Guitar Lessons in Santa Clara, CA

Thomas S

Instruments: Voice

Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
Music does not run in the family as a matter of fact! While we all enjoy music, I am the only one that has decided to fully embrace music as a field of study.

If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
I play Piano, Drumset, have played Tuba, and play a little Trombone. I chose these instruments because they were all the most interesting things to me and I feel it has rounded me out a bit more as a musician.

If you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing instead?
I had a lot of things I considered including Biology, Astronomy, and Mathematics. The main thing I was considering was Astronomy because space is something I have always been really interested in.

What is your favorite style/genre of music to play and why?
Although Classical is really nice, I enjoy singing Jazz and Musical Theatre the most since it has a more laid back feeling to it. Classical is great for training technique or finding some dark brooding pieces, but Jazz and Musical Theatre really expands your horizons.

What is your dream piece to perform and why?
Not necessarily just a piece, but a dream role of mine would be Sweeney Todd, Judge Turpin, and Mr. Pulitzer in an attempt to redeem myself since I was an amateur bass vocalist trying to hit notes that I had no right trying to hit back in my senior year show Newsies

If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
I am graduating in 2024 with a Music Education Degree (Voice Focus). I chose the degree because I am hoping to teach students how to sing well both as soloists and in a choral setting.

What does a normal practice session look like for you?
I at least take 30 minutes per day to practice my repertoire. This usually consists of a quick low register warmup, which doubles as my warmup to try and nail each pitch, and then a more demanding high register warmup. After my warmup, I start practicing my piece by running through it once to get into character and then go over trouble spots where they come up

Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
I recommend the "First Book of Baritone/Bass Solos" as well as the Singers Musical Theatre Anthology. There are versions of these for all voice types so definitely make sure you are getting the correct book for your voice type

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
Obviously this changes between voice parts, but Bass voices specifically struggle with staying fully on the pitch. Three things that are hard for Bass voices are: Melismatic passages, not forcing any high or low pitches, and making sure that we are staying right on the pitch and not underneath it

What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
I am most proud of getting into the auditioned groups on campus my first semester of Freshman year at LVC. I also sang through The Real Groups song "Pass me the Jazz" on Bass without having anyone else on the part, which is by far the hardest piece I have ever done

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
I chose my primary instrument because I had already been practicing with it for years before that. I also knew that playing another instrument would be difficult for me, but I dabbled in quite a few other instruments in my time

Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
Mark Naimoli, choir director at Lebanon High School, was my inspiration for going into music. He encouraged me to do more with my voice and gave me the confidence I needed to keep pursuing it as a young musician

When will I start to see results?
Like I said before, everyone's journey is different so you'll see varying results. You could be a prodigy who grasps every concept and tries out every new thing thrown at them, you could be stuck in a "vocal block" of sorts waiting for the next breakthrough, or you could simply need more time to get some more concepts

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
Make practice a game! Did you do something good? Do it again to solidify that, but move on to the harder sections that could use more work

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
If a child wants to take voice lessons, I believe that they can start whenever they feel they are prepared. Now I don't believe a new-born can effectively take lessons, but I do believe that a student in K5 and up can benefit from lessons in some way.

When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
It was an immediate decision made when my mother asked me why I didn't do anything more with Music my Junior Year. I then thought, "Why not become a music teacher," and the rest is history.

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