Encino, CA Singing Lessons

earning style and I try my best to cater my lessons around each student's individual needs and goals. I was fortunate enough to grow up in an incredibly musical household. My dad toured with Bryan Adams as his guitarist and my mom’s worked with heavy weights such as David Foster as a professional vocalist. I was mentored by some of the best in the music business since childhood. I started learning piano at the age of four and started recording vocals for radio commercials at the age of six. The experience I've acquired over the years from recording in world class studios and touring internationally I believe has given me invaluable insight to impart with my students. I’m very passionate about teaching. Whether you want to learn how to play your favorite song on the piano or polish your vocal skills to sing professionally on a big stage in front of a large crowd, I’m your gal!

*** Lesson Details ***
I understand that starting lessons can feel a bit scary and outside of ones comfort zone. It takes courage to try something new! I take pride in creating a fun, stress free learning environment, as I know it's incredibly important. I like to encourage having the best of both worlds when it comes to learning voice and piano. That means introducing some sight-reading as well as how to play freestyle, or without sheet music. What to expect upon your first lesson would be an easygoing assessment as well as something to take home and practice. I want to find out what your music tastes and background are and your personal goals, what you would like to get out of lessons. I tailor lessons around each student and their personal learning style.
Piano students: The following is an example of what students can expect to learn, proper technique, sight reading, chords and popular song progressions, how to develop a piece of music, rhythmic training, ear training, how to play their favorite song(s). I use a combo of music books, Alfred Series, Bastien and Dozen a Day for technique and finger exercises as well write out music for students too on the song they would like to learn. I make a list of songs you would like to learn and also suggest some too that I think you would like and can also further develop your piano playing skills.

Voice Lessons: I’m a firm believer that we can learn a lot from hearing ourselves back on recordings. We are our own toughest critic. Recording ourselves singing helps us hear where our strengths and weaknesses are. It might seem a little uncomfortable at first listening back, I know! However, it offers fresh perspective for us to able to take our voices to the next level. I record using an app on my iPhone or iPad and encourage my students to record as well. If they do not have a recording device I email the recording to them to study along with the notes and exercises they are given to work on. This enables the students to witness their personal progress from lesson to lesson! It’s a great learning tool!
The following is an example of what voice students can expect to learn: proper breathing techniques, how improve tone and extend their range, how to develop agility, pop riffs, and dynamic control, how to prepare for auditions, live shows and studio recording and much more!

What I expect from my students: To come to lessons with an open mind, a readiness to learn, to try new things and to apply what they learn each lesson to continue making weekly steady progress ☺ We only get out of something what we put into it right?

I like to be as flexible as possible, I understand that often times students have many other things going on in their lives whether it be sports, school or work etc. We go at a pace you feel comfortable with but enough where you feel you are getting a bit of a challenge each week to be growing. Let’s make some beautiful music together!

*** Studio Equipment ***
Yamaha Mox8 (88 weighted keys). Acoustic Guitar, Sound System, Allen & Heath Mixing board, SM58 Mic, Mic Stand, Music Stand, Shecter Electric Guitar, Pro Tools 9, Duet Apogee

*** Travel Equipment ***
I expect my student to provide a keyboard at least 77-88keys or piano. i can provide a powered speaker, sm58 mic, mic stand for practicing voice and performance.

*** Specialties ***
Pop, Rock, Blues, Jazz, R&B, Classical

Southern California, Thornton School of Music and I have a Bachelors degree from Northern Arizona University. I also completed a teaching internship at the California Lutheran University.

My style of teaching is tailor made for each student because everyone has different goals and needs. I focus on making singing fun and painless while setting a strong technical foundation. My goal for the student is to take away technical issues so they can be musically expressive and show the world who they are.

*** Lesson Details ***
I am a laid back teacher. My hope is that students will feel improvement in their lessons and it will motivate them to practice. In my opinion, the lessons should be fun, educational, and safe.

My curriculum is based on the needs of the student. In general, I always begin with breathing techniques. Breathing is the foundation of singing and so I tend to spend some time trying to show the student the most efficient and most effortless technique. Then I move on to what I have learned from my own voice teacher, and I will teach the students what are called "vocal function exercises." These are a series of gentle warm ups that teach the student a combination of breath pressure, resonance, and eliminating physical tensions within the neck, chest, and back. Then I move on to incorporating these ideas into repertoire. I like to decide repertoire with the student based on their preferences and their skill level. Generally I like to give the student one classical piece in a foreign language and one musical theater piece, but this is not set in stone.
I hope that after a few months the student will have an understanding of breathing, beginning vocal technique, and some repertoire we have been working on.

