Camellia F  
Instruments: Voice
Styles: Jazz, Pop, Rock, Folk, Country, Musical Theater, Showtunes

I began teaching at the Erie Playhouse Summer Youtheatre Camp on my summers home from college. The students were ages 5-16 and we taught them basic music theory, as well as numerous musical theater and jazz standards throughout the week. We focused on proper vocal technique and placement as well as theory. In New York City, I taught babies and toddlers for a company called MoonSoup. The children were ages 3 months - 6 years and we learned simple songs and melodies. I believe regular practice and getting as much experience as you can in various styles is key. I never restricted myself to one style of music, and if you don't want to, you don't have to. I did musical theater shows, but also performed in classical choirs and church choirs, teaching me various types of musical styles. I currently perform with an NYC based trio, and we perform all types of musical genres. I want the student above all to have fun and enjoy what they are doing, and if they aren't I'm not doing my job! I want them to feel fulfilled after every lesson and direct that music in whatever avenue they want to explore. All music is great music!

For younger students, I believe learning basic music theory is a great foundation for understanding music and will overall help your musicality. Scales and warmups are extremely important in a new student as well, as they develop your voice and breathing in order to sing more challenging material in the future. I really enjoy the book "Singing Lessons for Little Singers" as it provides a great background on theory, breathing, and correct vocal placement. For adults, I want to understand and learn what the student is interested in, and guide my lessons based on that. Everyone might be at different levels and that's great! I also want to introduce scales, breathing exercises and teach some theory as well, as they lay the groundwork for successful vocal training.