Faculty

"I love exploring new styles with students and helping them find new ways to use their instrument. I also am keenly aware of the vocal mechanism itself. The human voice is by far the most complicated instrument you can ever play, and you can’t even look at it or put your hands on it. I try to help students understand the anatomy of their voice, not just what the different parts are, but how they move and how they create sound. I like to keep up with the science of that, because it contributes enormously to vocal longevity and health."

"I teach 'the art of singing' from the vantage point of a long career as a performer, recording artist, and teacher. What a joy all three facets have been! This extraordinary universal language of song is truly a marvel of creative forces merging in the human voice, via tonal colors, rhythm, text, and the soul of a singer. My aim is to assist students in cultivating these unique forces in their voices and to help them dip down into the depths of their emotional expression. This beautiful language of music defies all boundaries, and meeting each student at their current juncture is an exciting challenge."

“My formal training and education is in opera and classical music, but professionally, I have been performing as a pop/rock singer-songwriter. When I started to develop hoarseness from singing pop so often, I realized how strange that was for someone with a master’s degree in vocal performance. Singers are born with a gift, but not one necessarily made for performing five hours a night. Vocal health is of utmost importance. I had to figure that out for myself the hard way, and it forced me to learn new techniques. I’m passionate about nurturing that in these young singers.”