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I'm a passionate and motivated teacher and performer who loves working with students and sharing my love of music! I studied musical theatre and opera vocal performance at Southern Utah University. I have had many opportunities to perform locally and nationally including singing the National Anthem for the Paradise Bowl in 2002 making my first television debut. My teachers and mentors include Laurie Winckel, Jamie Vendera, Carol Ann Modesitt, Dr. Ken Peterson & Tony Award winner and Grammy-nominated, Lisa Seegmiller. I am eternally grateful for each of them.
My teaching experience dates back to my college days, as I began teaching private lessons over 16 years ago, and have been consistently teaching students in my home studio for the last 10 years. Encouraging regular practice on a consistent schedule is one of the key points I like to emphasize for younger students, as it tends to help the student progress and gain a passion for singing and truly making it an art. We focus on technique first, but my students get to choose the style of music they would like to learn! Whether that be musical theatre, pop, R&B, Jazz, Blues, Gospel, Rock, Classical/Opera, students are cultivated to bring out the best in their voices. If a student isn't having fun in their lessons, then I'm not doing my job! My students are encouraged to enter competitions and recitals, as well as auditioning, so they can feel good about their accomplishments and stay motivated to learn. I'm always looking to bring on new students of all ages!
My main goal is to create a vocal balance in the voice. Having a vocal balance is based on a singer's ability to sing with a resting larynx, proper vocal fold adduction and ability to navigate through the bridges evenly, without breaks, or strain. Once the balance has been found, we can then apply these skills to any style of music. Some singers find vocal balance easily while it may take other singers some time depending old habits that need to be broken. Voice development is a journey! It takes years of training and intentional practice to truly master technique and style. Most students notice changes within their first lesson, so the more time you put into practicing the tools given, the faster you will reach your goals.
Nothing is more rewarding than seeing one of my students develop a passion for music! Therefore, it's important that each student progresses at their own pace. I encourage this by setting realistic goals for my students at each lesson. Acknowledging accomplishments helps fuel students' desire to progress, and makes students eager to learn more. In the first lesson, I will assess your voice and then create a plan that is tailored with exercises that will help you personally develop and overcome any challenges you may face. My goal is to train voices to sing in a free and natural way. The method I teach can be applied to any style of singing and is designed to optimize your voice to its fullest capabilities. It gives singers the capability to perform with a smooth, strong, balanced and continuous sound, from the bottom to the top of their vocal register, typically with a range that extends far beyond where they began.