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ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY, N.Y. -- Metropolitan Opera star Stephanie Blythe, as well as composer and pianist Alan Smith, have come to SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music for the first Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar.

Ten young vocal and pianist professionals from across the country will participate in the week-long seminar. This week will consist of recitals, master classes and a lecture.

The participants will work solely on American and English music and will perform those pieces throughout the week.

But Blythe and Smith say there's more to this seminar than just performing beautiful music. It's helping these young artists perform and see music in a new and personal way.

"I think what we would like very much to come from this program is people, is artists being willing to search their own abilities and make decisions on their own, to take a risk, to take a look at something and say I studied this and this is my idea of what it is," Blythe said.

Blythe is an alumna of SUNY Potsdam.

On Tuesday, Blythe and Smith will present a special recital for the participants and the public in Snell Hall called "American Voices: A Recital of Songs by American Composers."