Voice has so many elements intrinsically involved for it to grow, develop and behave! I believe in creating a safe space in order to discover that behavior with each singer who enters my studio. Each singer's needs are unique, and thus, I work to meet the singer where they are: technically, musically, emotionally, and psychologically. Each person and therefore, each voice is unique, and the course of study must be developed and created to specifically meet that voice and that singer. The singer then takes the responsibility to work and develop with what is created in the studio to allow for the embodiment of the discovery of his or her own voice.
The singer's voice can be in ANY genre - opera, music theatre, jazz, contemporary and recording industry, voiceover/jingle, and everything in between! The voice is the voice - its function is to be useable and healthy no matter WHAT the genre.
Singing is an athletic activity. The development of the physicality of breath, support, and the physical knowledge of how we do what we do, and why we do it is absolutely imperative to healthy singing and building technical behavior. Technical behavior then in turn, allows a singer an opportunity to discover and build an instrument that is true, vibrant, athletic, aligned and balanced - and above all, reliable! The genres and styles then can inform this voice in ways that are unique and true. It is not the voice that informs the style, but rather, the style that informs the voice.
As a teacher, it is my job to teach you, the singer, how to teach yourself. And in the end, it is my goal then, to become obsolete! Teaching voice is to help you find and develop and create and acknowledge your voice and how it functions fully and, why. The instrument then develops an organic response to the characterization, the style, the genre and all the many layers of artistic virtuosity!
