Lessac Voice and Body work, and I signed up immediately. Little did I know how this decision would change my life in so many ways.
Working with Marth, meeting Arthur in 1998 and then attending an intensive with him in 2000, led not only to a vocal and physical transformation and awakening for me, but also to a sustained relationship with Arthur as my mentor. He came to South Africa several times to work with me, and I arranged workshops also with students at UCT and Pretoria. I travelled to the States to stay with him and work with him, and I came to embed the work in my teaching at the National School of the Arts, as well as in my teaching at UCT, Market Theatre Laboratory and internationally, thereafter. Arthur introduced me to his son, Michael Lessac, after I had spoken passionately about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission during our intensive. Michael was interested in making a play about the TRC and we ended up meeting, connecting powerfully and working together for many years on developing and touring the production, Truth in Translation, which travelled globally to places of conflict, and about which we made a documentary film, A Snake Gives Birth to a Snake.
That chance discovery of a book in the back of a cupboard quite literally changed my life. It has been a journey filled with love, imbued with Arthur’s wisdom, insight and his deep political commitment to the rights of every human being for a better life.
Yvette Hardie, Lessac Practitioner
FROM FRED NELSON
I coordinated two 6 week summer workshops for Arthur at Central College in Pella, Iowa (1990 & 1991). I was introduced to Arthur through Leonard Meenach (friend and colleague from University of AZ MFA program) who had helped with coordinating workshops for Arthur in California. I then attended the Lessac summer workshop at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia in 1995 becoming a certified trainer the same year. I voice coached and directed for Shenandoah Shakespeare Express/American Shakespeare Center, Staunton, Virginia until 2005 when I returned to Iowa due to family issues resulting in a change of direction — returning to practicing law with Iowa Legal Aid. I wanted to share that Arthur’s work, so valuable to me as an actor, voice coach, and director — continued & continues to be a benefit to me outside the field of theatre.
Below are thoughts I shared in 2011 at the time of Arthur’s death:
To Arthur Lessac’s family and his huge extended family of students, friends, and colleagues,
It was an honor and indelible experience to have worked with Arthur, studied with Arthur, and been impacted by his amazing life. Arthur’s passion was not just for voice & body training through physical awareness but for whole life awareness. I was fortunate to have had the opportunity and challenge of coordinating two six week Lessac summer training workshops at Central College in Pella, Iowa (1990 & 1991). I also trained with Arthur at the summer workshop held at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia (1995). To know Arthur is to know that he was brilliant, passionate, fun, and demanding. Because Arthur’s training requires physical experiencing or awareness, once awakened this physical awareness became part of me. This awareness not only continues to support and inform how I use my body and voice but has made me more open and awake to family, work, health, spirit — all aspects of life. To become aware of sound vibrations on the roof of my mouth was to see how unaware I was in other areas of life — “what else am I not feeling or seeing at this moment”. This is a gift and benefit that I’m not sure even Arthur fully recognized. To be awakened to the voice through awareness of the body opened me to awakening more fully to life.
With great affection and remembrance of Arthur,
Fred Nelson
Des Moines, Iowa
FROM BARRY KUR
Arthur Lessac & Deb Kinghorn playing pool, Arthur Lessac & Barry Kur
I was privileged to be taught by Arthur, Dick Cuyler and Sue Ann Park as a graduate student at SUNY Binghamton. I was invited to participate in a year- long certification program there as post graduate study. Through Arthur’s innovations, I finally learned how to learn. I gained the confidence to explore and discover by recognizing familiar elements in something new. Arthur’s curiosity was what I believe led to his longevity.
Here’s one of my favorite recollections of Arthur’s enduring curiosity:
After a full day of conference presentations at one of the annual conferences I hosted at Penn State, we went for a nightcap at the conference center bar. As we walked in, Arthur, at 99 years of age, noticed the pool table and said, “you know, I’ve never played pool.” At that moment, Deb Kinghorn and I escorted him to the pool table, handed him a cue stick and set up the billiard balls. Here’s a picture of Deb assisting Arthur. From that moment on, he was exploring the feeling of the shot, aiming, angles, etc. He remained at the pool table the entire night.
Barry Kur, Lessac Master Teacher (retired)