MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

A person should not have to pursue voice professionally to deserve quality voice instruction. I believe that the utilization of the voice is a gift granted to each of us to use as we see fit. Every person’s voice is unique and valuable. Even if you only sing by yourself in the car, you are using your voice as a means of self-expression! And by learning healthy and sustainable vocal technique specially tailored to you, your singing experiences will become even more fulfilling. I am not here as a teacher to tell you who to be or assign an aesthetic to you. I am here to know you as you choose to present yourself to me. As a teacher it is not my job to decide where your path should lead. I only work and hope to help you find your most authentic voice so you can grow in your musical journey. I believe all forms of musical expression are valuable and an integral part of the human experience. By prescribing too strict of standards to the voice we risk stripping a singer of what makes them unique. In my teaching approach, I seek to find the authentic voice, and develop efficient vocal strategies to navigate the voice through a variety of repertoire.

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I believe that our voices can be healthily utilized across genres, we simply must recognize the differences in vocal function within those genres. A person cannot approach opera and musical theatre in the exact same way. Various factors play a role in a vocalist’s approach to these styles. For example, in musical theatre, the singer is almost always using a microphone to amplify their sound. This means that when you hear your favorite Broadway star belting, they are most likely singing those pitches more quietly than you’d expect. I believe that it is unsustainable to expect the same volume production of the voice across genres and proper amplification equipment is necessary for healthy cross-training technique. In opera the singer relies solely on the natural amplification that can be created with their vocal tract and bodies. Achieving resonance that will carry over an orchestra with no artificial amplification is not easy. It is also not something that can be achieved by young voices. I firmly believe in having age-appropriate expectations of the voice. I will not train a ten-year-old to sing like an opera singer. Rather, I will teach the student how to express music with their natural voice. The best vocal progress occurs when we focus on shaping the positive and beautiful qualities already found in the voice.

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It is also vital to focus on the physical sensation of singing in conjunction with the sounds being produced. I make checking in a priority throughout a lesson. I never expect a student to sing an exercise that feels uncomfortable or hurts. I will modify my approach to match the needs of the students. I believe that having a flexible and individualized approach to teaching voice creates more balanced and healthy singing voices. Throughout my own vocal journey, I have been able to gather my vocal experiences and use them to shape my own approach to teaching singing. I do not prescribe to one specific “school of singing” as I believe that various approaches work for various students. I have studied with many teachers who have had unique approaches to teaching voice, and I have learned something from each of them. I believe that being strictly set into one method of teaching will put students in a box and prevent them from finding their most authentic voice. In summary, the goal of my pedagogical approach is to help students find the joy of singing and use their voices to express their truest selves.