All of this said, ultimately I do not hold students to my own expectations. I want them to learn at their own pace and not feel they need to be at a certain point after a certain amount of time.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Living Room. Keyboard. Seating for parents. Cats.

*** Travel Equipment ***
I can provide sheet music and I expect the student to provide a keyboard or piano.

*** Specialties ***
I teach a method that is very simple and allows the student to express themselves musically and to have fun.

My expertise is Opera but I can teach all styles of singing.

the lesson, we start with simple warm ups and vocalizes and then apply techniques to the songs you want to sing. I realize each student is different and I customize the lesson to the student's particular needs. I specialize in classical and music theater, however the basics of singing apply to all styles of music. In addition to working on breathing and technique for singing, we'll also focus on interpretation of the songs you are working on as well as how to overcome performance nervousness. Most students find that they are able to sing with more freedom, less tension and will have more confidence as they progress.

I also teach beginning piano, using the John W. Schaum series.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Lessons in the main room, upright piano

*** Travel Equipment ***
They need to provide a piano or keyboard if I am going to their home.
I have a piano in my home.

*** Specialties ***
I work on using the breath as a fundamental technique for singing. Singing should never hurt. I use a lot of imagery to achieve freedom in singing.

ent based on their specific goals and intentions regarding their voice so that each lesson focuses on them and their unique needs. It is extremely important to her that students of all ages have a positive experience of music in their lives and she provides fun and encouraging performance opportunities for those students who wish to participate. Michelle’s goal is to recognize and support each student's potential, helping to give them confidence, direction and motivation on their unique musical journey.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Piano, music stand, microphone, mic stand, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, guitar and mic amplifier, recording equipment.

*** Travel Equipment ***
Portable Keyboard

*** Specialties ***
Musical theater, Jazz, Classical, Contemporary, R & B, Folk, Alternative, Contemporary Christian and Popular Music.

, SYNC (Winner iPhone Film Fest, Olleh International, Oxford iFest). Monica has also appeared in Dirty Laundry (pilot) as a series regular and 30 is Still 30 as a recurring guest star.

As a member of The Actors Gang Theatre Company, she performed under the direction of acclaimed Academy award-winning actor Tim Robbins.
She appeared in the world tour of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" directed by Tim Robbins, the national tour of "The Exonerated" directed by Cynthia Ettinger (The Silence of the Lambs, (HBO) Carnival, and Deadwood (HBO). Monica has also performed regionally in professional theaters across the nation and toured internationally with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and theater festivals in China, France, Spain, Romania, Brazil, and Italy.

Monica has a B.A in Musical Theater from UCLA, as well as a Certification in Professional On-Camera Acting from UCLA.
In addition to performing, Monica has a heart for arts education and nonprofit work. She received a Masters of Science in Nonprofit Management from Walden University.
As a teaching artist, Monica coaches inmates with The Prison Project at The California Institution of Men, The California Institution of Women, and The California Rehabilitation Center. Through Theatre 360 and Drama Maniacs, she has also had the pleasure of teaching her artistry to children.

*** In Studio or Online ***
Of course it is more enjoyable if you can have lessons in person. But with modern technology, live online lessons come in a close second. I've been teaching for 40 years and I've been doing online lessons for about 7 years. I'm located in West Hills, which is a suburb of Los Angeles. If you are not local, using skype with a webcam works out surprisingly well. I have students in Sydney, London, Hong Kong and many cities throughout the US.

*** Use a Piano or a Keyboard for Practicing ***
I am not fussy if you use a keyboard but it needs to be a "weighted action" keyboard, so that it feels similar to a real piano. Ideally, you should also have a pedal and a stand if you are using an electronic keyboard.

