Grand Valley State University music professor Min Jin once studied under Eastman School of Music professor Robert McIver, who specializes in Germanic music, French melodies and Italian love songs.

“He has plenty of experience to teach in any voice area,” Jin said. “This will be another great tip for our students to develop their techniques and to get another vision, another dream, because (McIver) is one of the greatest teachers in the whole USA.”

On Oct. 11, McIver will make his third appearance at GVSU for a master class with six students, where he will listen to each student perform selected pieces and give feedback accordingly.

Two of the students, Haley Hildebrandt and Ben De Leeuw, said that while they have felt nervous leading up to the class, they look forward to getting expert advice from McIver.

“It is a great opportunity because I have my recital next semester,” Hildebrandt said. “This is a chance for me to get advice…it is nice because we only get to work with one professor and (McIver’s) a nice kind of ears to listen to our music and give a new perspective.”

GVSU employs four vocal professors, who hear the students from when they enter the major until they graduate. The professors get to know the students and their voices, familiarizing themselves with individual strengths and weaknesses. It is through opportunities such as the master class with McIver that the students and professors are offered a new opinion.

“For me, he feels like my grandfather. He is a very scary person for me,” Jin said. “Individually every student has a different story so I think he has a very good personality for every student, he just fits his character to each student’s.”

Jin encourages his students to shake off the nerves and to learn from each critique they receive because he believes it will help them to grow as musicians.