- How is what you teach different than what other voice teachers out there do?
- How young can students be?
- How will I benefit if I’m a beginner?
- How will I benefit if I’ve been singing for awhile and have had lessons before?
- How will I benefit if I’m a regular gigging singer and am pretty darn good, if I do say so myself?
- What do I need for online lessons?
- What about internet connection problems?
- What is your refund policy?
- What is your cancellation policy?
- How often should I take lessons?
- How is billing handled?
- What if I’m sick or can’t make my lesson?
How is what you teach different than what other voice teachers out there do?
There are a huge amount of differences in the teaching community but let’s oversimplify them into two basic schools of thought; those who believe that you manipulate the voice and body to make a quality sound and those who believe that the best result is gained from removing all manipulation and balancing the voice and body. I would be in the second camp. Mainly because I was originally trained in the first camp and even though I could sing, I still had a limited range and every time I had a vocal problem either the instructor blamed me or didn’t know how to fix it. It was not until I began training in the second camp, (originally through Speech Level Singing) that those problems I had accepted as permanent were addressed and erased. I’ve seen the same results in every one of my students and I’m never turning back.
Some teachers also cannot separate technique from styling and as a result, all of their students come out sounding the same. My goal is not to mess with your your unique sound but to enhance it so you can do what you do and do it better.
My first goal is to balance your voice and remove strain, pain and the obstacles that keep it from mixing through an ever growing range. My second goal is to help you develop your own style, learn how to vocally style the music you choose and learn fast, effective ways to see the improvement for yourself.
I have accepted students as young as 5 but any student under 10 should be assessed for personal interest level and readiness to follow instruction. Singing should be fun and it becomes even more fun when your child sees how their improving. The ability to follow through with practice important to ensure they get the maximum benefit for your time and money.
How will I benefit if I’m a beginner?
There is nothing better you can do for your vocal potential than start out with solid technique training. Beginners are at an advantage because many vocal problems we work on are the result of poor past training. You have a clean slate! So besides starting one step ahead what can you expect? Your pitch will improve, you’ll be able to reach notes you couldn’t before and you’ll grow more confident in singing publicly. And you’ll have a lot of fun doing it.
How will I benefit if I’ve been singing for awhile and have had lessons before?
If you’ve been singing for awhile, whether in your church, your school or in musicals, you’ve probably started noticing things in your voice you don’t like. Maybe your voice is too soft. Maybe there are cracks and embarrassing flips. We can fix that. We’ll help you strengthen your voice, work out bad habits that are sabotaging what you should be able to do and build that strong, controlled voice you want to have the next time someone hears you solo.
How will I benefit if I’m a regular gigging singer and am pretty darn good, if I do say so myself?
Sometimes it’s nothing short of annoying to seek vocal instruction when you’re a pro. I was making my living with my voice when I spent YEARS looking for someone to help me address some very specific issues that were holding me back from what I thought I could do vocally. The problem was that no one I went to could even hear what I was talking about. I was afraid I’d be stuck that way forever.
It was the day a vocal instructor told me “You are a beautiful fake” that I knew I had discovered a technique that could finally take my voice to the next level. To fast track my own training I studied as an instructor. I didn’t plan to teach but I just couldn’t help it after I realized I could help other professional singers avoid or recover from where I’d been.
You’d be surprised how much range you have yet to reach, how many more dynamics you have to explore and how incredibly helpful it is to learn how to use everything you’ve got and not damage your cords or where yourself out before you’re done with your performance schedule. You’ll enjoy performing, recording, and recreational singing even more. Let me show you what changed my life as a professional vocalist.
What do I need for online lessons?
You probably already have almost everything you need for online voice lessons. You’ll need a computer with a high speed internet connection. Your computer probably has a built in microphone and webcam. If not, just pick up a webcam for around $40 at any Walmart, Target, Best Buy, etc. They have built in microphones. Headphones can help to minimize feedback if you like to run your sound loud but they’re usually not necessary. Then just download Skype, a free program that will allow you to see me and me to see you during our lesson. That’s it!
Skype lessons by phone are also an option. Of course video provides you that extra visual for instruction but some singers prefer phone lessons when on the road. For phone Skype lessons all you need is….a phone. My Skype calls your phone and the lesson is recorded as an mp3 for later practice.
What about internet connection problems?
They happen. Glitches, freezes and just plain weird stuff pop into lessons from time to time. Usually they’re caused by your computer running too many applications in the background, because your internet connection is having problems, or even because of the weather. The best way to avoid them is to have nothing but Skype open when you have your lesson.
If we experience connection issues during your lesson the best fix is to restart either the call, Skype or your computer. If it continues to be a problem the lesson can continue by phone (my Skype calls your phone so I can record the lesson and send an mp3). In rare situations the lesson is simply rescheduled for a later time, but most times lessons go off without a hitch.
We’ve got it all outlined in our studio policies here.
What is your cancellation policy?
Read all about it in our studio policies here.
How often should I take lessons?
Weekly. And there’s a reason. Weekly lessons not only help you see results much more quickly but they also keep you motivated, provide accountability for your growth and correct any incorrect technique or habits you may have while practicing on your own.
That said, sometimes weekly lessons are just not in the budget. If you’re a student that is committed to regular study and self motivated every other week openings might be a good place to start.
Once you fill out an enrollment form you’ll choose your lesson plan (weekly or bi-monthly) and subscribe to monthly payments for your lessons. Your card will be charged each month on the day you enrolled.
In the event that your teacher has to reschedule your lesson you can choose either a makeup lesson or a refund which will be sent via paypal.
What if I’m sick or can’t make my lesson?
If you aren’t able to make it to your lesson, 24hr. notice is needed. Even more notice is preferred if you know when you’ll be unavailable (as in the case of vacation). This allows us to schedule one time vocal assessments and make better use of our time.
If you develop a fever (in which case you should NOT be singing) or another illness without notice, contact us as soon as possible. As long as late notice does not become a habit, we understand these things can happen. Canceling more than 2 lessons without notice will result in cancellation without refund, so please communicate with us if you have a special circumstance.
