New Hartford, CT Broadway Singing Lessons

in numerous pit orchestras for musicals.
I have been in choirs and soloing since I can remember. I have performed and soloed in choirs such as the Yuba-Sutter Oratorio Society, CSUS Chamber Choir, the CSUS Women's Choir and more. I have toured to Victoria, Montreal, Ottowa, Oregon and Washington. I have also been in opera productions such as The Magic Flute, Peleas and Melisande and Die Fledermaus (The Bat) with CSUS Opera. I am a recent recipient of the Saturday Club Scholarship, a prestigious award, and have won many competitions (some repeatedly) both vocally and with violin, such as the Tri-County Competition, Young Artist Competitions, and the California Soloist and Ensemble Competitions. Additionally, I have performed musical theater repertoire and have performed as lead in musicals such as Beauty and the Beast and Into the Woods. I have also soloed repeatedly with the Yuba College jazz band and at churches all around.
I have earned my Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from CSU Sacramento. I have my Associates Degrees in both Music and Early Childhood Education from Yuba College. Additionally, I have obtained my certificate of completion of training from Music Together, an organization which trains teachers to teach Basic Music Competence (both in tonality and meter), and am currently teaching this curriculum.
I have been teaching music privately for over ten years to all ages, genders and abilities. Additionally, I have taught ages 0-5 years in a preschool setting for 7 years and am extremely familiar with developmentally appropriate practices for both preschool and school age, as I am a site supervisor at a child development center with a preschool and after school program. I have had many adult students as well and encourage adults to enrich their lives with music at any age! Additionally, I have experience teaching parent child classes and am familiar with how to teach to the particular needs of each family and student.
I'm extremely excited and looking forward to growing as a professional, both teaching and performing, in both the areas of violin and voice and to be instrumental in your musical growth too; I can't wait to share my passion with you and to ignite your passion for music too!

*** Lesson Details ***
I have been teaching since 2002 and have loved every minute of it! I teach all ages. I tailor my style of teaching to each student's goals and to what works for you. If you want to learn Taylor Swift music, I won't be giving you arias. On the other hand, if you wish to study classically, I have repertoire appropriate for you. I teach fiddle, classical, orchestral, 20th century and more for violin students and have experience with jazz, classical, musical theater, pop, religious, spiritual, choral, 20th century and more vocally.
For violin students, I use the Suzuki method as a pushing off point, a tried and true method used in many countries across the world, though I have other repertoire including fiddle, orchestra, small ensemble, solo, concertos, Christmas, and more. For vocalist, I start with the book, Adventures in Singing. I also have warm ups and exercises to keep you vocally healthy. I will teach you anything you want to learn! I also teach how to read music, theory and harmony, depending on your interest and tailored to your current skill level.
I am encouraging and knowledgeable. I will meet you at your current level, be that beginner, intermediate, or advanced. My students can look forward to being encouraged and growing through their time with me. I don't have preset ideas about where you should be in 3-6 months, nor do I have a one size fits all teaching style. Instead, I will work with you individually so that you will become the best musician you can be, meet your goals, and increase your enjoyment and appreciation for music.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Lessons in open space, upright piano, digital piano, music stands, metronome, violins available for rent, music, staff paper and computer

*** Travel Equipment ***
I expect my students to provide the instrument with all of it's accessories (ie shoulder rest, rosin, bow and case) along with the appropriate level Suzuki book. I have instruments available for rent. My voice students should bring their own music also. I have a piano in my studio along with music stands. Of course, every student must have a pencil and come ready to have fun learning! :)

*** Specialties ***
Suzuki, solfege, art songs and arias, reading music, fiddle, classical, healthy vocal technique and musical theater. I am very good at working with any age.

le, with Hartford Opera Theater as Elise in Dawn Sonntag's Verlorene Heimat, Pythia in Nkeiru Okeye’s We’ve Got Our Eye on You, and as Miss Paige in Dan Shore’s An Embarrassing Position which was nominated for Best Featured Ensemble in a Musical through the 2015 Broadway World Connecticut Awards. She has also performed with Opera Theater of Connecticut, Connecticut Lyric Opera, Madison Lyric Stage, Greater Worcester Opera, Revolution Opera Alliance, the Simsbury Light Opera Company, and the Greater Meriden Concert Chorale.

Prior to moving to Connecticut, Rachel lived in St. Louis, Missouri, where she frequently performed with the St. Louis Symphony as a member of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus. She has also performed with Winter Opera St. Louis, Union Avenue Opera, and the Southern Illinois Music Festival. In 2012, Ms. Abrams had the opportunity to be a sponsored young artist with Winter Opera St. Louis where she performed the role of Echo in Ariadne auf Naxos, covered Musetta in La Bohème, and performed in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical review: A Grand Night for Singing. Ms. Abrams has also performed with Opera Fort Collins, Loveland Opera Theater, Victorian Lyric Opera, and Opera Classica Europa in Bad Schwalbach, Germany as an apprentice artist. Additional operatic credits include Zweite Dame in Die Zauberflöte, Giannetta in L’Elisir d’Amore and Miss Pinkerton in The Old Maid and the Theif.

A passionate performer of Jewish music, Ms. Abrams was featured as a soloist in Martin Bresnick’s puppet opera, Der Signál, with the Hartford Independent Chamber Orchestra during the 10th Annual Celebration of Jewish Arts and Culture at Charter Oak Cultural Center in October of 2014. As an active performer of art song, Ms. Abrams has collaborated with various musicians throughout the New England region to create diverse and accessible art song recitals. In April of 2015, Ms. Abrams and pianist Michael Korman presented a recital featuring the works of Schönberg, Ruth Schönthal, Previn, and Weill with the Maurice Greenberg Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Hartford.

