Meredith A.

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: No
• In-Studio Lessons: Yes
• Ages: 5 & up

Subjects Taught

Piano, Singing, Opera Voice, Theatrical Broadway Singing

Education

Eastman School of Music - Vocal Performance/Musical Arts - 09/2006-05/2010 (Bachelor's degree received)

Specialties

I am a classical singer by training, but I teach all styles of singing and music-making, with particular emphasis on vocal health and bringing your unique experiences to your music making. For pianists, I specialize in beginning students both young and old, helping you make music even out of the simplest tunes at the beginning of your piano books, and arranging your favorite songs so that you can play them.
Students with ADD or ADHD are most welcome in my studio, and are encouraged to let ... me know about your learning difference so that we can work in a way that suits your strengths. I believe very strongly that your brains are excellent for making music, and I really enjoy the energy and enthusiasm my students bring to the table!

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Lesson Details

For all of my students, I hope to make the atmosphere as fun and interesting as possible. I believe that when we are engaged, we learn very rapidly and achieve proficiency with astonishing speed. I also have some experience working with children with difficulty concentrating, and enjoy the energy that they bring to their lessons! If you are afraid to take lessons because of ADD or ADHD, know that the unique energy and talents your brain has are actually excellent qualities for musicians. I look ... forward to working with you!

Voice lessons are entirely dependent upon the needs and goals of the students, but some basic concepts will be addressed at all levels. Proper breath management and the mechanics of breathing form the foundation of all uses of the voice. Vowel shapes, principally the pure Italian vowels, are essential to clear diction and also to unimpeded vocal function. Finally, musicianship and personal artistry are fundamental aspects of the interpretation of music, so lessons will always include some discussion of ways in which the singer can use the "tools in their tool-box" to bring their own emotions and ideas to the piece. Young voice students (those under the age of 14) will learn the fundamentals of sight-singing and reading music (including solfège, rhythm reading, and musicianship), and will be asked to bring in their favorite songs to sing and explore as ways to learn about the structure of music.

For beginning piano students, especially very young children, lessons will be based around the Alfred piano curriculum for young students. We will focus primarily on learning to read music and rhythms, developing the ear and the ability to match pitch and sing in tune, and on piano posture and basics of articulation. Students will receive weekly assignments from the books, but will also be asked to practice clapping and counting rhythms, singing short phrases of music, and recognizing notes and musical symbols, to help them develop a solid musical foundation.

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About

I made and loved music before I could speak. Growing up, I played the piano, saxophone, and flute, and sang constantly. I sang everywhere: on the playground, in the car, at the store, even playing in the ocean in Maine! I went to summer theater camps, putting on shows like West Side Story, Damn Yankees!, The Wiz, and musical revues and choral concerts every weekend at New England Music Camp. Chorus was one of my favorites parts of school the day, and I couldn't wait for the musical. As I grew ... older, it became clear to me that singing and theater were simply fundamental to my nature. I applied to music schools and conservatories around the US and Canada, and found my way to the Eastman School of Music, here in Rochester, New York.

That childhood journey propelled me through my Bachelor of Music degree at Eastman, where I developed my vocal and interpretive skills, honed my musicological and academic brain, and learned about vocal pedagogy and the fantastic apparatus in our throats that makes singing possible. I worked hard to understand how I sang, how others sang, and how to improve technique to help facilitate the deeply satisfying enjoyment of singing freely. I coached a fellow student in her interpretation of French repertoire, honing the all-important teaching tools of supportive and effective communication, understanding of a student's learning and process, and the ability to present knowledge in an accessible way. Since my graduation, I have been working full time as a teacher and singer. I teach young and old alike to free their own voices (and train their fingers!) to express the music they most enjoy. Recently, one of my students won the National High School Musical Theater Association's Stars of Tomorrow Competition, winning a Jimmy Award for her future musical theater studies. But whether you are headed for the stage or just want to learn a new skill, I am fond of saying that everyone is a musician, and everyone can learn to express it!

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