What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
I offer sliding scale for adult lessons and a set rate of $50/hour for kids ages 4 through 17. For adults, I offer a package discount of $400/hour for the first 4 sessions; that is usually the number of sessions needed to impart the fundamentals of self coaching, and I want everyone to have healthy voices their whole lives through. I also offer further discounts for long term coaching commitments.
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
We begin with a free consultation so I can begin assessing how to teach you the skills to self coach your voice within four sessions, and to create such a comfortable and productive experience that you feel like working with me to expand your abilities for years to come.
The first couple of sessions are usually the most difficult to stick with. First, we might need to reconfigure your whole approach to how the voice works, to strip it down to basic physics and easy breathing exercises. Breathing can hold a lot of emotional charge, so this is also the point where we would discuss and determine your preference for classic vocal coaching, trauma informed vocal coaching, or a hybrid of the two. Then, with classic vocal coaching, learning scales is like accustoming yourself to new exercise equipment - it takes a moment for muscle memory to settle in.
By third and fourth session, we really start conditioning solid habits and approaches to difficult material. The more we work together, the more I calibrate and customize your coaching experience to suit your style of learning, goals, and unique personality.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I began formal one on one training at age 3, theatre at age 6, professional singing at age 9, and apprenticeship to vocal coaching at age 13. As a teen I completed a songwriting and recording mentor program with an award winning Denver production crew while studying at the University of Southern California, starting at age 15. I earned a B. of Sc. in Music Industry business emphasis cum laude from Thornton School of Music. While still at USC my music began receiving placements in television and I recorded and wrote for numerous network productions; I now have extensive experience providing music and vocals for film and television. I am a prolific songwriter with hundreds of solo and co-written compositions on piano and guitar. I am in the habit of writing music on commission and have participated professionally in groups across the musical spectrum. Including multiple unreleased fully produced albums, I have sung lead on about a dozen studio projects, most of which are full length albums. I also voice act and assist in the management of other professional artists.
How did you get started doing this type of work?
My mother worked directly with the founder of the now industry standard high performance vocal technique. She began coaching me when I was three, I debuted as a professional singer at age 9, and began apprenticing in vocal coaching at age 13.
What types of customers have you worked with?
I have worked with all ages and all levels of professionalism, all needs, all genders, and a broad range of abilities.
Describe a recent project you are fond of. How long did it take?
At the beginning of this year, a friend’s opera inspired me to write and fully produce the demo of my first orchestral/dance mixed singing and spoken word album, all by myself, in two months. While I love recording with my talented friends, it was a liberating experience controlling every aspect of the piece, in a process I’m eager to impart to others. I’m currently recutting vocals in a reputable hip hop studio with a choice mic collection.
What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?
A good coach should make healthy vocal technique simple and easily accessible. Too many folks gatekeep singing technique out of ego and elitism, and others confuse it because they themselves don’t understand it well enough to explain to a four year old child. There are infinite nuances to vocal mastery, but basic vocal health is straightforward and mechanical. A good coach should be there when you want to condition for range and stamina, troubleshoot tricky issues, and explore the limits of human vocal ability. But if all someone wants to learn is how to take care of their voice their whole life through, a good coach needs to be able to put themselves out of business within a few sessions.
What questions should customers think through before talking to professionals about their project?
The more you begin exploring your individual questions about your voice, the more you’ll be able to check if the coach can attune to your unique vocal experience. Vocal coaching is a highly individual process. It’s not like piano, guitar, or any other instrument - there’s only so much any coach can visibly show you how to do, and no two singers are exactly alike. The more you think through what you want to know about your voice, the more you’ll be able to assess who explains things in the way that makes the most sense to you.