When should an adolescent begin voice lessons?

Students should not begin voice lessons until after they’ve gone through puberty. In addition, it is ideal if they have had some form of previous musical training, such as piano lessons or participation in a choir, band, or orchestra.

Do you teach both males and females?

Yes. I’ve been working with both male and female voices ever since I started teaching. I understand the differences and similarities in all of the different voice types from highest soprano to lowest bass and have had experience teaching many students with every type of voice.

Will I end up sounding like an opera singer?

Only if you have an operatic voice in the first place. Many of my students have gone on to become classical voice majors, but many have also ended up as musical theater majors, or just singing in choirs and a cappella groups for fun. My job is to teach you how your voice works and what to do to bring out the best quality of vocal production that you are capable of. 

Can I take lessons on a drop-in basis rather than coming every week?

Yes, however the rates are higher if you don’t make a commitment to weekly lessons. Be aware that, as with any kind of lessons, you won’t make as much progress if you don’t work with me every week.

Should I take half-hour or hour lessons?

Most students take half-hour lessons unless they are planning to major in vocal music or musical theater performance, or just wish to improve more rapidly. Singing is a physical act and it takes a lot of stamina and concentration to work on singing for an entire hour. Usually students don’t start taking hour lessons until their second or third year of studying.

Do you teach in the summer?

Yes, I strongly encourage you to continue taking lessons in the summer. Most students actually lose ground if they take extended time off from voice lessons, and as a result, certain things will have to be re-learned in the fall. Also, the summer is an ideal time to work on your voice without worrying about the next solo or musical.

Can you accompany singers on the piano?

No, I’m afraid that I am not a pianist! I can play your vocal line, and I can play bits and pieces of the piano accompaniment, but that’s the extent of my piano skills. Virtually all of the music I assign to students is available in the form of accompaniment tracks on YouTube and I do have an excellent Bluetooth speaker in my studio to stream appropriate accompaniment tracks from professional pianists which students sing along with when they are ready to sing through pieces. My job is mainly to work with on vocal production, breathing, language, interpretation, and so on as well as counseling regarding the entire process of polishing performance abilities and applying for collegiate programs if appropriate. For auditions and performances, I can recommend professional accompanists to work with you.

What if I’m sick and not sure whether to come to my lesson?

Give me a call as far in advance as possible, and then again close to your lesson, so we can decide whether we should reschedule or go ahead with a lesson. If you have a cold or sinus infection, then as long as you don’t have a fever or aren’t losing your voice, it can be good practice to learn how to sing properly when you are sick. If your voice starts to become affected during the lesson, there are always other aspects of singing that we can work on such as the music, language, interpretation, etc. If we decide that you are too sick to have a lesson, we will reschedule to an open time within the next two weeks.

Do you teach nights or weekends?

No, I don’t. I do have a family, and because we share a small house, I prefer to confine my teaching to weekdays, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. I occasionally will make up lessons on an evening or on a Saturday morning, if necessary, but this is infrequent.