Deanna D  
Instruments: Piano, Voice
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Folk, Musical Theater, Opera, Showtunes, Spirituals

I started teaching in 2008 and my studio at its maximum capacity was 30 students - a large portion with whom I worked consistently for 3 years until I decided pursue graduate school. While at UNL I taught applied voice and diction, and literature classes as a teaching assistant. Organizing voice classes, studio recitals, and theatrical coachings are resources I have used and will continue to use in the studio to develop a student's full performance potential. These resources help prepare students for auditions, competitions and performances.

Lesson plans are catered to the needs and level of each individual student. For younger students with maturing voices, I generally work on basic technique like breathing and posture. I will teach solfege and simple songs that help develop the young singer's ear and a relationship to their voice.  For more mature voices, typically above the age of 16, I begin to approach more technical areas of singing like vowel formation, breath energy and management, agility, legato, vocal registration, and a more detailed understanding of the physical anatomy behind singing. I use art songs that will guide singers through these areas of their voices, and will often allow the singer to bring in material of their own choosing within reason. At any age I put a large focus on how to practice outside of lessons. Lessons are for learning new vocal exercises and exploring new facets of the voice in a safe space. Outside of lessons are where substantial growth occurs.