Claim Your Voice And Sing

Serves West Covina, CA

35244

Hired 246 times

Not yet available

52 years in business

$45

5.0

This pro accepts payments via Cash, PayPal, and Zelle.

Next Service

Hours

Sun 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Mon 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

Tues 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

Wed 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

Thurs 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

Fri 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

Sat 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

Credentials

Background Check

Rae De La Cretaz
Completed on 6/6/2019

Introduction

ATTENTION: - I'M OFFERING A SPECIAL: IN PERSON OR ONLINE, 4 1/2 HOUR LESSONS FOR 1/2 PRICE $20 EACH. WHAT WOULD NORMALLY BE $180 IS NOW $80. In person lessons must be fully vaccinated. My regular rate is $45 1/2-hour, $80 hour. There's never a contract. People want to study singing for so many reasons. You've sung all your life and want to sing better. You'd like to be able to audition for a better chorus or a part. You were told you were tone-deaf when you were 5, and haven't dared make a sound since, or if you have, people have laughed at you. Those are all good reasons. My job is to take you wherever you are, whatever you hope to achieve, and help you sing better whatever that is. The lessons themselves can be done online, or in person within New Jersey only. New Yorkers usually don't want to come to NJ, but you could take lessons online. If you're apprehensive doing lessons online, please read my reviews. Quite a few of them are from online students. There's never a contract. You can try one lesson and see what you think. Your health is the most important thing to address in lessons. People come to me with chronic sore throats from strain, limited ranges, breaks. We fix these things, and you sound great and have fun. I don't let 12-year-olds sound like they're 30. I care, and I'm good. The human voice is the most wonderful toy I can imagine. As a teacher, I get to play in everyone's toy box. It's all fun. I love helping someone who thinks they can't sing on pitch sing on pitch. I love working with people who've sung all their lives and just hope people won't laugh at them. I show members of the chorus that they're soloists, and no one's laughing. I love working with beautiful, strong, healthy voices that just need a little help to fly. I love it all.

Q&A

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?

First 4 1/2-hours are $20 a piece. After that, it's my regular rate: 1/2-hour $45 1-hour $80 I accept cash, check, Paypal and Zelle (Bank-to-Bank transfer including Chase Quick Pay) I DON'T work with children. Students need a reasonably mature instrument to study singing. Before that, they can take general music, sing in school, in choir, study instruments. They can destroy themselves studying voice too young. It varies on physical maturity, but the youngest I'm comfortable with is about 13-14. This is in the student's best interest. I make my full-time living teaching singing. I lose money when I send people away. This is my ethics. 1-hour lessons are great, but if you can't afford that, 1/2-hour is all the same things, just less of everything. I don't give 45- minute lessons, but I want you to be able to see my profile and choose. Lessons are a luxury item. Get as much luxury as you can. I don't use contracts or package deals. Try a lesson. You have to pay for that one, but you don't have to come back.

What is your typical process for working with a new customer?

The lessons themselves can be done online or in person within New Jersey. I do not currently service New York. We start wherever you are. No matter how much training you've had, you're new to me, so we have to go back to the beginning. We always do basic vocalizes. We review posture, pitch, diction, how to evaluate what you're doing. If someone has a strong background, we can progress to songs quickly. If you don't, it takes longer, but the journey always travels the same path. After however long is appropriate, if you can't read music, we work on that. We always work on the entire voice, not just one aspect of it. As you sing better, you stop straining, your range increases, you gain dynamics. It's all a package. You can't work just one aspect. It all comes together.

What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?

I'm a graduate of Oberlin College, major in music, voice applied. Since then, I've taken private lessons for 30 years and am still in contact with my teacher.

How did you get started doing this type of work?

I've always loved it and can't imagine doing anything else. It's just fun. when I graduated college, I started performing, and took some students. I've had other jobs of necessity, but I've always taught and sung.

What types of customers have you worked with?

All sorts. It isn't fair to ask a new student what needs to be fixed in your voice, although I always want to hear what you think you need to work on. The problems are all interconnected, so we have to work on everything. You have a limited range. That means you're tight, so I help you relax. You sing a little flat or sharp all the time. That's a symptom of poor diction and tension. You have a break. Again that's a symptom of a different problem, and usually gets fixed in the first lesson. It's good for me to know what you think your problems are, but you'll probably have to fix something else to fix that. The most common question asked is if I work with beginners. The answer is YES!!!! The problem is everyone defines beginner differently. Sometimes you say you're a beginner because you've sung in choruses your whole life, but never had a lesson. Sometimes you've sung around the house, in the car, everywhere for years, but never dared join a choir. Sometimes, you're a professional musician on a guitar or piano, but never sung. Sometimes you can't carry a tune in a bucket. It doesn't matter. Wherever you are, my goal is to help you sing better. I have one student who studied privately for years, graduated from a top conservatory as a voice performance major, started with me, and while her general musical background is great, she would agree, she was a beginner on good vocal technique. Wherever you are in the process, yes, I'll work with you.

Describe a recent project you are fond of. How long did it take?

This is constant. People come to me afraid that I'll laugh at them for daring to think they might deserve to study, and then they find out that they're good. One of my students has sung in choirs her whole life thinking she was okay, but no more. She's been with me for 6 months, and the best singers in her group are asking her for my information because they can hear so much improvement in her. My most recent project is that I'm starting to sing gigs as a jazz singer. I didn't think jazz musicians would want to work with a classical singer, but they love that I can count and carry my part. Now I'm starting to learn to improvise. I imagine it will continue for the rest of my life.

What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?

Use your common sense. Your teacher should be able to explain why things work or don't. You should have some connection immediately, and you should feel that your teacher knows how to make you sing better. Also, your teacher should sing well. Many singing teachers are primarily pianists. Your teacher should be able to tell you everything you're doing and make constant corrections. A teacher isn't there to tell you you're great, but to tell you how to be better. Make sense out of what you're hearing.

What questions should customers think through before talking to professionals about their project?

Everyone can sing and can get better. It doesn't matter how much talent you think you're bringing to it. The talent that matters the most is joy in singing. Everything is skill and can be taught.