Piano with Sheena R.

Sheena R., recently praised in the New York times as "a light, perky soprano", has appeared in numerous operatic roles and song recitals. A graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, she had the opportunity to work with world-renowned voice pedagogue Richard Miller as an assistant at the Otto B Schoepfle Vocal Arts Center. She completed her Graduate Study at the New England Conservatory, and had the great privilege to study with James McDonald and John Moriarty. She sang the Soprano Solo in Brahms' Requiem under the baton of choral icon Sir David Willcocks, as well as Zerlina in the Boston Opera Collaborative production of Don Giovanni. During her time in Boston she was also fortunate enough to sing for Renee Fleming and perform in the Boston premier of Steve Reich's Daniel Variations as one of four vocal soloists. She lived in New Orleans, where she was affiliated with the Louisiana Academy of the Performing Arts. She maintained a private studio of nearly 60 students, and helped them prepare for recitals, auditions, musicals, and choral performances. Since moving to New York in 2010 she has performed over 12 roles with Light Opera of New York, The Blue Hill Troupe, and Amore Opera, among others. *** Lesson Details *** I have taught students at all levels, and cater my lessons to meet the students individual needs. For voice lessons, I teach classical technique (relying heavily on the training of classic pedagogues such as Lamperti, but also more recent teachers like Richard Miller) which I have found can translate well to any vocal style (jazz, musical theater, pop, etc.). A strong foundation in breath support, proper vowel articulation, sustaining exercises, and vocal agility make up the majority of my teaching method. Once the technical ground work has been set, I spend about half of the lesson working on vocal exercises and half working on repertoire. For piano, I like to use the Faber method books, which I have found to be the best combination of theory and execution. Each student will spend equal time on lesson work, technique, theory, and performance preparation. I work most often with younger beginning students, teaching them proper posture, five finger positions, and simple melodic concepts. I am very patient, and love to see the progress that even a 4 or 5 year old will see in just a few lessons. *** Studio Equipment *** Living Room, 88 weighted keyboard, amplified, sofa, parents can wait in same room *** Travel Equipment *** For the first lesson I can provide recommended books, but after that I would like the student to provide their own materials. *** Specialties *** Classical voice performance is my strong point.