*** Unconventional Approach ***
Each student is taught with a customized approach. You get to tell me what areas you want to focus on. Sometimes there may be a block or something that is a weakness that you need to bolster. Sometimes it is a narrow niche within music that you want to give your attention to. One way that I'm unconventional is that I actually have found that it is NOT better if you practice every day. I recommend that you build in about three days of rest per week. Just like people who work out at the gym learn that the off days are when the muscles regenerate, the same is true for your brain. This allows your subconscious mind to do its job and your progress will actually be faster, not slower. Another example of my unique approach is how I treat beginners. Even though you may not yet read music very well or at all, it doesn't mean that you can't start working concurrently on a more advanced piece. This is because READING notation is a comparatively slow process, but why should we restrict your ability to play something that you love to your rate of reading music? Usually, our FINGER TECHNIQUE develops much faster than our READING so I'm happy to guide you on one or two more difficult pieces and help spoon-feed it to you, bit by bit, "by rote."

*** Areas of Focus ***
-Finger Technique. How to play fast with ultimate control.
-Sight-Reading How to Read Music at Sight
-Rhythm Training
-Music Theory
-Interpretation
-Injury-Retraining
-Relaxation, Removing Unnecessary Tension
-Pain-Reduction
-Practice-Optimization - How to learn more in less time. -How to memorize music.
-Biomechanical Efficiency - Maximum power with minimum effort.
-Time-Management
-Improvisation and creativity development techniques
-Composition & Songwriting.
-How to create melodies for your poems and lyrics.
-How to put chords on your melodies.
-How to create “song sheets,” lead sheets and how to write music down on paper.
-How to notate your song so others can play it, without knowing how to read music!
-Chord-Reading and How to Play Lead Sheets & Fake Book
-Musical Styles and Piano Arrangements (Pop, Country, Gospel, Blues, R&B, Rock, Reggae, Hip Hop, Worship, Church, Hymns, Techno, 50s, Jazz, New Age, Folk, Broadway, Pop Ballade, etc.)
-Ear-Training (How to Play by Ear, Playing by Ear)
-Singers’ Tools
-Pitch Control Training
-Self-Accompanying
-How to Sing Harmony
-Sight-Singing (How to Hear the Notes in Your Mind)
-Self-Accompanying techniques in every style - Learn how to accompany yourself or learn how to accompany singers. (see “Musical Styles” above.)
-Audition Preparation - I will record the melody of the song for you so you can learn it.
-How to put melody to lyrics
-College Preparation
-Performance Anxiety, Stage Fright, Fear
-Releasing Emotional Obstacles to Playing Emotional Blocks, Healing Piano Trauma and Previous Performance Disasters, Piano Therapy
-Learning Disabilities including ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Dyscalculea, Sensory Integration Disorder
-Motiviation Issues - Solving your procrastination and avoidance of your musical growth issues.
-How to Look Like You’ve Played Piano for Years (for Actors, Singers and Celebrities Who Have A Role Deadline and Need a Crash Course.)

*** Celebrity Piano Teacher ***
Over the years, I've taught many pro musicians and celebrities. These include: Vonda Shepard, David E. Kelley, Dick Gautier, Michelle Pfeiffer, Pray Harper, Peter Horton, Michael Goodrich, Brianna Haynes, Starr Parodi, Briana Evigan, Stuart Ross, Roger Burnley, Chris Hardin, Stu Simone and Ben Bram.

*** Howard's Teachers Go Back To Beethoven ***
I feel grateful that my own training included top teachers of both the “German School” and “Russian School” of piano technique. Generally, the German School teaches how to play with close-to-the-key hand placement preparation and fingering efficiency, and is known for great speed and accuracy. The Russian School teaches how to play with gravity and relaxation and is known for beautiful tone production. Each approach has its strengths and weaknesses. In my own playing and teaching, I have incorporated the good aspects of each and have discarded the bad. The result is a blueprint for biomechanical efficiency and beautiful sound, making it the best of both worlds. Please see the photo of the "piano lineage chart."

as well as French from Beginner's through Advanced levels.

He is a graduate with a Bachelor's and Master's Degree in EDUCATION in the fields of Music, Spanish and German Literature, with a minor in Linguistics, French, and Italian Studies from UNSW (University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia).

He is fluent (native speaker fluency) to teach Music in language immersion programs in these languages: English, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Tagalog, Cebuano (Visaya).

He also has advanced students with an Associate Degree (A Mus TCL) and B Mus candidates teaching at much lesser rates.

s. I am also the head vocal coach for Hollywood Performers Academy at LA Center Studios, a K-12 program for gifted students working in the entertainment industry while simultaneously completing academic requirements.

I can't wait to share my skills with you enabling you to tap into your talent and share it with the world!!!