Justin S.

General Info

• Certified Music Teacher

  Certified Music Teacher

  Our rigorous hiring process requires a completed application; an interview with our professional recruiting specialists; personal and professional reference checks; and annual criminal background checks for the duration of each teacher's employment with us.

  
• Background Check Complete

  Criminal Background Check

  In order to ensure the safety of our students, all teachers undergo a thorough criminal background check, which includes: Social Security number trace, multi-state criminal search and a nationwide sex offender registry search.

  
• Levels: Beginner to Advanced

• In-Home Lessons: Yes
• In-Studio Lessons: Yes
• Ages: 5 & up

Subjects Taught

Singing, Music Performance, Music Recording, Music Theory, Opera Voice, Songwriting, Speaking Voice, Theatrical Broadway Singing, Acting

Education

School for Music Vocations - Professional Music - 1998-2000
University of Minnesota - Theatre Arts - 2000-2003
MCTC - Alcohol & Drug Counseling - 2009-Present (Associate degree received)

Specialties

Jazz (Voice/Piano/Arranging), Classical Voice, Bel Canto, Broadway, Pop/R&B, Hip-Hop Singing/Writing, Piano Accompaniment

-Sight Singing/Theory

-How to read and play chord charts/lead sheets on Piano and transpose chord charts on the fly.

-Studio Singing - microphone/vocal technique, professionalism

-Scat Singing/Improvisation Technique and Theory

-Voiceovers/Jingle Recording

-Speech Level Singing (Seth Riggs)

-Proper ... Vocalization and Warm-Up

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Lesson Details

"Personally I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught."
— Winston Churchill

Mr. Churchill describes the common roadblock experienced by many new musicians; how to learn effectively.

I firmly believe that music is an art to be shared, not a subject to be taught. We learn best through active participation and by developing a passion for what we are studying.

As the only true universal language, learning to communicate through music can be fun, ... rewarding and therapeutic.

Music can be a way of life...or a means of escaping it.

I take a humanistic, student-centered approach to sharing music. My curriculum depends mostly on the individual goals and interests of you, the student.

- Is music just a hobby for you and you want a fun, no-pressure experience?
- Have you taught yourself to play piano and finding that you need to learn more technique?
- Have you been told you are tone-deaf and want to prove to yourself that you're not?
- Have you been singing for years and desire a new approach and a fresh perspective?
- Do you have classical training but have always wanted to sing Pop & Broadway?
- Are you experience vocal problems and roadblocks?
- Do you wish you had a better ear for recognizing pitch?
- Do you want to learn to improvise?
- Are you taking piano lessons to become a more independent and capable vocalist?

I have shared all of the above scenarios with students, as well as many more.

Whatever your goal, even if it changes daily, we will work together to achieve it.

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About

I started singing when I was 5 years old. As my mother tells it, I used to stand on her footstool with her hairbrush and pretend I was Johnny Cash.

By the time I was 13, I had started taking voice and piano lessons. I never stopped. My passion for performing and hunger for knowledge grew from Classical music to Jazz, Blues, Pop, Rock, Folk, Broadway and, most recently, Hip-Hop.

My family loved to ask me to sing (this led to many embarrassing dinner parties and family reunions) I learned ... to love the audience and seek feedback from anyone who would listen.

I was active in choir and theater and won many awards in high school, including a prestigious invitation to participate in the 16 member Wisconsin All-State Honors Vocal Jazz Ensemble.

During that experience, I was invited to study at the legendary School for Music Vocations in Southern Iowa. It was there that I formed the firm foundation in Music Theory, Solo & Group Performing, Writing & Arranging, Microphone Technique, Repertoire, Studio Singing and Music Business that has helped me become a successful musician.

Since then I have participated in many various musical ensembles from Vocal Jazz to Classical Choirs and even a Hip-Hop group.

I won Twin Cities' Got Talent in 2009 by singing "At Last" by Etta James and "Summertime" by George Gershwin - two of my favorite songs to sing.

My passion for performing and learning music is paralleled only by my passion for sharing it with others.
Music has been a gift and a blessing in my life and I find it extremely rewarding to introduce others to the art-form and help them find their voice.

It doesn't matter where life takes me; music is always there.

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