Voice Lessons in Payne Phalen, MN

Instruments: Piano Voice Music Keyboard

I graduated from McNally Smith College of Music magna cum laude in 2011 with a bachelors in vocal performance. I played everywhere from Duluth. Minnesota to Lima, Peru: sharing the stage with artists as diverse as Andres Prado and Judi Donaghy. In addition to my McNally Smith Degree, I received master classes from Bobby McFerrin and the New York Voices. Passionate about giving back to the community, I instructed voice and piano students at the Urban Hub, a community center for inner city youth in Minneapolis MN. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

Each student needs a long-term goal in mind for where they want their voice to be. I like to start out by setting a couple realistic goals for the long-term with my students, then breaking those goals down into manageable steps each associated with one or two pieces. I also want students to know that they are accomplishing their goals, so I have my students tape lessons and listen back later to hear their progress. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Drums

My final goal is how to enjoy singing. In my opinion, the most important thing is that singing should be comfortable to both a singer and an audience. For this reason, I generally help them to sing comfortably. Most of the students have a common problem to sing. I would say it is artificial voice which makes their voice tired and injured. When I taught students some of them struggled with development about their voice quality. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

I choose the books according to my assessment of the student during the introductory lesson. The Faber Method is one of the more popular ones. I also use the Alfred All-in-One books series. As supplemental material, I use Keynote Speller by Shaum and Line a Day by Keith Snell.  For solo repertoire, I select methods based on the skills and favorite pieces of each student. Recently, there have been published and won the love of millions of teachers and students around the world, 2-books "Tales of Musical Journey" by Irina Gorin, for beginners. Read More

Instruments: Voice

I begin with an assessment of the student that starts with the student explaining to me his or her background and personal goals/reasons for taking voice lessons. From there, I take the student through simple exercises where assess the students ability in the fundamentals of, postural alignment, breath support, resonance, articulation, and vowel constancy. Based on the students' ability I devise a regimen of vocal exercises designed to strengthen areas of weakness. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Cello

Cello is my main instrument, but I have also been teaching piano, guitar, and violin for years. I love teaching and the variety of finding the approach that works best for each individual student. On a personal note, I was married in 2010 and had my first child, a boy, a year later. I live in Northfield but commute up to the Eden Prairie/Chanhassen area for lessons every Monday. I am also open to giving lessons at people's homes who are close to Highway 35 on the way to or from the Cities. Read More