My Teaching Philosophy

My method of teaching is to nurture a student’s individuality. Every student comes to a teacher with a different skill set, varying years of past experience, and unique goals for their future in music. Understanding the student as an individual is the key to helping them grow as a singer. One method may work for Student A, but not for Student B. My experience as a private and class voice teacher has shown me that listening, explaining and modeling in different ways will help find what works for each and every student.

Healthy singing is always the goal. I have experience teaching in opera, jazz, pop and musical theatre. While the style of these genres are different, the foundation of healthy singing stays the same. Attention to the basics of posture and breathing always comes first in any singing style. I feel that what is different about teaching in these genres, are the vocal styles to include vowel modification and tonal placement. A student having an understanding of the anatomy and physiology of singing is an integral part of their study to be a healthy singer.

In order for students to be successful singers, they need to have a foundation in reading music. Students need to understand music theory basics to include: identifying key signatures, sight-reading melodies, counting rhythms, and analyzing chord structures. These basics will help them to practice outside of the studio independently. If the student cannot read music, it is up to the private teacher to assist them in learning these basic skills.

Interpreting music emotionally is also important in demonstrating an aesthetically pleasing performance. Students must be able to analyze the text, interpret why they are singing and to whom they are singing, in order to convey emotion through their songs. Whether they are working on an operatic aria, art song or musical theatre piece, the singer must understand why there is a need to convey the song emotionally to their audience and how to physicalize and vocalize these emotions.

I believe a voice teacher needs to have a relationship with their student that encourages open communication. A private voice teacher can sometimes become counselor, mentor, and role model for their students. Because singing is an emotional experience, students need to feel comfortable with their teacher and be able to share their vocal history in order to grow into confident performers.