Lessons

Online Lessons

We are currently offering both online and in person lessons for voice and piano! Online lessons for voice are available on both Zoom and Skype and online lessons for piano are available on Zoom. Lessons online are just as easy and productive as in person, providing you have a good internet service! We are happy to help walk you through it, if you need assistance!

In Person Lessons

We offer in person lessons for both voice and piano. Currently, due to the way the virus spreads through singing, our in person voice lessons are set up similar to a recording studio booth, with the vocal coach in one sound deadened room and the student in another sound deadened room, divided by a solid glass window. Sound is set up in each room with microphones, monitors and speakers, so coach and student are able to hear and see each other. The sound system is compatible with Bluetooth, CD, and aux plug ins for phones and of course, guitars etc!

Vocal lessons are geared toward developing a clear understanding of how your body works for sound production.

** CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 8 are not yet cognitively or physically developed enough to perform the breathing and vocal exercises required of formal voice training. Refer to below for a recommended program geared toward this specific age group.  This program may aid in preparing your child for formal voice training. Click here to be taken to their web site.

THE PRIMARY AREAS COVERED ARE:

Proper Breathing Technique.
This is the foundation for vocal development. It is of primary importance in order to insure vocal health, since improper breathing technique can result in damage to the voice. Acquiring proper breathing technique is accomplished through exercises and takes between four and six weeks to become automatic muscle memory.

Vocal Exercises
Vocal exercises are where we do the bulk of our work, and they are ongoing. They are based in the anatomy of the voice and how your body works for sound production. Different exercises focus on tackling different areas of development, such as acquiring resonance, projection, and vibrato, eliminating register break, improving tone quality, and expanding range, but all exercises work on developing precision and flexibility of muscle movement. This allows the muscles to move with accuracy and ease rather than manipulation and stiffness. The end result is better sound and a healthier voice.

Vocal exercises are used for development of the voice and also to warm up before performances in much the same way an athlete or a dancer does a stretch before participating in a sport or dance. Singers use a vocal warm up for the same reason – to minimize the risk of injury to the muscles and to promote a better performance. Believe it or not, songs are much more demanding than vocal exercises and are not an adequate warm up.

Song Work
In songs, students learn to put to use the skills acquired through breathing technique and vocal exercises, as well as how to approach each song as a vehicle for self-expression and communication through use of vocal inflections, dynamics, phrasing, etc., thereby developing their own personal style.