Since the winter of 2016, Rachel has been an active performer with Lollipop Opera Outreach. This touring opera company brings the joy of opera to thousands of school children throughout New England. This season, she will perform the roles of the Mother/Witch in Hansel and Gretel, Babe in The Three Pigs – A Pig Tale, and participate in the premiere of a new interactive “culinary” opera adventure: A Fairytale Kitchen.

In addition to being a passionate performer and collaborator, Rachel is a private music educator dedicated to the success of her students. Ms. A maintains a private studio of voice students out of her home in West Hartford, Connecticut. In addition to her private teaching studio, she is the alto section leader at St. James Episcopal Church in Farmington. She has also taught at Farmington Valley Academy Montessori in Avon, Arts Place in Cheshire and Summit Studios in Manchester.

As a voice teacher, Ms. A provides her students with a holistic, healthy, and age appropriate technique based on her studies of vocal pedagogy, years of lessons from master teachers, and her personal experiences as a performer. Through personalized vocal exercises and repertoire assignments, students will learn how to achieve a proper vocal onset, management of air pressure, increase vocal stamina, and maximize vocal freedom through balanced resonance. While Ms. Abrams teaches "classical" technique, her students apply her pedagogy to all styles of singing including, but certainly not limited to: musical theater, jazz, gospel, barber shop, and even rock!

Before opening her own private studio in Connecticut, Ms. Abrams lived in St. Louis, Missouri where she taught throughout the region. While in Missouri, she served as an Adjunct Voice Instructor/Lecture Professor at East Central College and a Private Voice and Music Instructor at St. John's School of the Arts.

In addition to her teaching experience in the Missouri area, Rachel was a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Northern Colorado, where she was an assistant instructor for Music Survey and Music and World Cultures classes.

Ms. A holds a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Northern Colorado and a Bachelor of Music degree from San José State University. She lives in West Hartford with her husband Ben and their anti-social diva cat, Bonnie. She is currently accepting new students!

*** Specialties ***
I teach classical technique, specifically focusing on proper resonance and breath control. This method can be highly useful to broadway, jazz, popular or any other style of singing.

tion of "Figaro90210!", and Musetta in Wichita Grand Opera's "La Boheme". Previous seasons have seen Julia as Berenice in Little Opera Theatre of NY's "L'occasione fa il ladro", Lydia Larkspur in the NY Premiere of "The Rivals" with Bronx Opera, Violetta in "La Traviata" with the Northern Dutchess Symphony Orchestra and Helena in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with Opera Naples. Other recent performances include Lauretta (Gianni Schicch) with Opera Experience Southeast, Tormentilla (The Poisoned Kiss) with Bronx Opera, Magnolia Hawks (Showboat) with Opera Naples, Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) with Cape Cod Opera, Fiordiligi (Cosi­ fan tutte), Antonia (Les Contes d'Hoffmann), Adina (L'elisir d'amore), and Gilda (Rigoletto) with Tri-Cities Opera in Binghamton, NY.

Julia is the Grand Prize Winner of the Jenny Lind Competition, Connecticut Concert Opera Competition, The Marcella Kochanska Sembrich Competition, and 5 Towns Music and Art Foundation Competition, 2nd prize winner of the Kosciuszko Foundation Competition and the National Federation of Music Clubs Biennial Young Artist Awards, as well as a grant recipient from CareerBridges Foundation.

*** Lesson Details ***
What happens in a Lesson? In order to train your physical voice, it is necessary to do vocal exercises, in the same way that one needs to train at a gym. There is no "magic key" to unlock one's voice; it is a matter of daily practice and muscle strengthening/stretching. So, the first part of the lesson will be focused on vocal exercises specifically tailored to YOUR VOICE and its needs. The second half of the lesson is the fun part- SINGING! We will work on any songs and styles that YOU choose. Whether you want to sing Rock, Country, Pop, Musical Theater, or Classical, there is a healthy and communicative way to sing!

*** Travel Equipment ***
I provide a keyboard. The student should provide a recording device, iPhone, etc.

*** Specialties ***
I specialize in Classical and Broadway style singing, but have extensive experience in Contemporary Commercial Music as well. I teach a healthy approach to all styles, and modify technical approaches towards the genre that the student is most interested in.

to the art, discipline and joy of music making.
I went to Indiana University's Jacob School of Music and earned a Masters in Piano Performance, and Composition in the '90's. I sang all types of vocal music as well as prepared singers with vocal coaching and voice development techniques 20+ years.
I'm fun loving, patient, and optimistic-- these traits carry through in my teaching style,
One Size does NOT fit all--I approach the lesson plans for each student tailored to your learning style.
Over the past 23 years, my life experiences have encompassed other disciplines and compelled me to learn and acquire many other skills: my liberal arts as well as fine arts education lent itself to helping me work administrative jobs and even expanded into sales and public speaking. I have coached after school and SAT preparation to High School and College age students, helped with the preparation of legal and analytical documents, creative writing and editing assignments; and even tutored computer, social media and Microsoft Office & iWork Suite of applications to older adults.

I look forward to helping you reach your goals

and Wyatt-
Manhattan Transfer coach /NY Academy of Dramatic Arts. Through many years of teaching experience, I've developed a very successful, uniquely simple 8 part method to help cross cultural individuals/groups of all ages , styles, and levels, sing optimally from their hearts. The necessary basic vocal techniques can be taught effectively in 4 to 8 lessons, though the learning process takes longer and can continue throughout one's lifetime.

With a BA in Theater Arts from SFSU, and over 50 years directing, acting, and musical experience, including the last 15 years also working successfully as an ESL educator, I have gained the confidence to help almost any student achieve their personal and/or professional goals.