Hoschton, GA Opera Voice Lessons

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Backed by an extensive musical background debuting with the Philadelphia Orchestra and continuing her career singing with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, Jan L. went on to receive a Bachelor’s of Education in Opera at Temple University and two Master’s Degrees from Combs College of Music in Theatre Arts and Composition.

Jan is the author of the performance book called "Once More With Feeling."

There is exciting news with Jan. Jan has been teaching online on Zoom.us. It's like Skype but better because you can record the whole lesson. For those of you who want a world class teacher, you can learn from Jan who has 20 Grammy winners. No driving, Just sit yourself in front of your computer screen. You will love the intimacy without leaving your home. Give it a try.

Jan teaches vocal technique that connects the chest middle head voice with a gospel belt. Jan covers proper breathing, vocal technique, performance coaching and recording in her protools studio.

"Jan L. is an award winning songwriter, producer, actress, and artist developer. Her studio, Angel Diva Music, is designed to improve artist abilities on and off the stage as well as giving the clientele first-hand knowledge of the industry while increasing their creativity."

Writer of performance book called "Once More With Feeling:

ut as needed with SA Opera and local production companies. Mrs. K performs on a regular basis at local churches and with different community groups. She also is hired on a regular basis as a wedding singer and funeral cantor.
Mrs. K. loves teaching and specializes in personal one on one attention with her students, making each of them aware of how important music is for their everyday lives. Elizabeth teaches all age groups, from beginner level to advanced for vocal instruction, beginner to advanced level for piano instruction, and beginner level for guitar instruction.

*** Lesson Details ***
Beginner = 30 minute lessons

Intermediate = 45 minute lessons

Advanced = 1 hour lessons

*** Studio Equipment ***
Upright Piano
Electric Keyboard
Smart phone voice memo app for Voice Lessons
Ipod and Ipod Player
CD Player
Copies of Various Music for Students

*** Travel Equipment ***
For voice lessons - I have my ipod and speakers for the music we will be singing with - and I make copies of music for my students if they need it
For guitar lesson - copies of music if they need it - they must have their own guitar.
For piano - copies of music if needed - they must have their own piano or keyboard.

*** Specialties ***
Classical Training and current Broadway style

like to be able to go online for some resources.

*** Travel Equipment ***
I regularly use the internet in lessons as well as standard published educational texts.

*** Specialties ***
I have been told that I am especially good at helping people make the jump from playing by rote to reading from the page. In vocal instruction, I am familiar with three schools of technique: the psycho-imagery school, the "anatomical" school, and the Italian "open throat" approach. My background in acting also contributes basic vocal projection techniques to vocal training. I am comfortable with all genres of music, including pop, rock, soul, R&B, gospel, jazz and opera. In instrumental studies, I am a woodwind doubler, reading fluently and transposing on-the-spot . As a jazz and gospel artist I improvise primarily on the flute and saxophone. My piano skills are equivalent to a second-year college piano major. I can improvise accompaniments as well as read piano scores. In addition to being a certified teacher in Georgia, I attained national certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in 2004.

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.

in Georgia.

She also teaches PIANO. She has taught piano for about 10 years. She studied piano privately for 10 years and had further study at Indiana University.

Students wishing to have any COMBINATION of piano, music theory, sight reading and/or vocal development can receive a program of study that meets their individual needs.

PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE:
Mary Frances has performed with the Southeastern Savoyards Light Opera Company, the Atlanta Opera Chorus and Studio, the Atlanta Symphony Chorus, Marietta Theater in the Square, and Neighborhood Playhouse. She has sung title roles in Patience, Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel. Other roles include Josephine in HMS Pinafore, the Princess in The Student Prince, and Connie in The 1940's Radio Hour.

She has performed many roles with Capitol City Opera Company (CCOC) including Annina in The Saint of Bleecker Street, Bastienne in Mozart's Bastien and Bastienne, Nora in Vaughan Williams' Rider's to the Sea, and Gilda in Milton Granger's Talk Opera. She sang for many years in CCOC's school outreach program. She has sung many concerts for CCOC as well.

Mary Frances was a soloist in Handel's Messiah for Peachtree Presbyterian Church. She has worked as the soloist at The First Church of Christ Scientist in Roswell, Georgia and at The Second Church of Christ Scientist in Sandy Springs, Georgia ( This church has now closed). She occasionally directs and sings in the choir, and substitutes for the cantorial soloist at Congregation Dor Tamid in Alpharetta, Georgia.

