Teaching Philosophy
Anyone can sing!
Don't believe the lie that you just don't have talent and shouldn't sing! It may come more naturally to some, but singing is deeply and innately human. If you want to sing, you should be encouraged and equipped to do it! It's something anyone can learn. You have a unique and beautiful instrument, and you don't need permission to embrace the joy of your own voice.
Singing is good for you!
It's a whole-person activity that gets you breathing deeply and building awareness of your body. It can be a wonderful emotional release (I like to think of it as socially acceptable screaming!). Music is provably good for your mind, using multiple parts of the brain at once. And singing fosters connection and community when we find spaces to do it together.
A million reasons to sing!
Performing or recording music is a great reason to sing, but it is far from the only reason. Everyone who sings has their own goal: some are looking for community, some just find joy in making noise! Some sing to worship or to express their ideas and emotions and be seen and understood more deeply. Some want to perform, others just want to sing in the shower. Whatever your reason, just sing!
Teaching Style/How Lessons Work
Lessons start with discussing your goals and interests. Then we work on building body awareness and learning whole-body breathing and vocal techniques to support a healthy voice for the long haul. From there, I combine the Western classical training that has informed my journey with techniques from all kinds of styles to help students sing the music they love and meet their individual goals.
Each of us thinks and experiences our voice a bit differently, so I work with each student to find the language and tools that make sense to you. Since every part of our voice is built into us, singing can feel really vulnerable sometimes. In our lessons, you will be encouraged to make all kinds of crazy, unexpected, even "ugly" sounds as we explore your voice. It's all a part of the journey, and we'll have a lot of fun along the way.
I can't wait to make music with you!