Teaching Mission
Passion
I believe we all deserve a voice, our best voice, our whole life long. My passion is to help you build a healthy, expressive, deeply satisfying voice that never lets you down.
Empowerment
I empower you to amplify your strengths, tackle your weaknesses, and be your own best teacher for those many hours you vocalize outside of my studio. We work together toward your artistic and functional independence, guided by up-to-date voice science, evidence-based vocal exercise, and your goals.
Empathy
I know how working on your voice puts you in a vulnerable place. This work is courageous because your voice reveals you. That can be why we love singing and speaking, and also why it can scare the cr#p out of us! With me, you'll find a safe space to build your voice. We focus on your needs, your goals, and your story to build courage, skill, and confidence.
Ethics
These are the ethical obligations I honor with my students:
I assess your current vocal skill level and vocal health to ensure that I or another practitioner can help you safely and effectively.
I refer out to another qualified voice teacher or medical practitioner if I cannot meet your specific needs at the highest level.
I provide evidence-based instruction to improve your vocal function, vocal health, musicianship, and unique artistic expression.
I empower your artistic independence through greater understanding, self-awareness, and self-correction.
I honor your goals and preferences.
I respect your life experiences and personal identity.
I use diverse strategies that fit your learning needs.
I send you from every lesson healthier, sounding better, understanding more, and feeling more confident than before.
Training for how YOU want to sing
I am deeply trained as a classical singer, and a pedagogue of contemporary commercial music styles and speech. I understand that the "best" vocal technique will always and only be one that empowers you to sing safely and expressively what you most want to sing. Unamplified singing traditions - Opera, Choral, Baroque/Early Music, Classic Folk, Golden Age MT - and amplified singing - Pop, Rock, Country, Contemporary MT, Jazz, Gospel, R & B - have different requirements at all levels of vocal production. Building a technique for opera or classical song will not prepare your voice adequately and safely for contemporary MT or Gospel - and vice versa! This is not just a matter of style - it involves different functional approaches to respiration, phonation, resonance, and articulation. When you work with me, you will exercise and train your voice for the genres you love best, and I will help you to cross-train among them. This is the healthiest approach to support your goals. Tell me where you want to go and I will help you get there!
Help for when your voice is causing trouble, and not the good kind
I have a special love for helping students with "complex" voices. If you are experiencing vocal distress due to aging, overuse, or injury, I can help put you on a pathway to voice health. This will include collaboration with a licensed Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) with expertise in speaking voice therapy and/or a laryngologist who will perform the required clinical evaluation of vocal function to diagnose your condition and plan treatment (and please don't worry, many vocal troubles are not as serious as you might think!). I have the training in voice science and pathology to work with medical clinicians to rehabilitate your singing and speaking voice and get you back to doing what you love!
Kids, teens, and adults love my studio
I work with students of all ages, 8 to 80+. Students enjoy careers as professional and avocational singer-actors, jazz vocalists, opera singers, worship leaders, CCM vocalists, musical theater artists, choral singers, and speaking-voice professionals in a variety of voice-heavy professions. Students may choose to participate in a yearly classical, musical theater, and CCM competition through the National Association of Teachers of Singing, or other competitions as desired. Students without previous musical training (music theory, sight-singing, ear training, etc.) also enjoy incorporating that study into their voice training.
My training is deep and looooong
My own training encompasses private voice study in a range of musical genres with some of the most talented vocal pedagogues in the country. I studied at Yale University, Manhattan School of Music, UMD School of Music, Tanglewood Music Center, and the Contemporary Commercial Music Vocal Pedagogy Institute at Shenandoah Conservatory. My studies in voice science and vocal pathology include coursework at the University of the District of Columbia Speech and Language Pathology department. I also have extensive training and experience in Orff Schulwerk music education, giving me useful skills in fostering student creativity and musicianship.
I learn more about the voice every single day
I am an active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA), the ASHA Special Interest Group 03 in Voice and Swallowing, and The Voice Foundation, and regularly participate in professional development with these and other voice organizations.
