HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO IMPROVE YOUR SINGING VOICE?

I recently had a conversation with a banker who told me that she had always wanted to sing.  I had mentioned that I was an opera singer and a voice instructor.  My response to her is the same response that I have given to hundreds of other acquaintances and students:  EVERYONE CAN SING.  Singing is a not gift for a few chosen people rather it is an ability that can be developed in anyone.  As a voice instructor, I assist people in finding their voices.  I provide simple, methodical instruction that releases the voice and increases their confidence in singing.

“Singing transforms breath into beauty.”  This is the first sentence of my teaching philosophy and it is driving force for my life-long love of singing.  

After graduate school at the Peabody Conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University, I established a solid career as a singer in the Baltimore/DC metroplex. Performing with the Washington National Opera, I had the opportunity to work with some of the great performers of our time, including Placido Domingo, Mirella Freni, Dwayne Croft, and James Morris.  These collaborations impacted not only my overall artistry but also deepened my understanding of the commitment it takes to maintain a career as a classical singer.  This understanding grew under the instruction of Dolora Zajick and Luana DeVol while attending the inaugural season of the American Wagner Project.  This program gave me the opportunity to refine my vocal technique as a singer within a dramatic fach and profoundly changed my perception of drama on stage.  These experiences have also permitted me to create wonderful connections, which have led me to sing in a variety of venues, such as the Kennedy Center of Performing Arts and Carnegie Hall.

With respect to my own instruction of singing, it was not until I had been offered an adjunct faculty position at American University that I had even considered a career in academia.  Initially, I was intimidated to teach private voice lessons.  I had certainly been well-trained, but I was less than certain that I could effectively evaluate, correct, and build the voices of other singers.  But I discovered that I not only had a gift for teaching voice but also that I had a passion for it.  Furthermore, I recognized that unleashing the potential of a student’s voice was as thrilling as any performing experience.   I possess a deep sense of pride that so many of my classical voice students advanced their own education and careers at programs such as Merola Opera Program, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and the Washington National Opera to name a few.  And in the musical theater field, I have former students who have performed on Broadway, in national tours, and many other regional theaters.  I am grateful for the legacy of great singing which I have inherited and am excited to witness the talents that I have enhanced through my own teaching.