Student & Singer Evaluations

Valdosta STate University

SPRING 2008

Dr. Neal taught the Advance Conducting course effectively and I have learned much information that will be valuable during my teaching experience.

Fabulous class, I hope to take many more conducting classes from you.  You set very high performance standards and would not let anything less slip.  Video taping helped more than I thought it would.  It changes everything seeing yourself do things you never thought you did.

Dr. Neal is very organized and uses class time very efficiently.  H makes the class fun and comfortable while staying productive and not wasting time.  He was honest with us and was very encouraging, always made me feel like my effort was worth it.  And he’s an incredible conductor!  The best choir teacher I’ve ever had!

Great work. You really raised the bar.  I am confident that it will continue to get higher and higher.  You never settle for mediocrity and almost always achieve as close to perfection as it is possible to get.

Dr. Neal has raised the bar for choral singing.  Good hire!

Lauridsen Weekend

September 2006

Paul did a superb job.  He has a real gift for communicating his love of the music and belief in the singers, which I think brings out the best in us.

I was talking about how great it was that Don’s student Paul was able to jump in and that it is a testament both to Paul’s ability and the excellence of Don’s teaching.

The amazing knowledge shared by Drs. Lauridsen and Neuen and Paul in talks/rehearsals.

Paul did a great job stepping in for Neuen.

Congrats to Paul on an excellent directing experience.

University of California – Los Angeles

WINTER 2006

I have been in music a long time and Paul is one of the best conductors I’ve ever worked with.  He has great time management and organizational skills and is very approachable.  Most importantly I have learned a whole lot from his class.  Thanks, Paul.

I thought that Paul went through great lengths to teach not only fundamental technique but also musicality and artistic discernment.  Out of the three years I have been in choir, I felt like I learned the most this quarter and it was great to hear the difference.  Paul is a very talented conductor and I wish him the best of luck after UCLA.

FALL 2005

I learned a lot about posture, breathing the air flow when singing, articulating and acting.  The class was very educational at the same time very fun.  I was very impressed when he made an effort to know our names.  He knows a lot of the subject and teaches it well.  I learned a lot, I love it, I will take it again.  Two thumbs up.

Dr. Neuen told me to take this course and to watch everything you do to learn how to be a choir teacher.  I think I feel more equipped now to go out and teach.  Keep up the good hard work.

WINTER 2005

Paul is so knowledgeable and really cares about this choir.  His vocal exercises were relevant to things we need to work on that day.  He’s great, he’s awesome, don’t let anyone else teach music 90B.

This is my 8^th year singing and I have never had a conductor who could draw the talent out of his students like Paul.  He creates a comfortable and relaxed community in the choir but is still able to bring out amazingly better quality of music out of student than they brought initially.

Paul is an extremely gifted teacher.  His energy and enthusiasm clearly shows his passion for music and teaching.  He is patient yet challenging, fun yet disciplined.  He can make a good choir into a great choir in just a matter of weeks – even with people w/little musical experience.  He clearly knows his discipline from all angles but even better is that he knows how to teach it.  This class is a true joy.  I have learned a ton and grown as a musician.

FALL 2004

Mr. Neal is an amazing choir director.  He is very friendly, has a beautiful voice and really knows what he’s talking about.  He knows exactly how to get us to sing how we should and he’s always open to questions.  He knows when to be easy going and when to be serious.  I can’t think of a single weakness.

Very personable, great instructor, gave a lot of encouragement.  Excellent vocal training.  I am very glad I was part of the choir.  My vocal ability is far superior to what it was.  Paul demanded a lot and got the best out of us.

Kilgore College

He is a great teacher who helped me learn, love, and appreciate the value of music and voice.

KC has an extraordinary choral program.  Thanks, Mr. Neal.

Mr. Neal is an awesome teacher with incredible patience.  His impartiality, extensive knowledge of the subject, and compassion for his students make him an excellent teacher.

Thank you for being an extremely supportive teacher.  You really did make me realize my potential, and help me set some realistic goals for my future.  Thank you for not judging me by my past, but judging me by my future.  Thank you for giving me back something that I wasn’t aware had even been lost; my confidence.

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

University Chorus, Fall 1998

Paul Neal has an intuitive understanding of music and a talent for communicating that understanding to the members of the chorus.  He did an excellent job.

Paul is an excellent instructor who shows a great enthusiasm and love for music.  He creates a disciplined, yet fun environment.

The instructor was very persistent, yet I learned a lot.  My voice has completely grown/matured due to Paul’s persistent/challenging ways.  Good job!!

 Paul was very informative to me during the semester, considering I had never been in a choir before.  He made the curriculum interesting, and I feel his choice of literature was exceptional.

Freshman Music Theory, University of Oklahoma, Fall 1998

I have found Paul to be an excellent instructor.  He is always prepared for class and takes plenty of time to make sure we are on the right track with our studies.  I would recommend him to anyone who values a strong music theory education.

The material I have learned in this class has been good for ear training.  I think it is one of the most important, if not the most important, class for a musician.  Paul Neal was an excellent teacher for this class because he has the training to be able to teach us to hear the intervals, notes, etc. before we sing them.

I have never really tried to sing because I don’t consider myself to have a good voice.  But, with this course, I have found that I have a much greater ‘pitch awareness’ and that my playing on the cello has become much more in tune.  I believe this is a good and worthwhile course for all music majors and is taught very well by Paul Neal.

Paul is an excellent teacher!  I would, and have, recommended him to other students.  He forces us to work hard, but we always do well on tests and such . . . above average compared to other classes.  He seems like he really cares about his students.  He’s an awesome teacher !!  A+

I consider Paul Neal to be one of the best music teachers I have ever encountered.  He has a broad understanding of the subject and is able . . . to relay that information to the class in a comprehensible manner.  His personality adds much character to his teaching style, along with the way he handles the classroom.  Throughout the semester, the members of the class became very good friends, and that is partially because of Paul.  He was able to handle rough situations very well.  He was always very good about making sure the class was clear on what was expected of them.  Paul also demonstrated sympathy to the students during times of stress. . . .  He is going to be an excellent music teacher wherever he ends up.  I thoroughly enjoyed the class because of Paul.  Thank you!