EDUCATION:
Mary Frances holds a bachelors degree from Indiana University School of Music in both Voice and Theater. Mary Frances was a long time student of the late Elizabeth Nohe Colson of Atlanta, Georgia. She has attended Brevard Music Center, The Georgia State Opera Workshop and the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. While in Graz, Mary Frances was a finalist in the Meistersinger competition.

*LESSON DETAILS

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LESSON LENGTH:
30-minutes for beginning adults and elementary students up to 5th grade. 45-minutes for intermediate adults and students 5th to 8th grade. 60-minute lessons for more advanced students high school and up.

TEACHING STYLE AND CURRICULUM:
ALL: My teaching style is relaxed and nurturing I use positive reinforcement to encourage progress with adults and children. Students are allowed to progress at their own pace.

PIANO: I prefer the Alfred's Basic Piano Library series for my piano students. I find that my students learn more music theory and music reading with this series. If the student has started lessons in a different series, I can work with that as well. I have a large music library that provides a wide selection of music in addition to the Alfred books. I expect most beginning students to learn basic music reading and theory in 3 to 6 months. They should also to be able to play simple tunes in that time. I am an active professional singer, so I have a large library of vocal material at my disposal.

All piano students are REQUIRED to have an instrument to practice on at home. The piano MUST HAVE AT MINIMUM:
IF Digital - 88 full sized, weighted keys with polyphonic sound ( at least 10 keys should be able to sound at at the same time) and a sustain pedal,
OR - If Accoustic - maintained and properly tuned.

VOICE: I begin my voice lessons with breathing techniques and vocal placement using widely accepted exercises coming from a large body of sources such as:
Vaccai, professional level vocal teachers, coaches and directors that I have worked with and learned from over the last 30 years, and the writings of highly acclaimed authors in the vocal field. I also have a wide selection of art song books, oratorio, musical theatre, and opera. My background is classical and musical theatre, but I believe all styles of singing need the basic skills of breathing and vocal placement. I strive to keep voices healthy as well as find each student's most beautiful sound. Most students will see progress in breath control, range, projection and diction in 3 to 6 months.

Repertoire is chosen on an individual basis. Younger students and beginners will be encouraged to not push their voices with material that is too difficult for their individual abilities because singing requires a certain amount of physical endurance. My goal is to find each student's natural sound for whatever style he or she sings.

Voice students are encouraged to bring a recording device to lessons to use for later practice and study.

STUDIO EQUIPMENT AND LIBRARY:
Piano, Computer with Internet Access, Library of Music and Reference Materials (Sample Listing): Alfred's Basic Piano Library Books Twenty-Four Italian Songs and Arias, Medium High and Medium Low Voice; Schirmer Sing at First Sight; Alfred Basics of Singing by Jan Schmidt; Schirmer Many Soprano Collections of Arias, Oratorio, Sacred, and Art Songs from Schirmer Several Broadway Music Collections from Hal Leonard Discover Your Voice by Oren Brown Training the Speaking Voice by Virgil Anderson International Phonetic Alphabet for Singers by Wall Dynamics of the Singing Voice by Meribeth Bunch Classical Singer Magazine Subscription Journal of Singing, The Official Journal of the National Association of Teachers of Singing,Inc.Subscription

SPECIALTIES:
I am classically trained bel canto voice teacher, but I can work with broadway and pop styles. I teach sight singing for students pursuing auditions for All State Chorus and College entrance, etc. I use the Alfred Basic Piano Series for Piano students

nything in between, depending on each person's needs. I have found that a positive attitude and a nurturing setting go furthest in helping people develop as singers. I have experience teaching both male and female voices, transgender voices, and almost all genres of music.

Professional Bio:

Hailed for her effortless high notes, warm timbre, and vocal agility, coloratura soprano Ashley A. is a versatile performer and advocate of early and contemporary music.
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In 2017/18, Ashley makes her European début singing the roles of Aricie in Rameau’s Aricie et Hyppolite and Diana in Cavalli’s La Calisto with Woodhouse Opera Festival in London. Upcoming engagements also include medieval repertoire with early music group Lauda Musicam, a presentation of Baroque music for the Historical Keyboard Society of North America, and two programs with Savannah Baroque: Love and Passion and Donne in Musica, the latter presenting music of female composers of the Baroque era. In the summer, she will return to the Savannah Voice Festival as a second year studio artist under the tutelage of Sherrill Milnes.
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In 2016, Ashley was in a featured soloist in Haydn’s Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo, and prior to that she portrayed the role of Josephine in HMS Pinafore presented by Asbury Memorial Theatre. She was a featured soloist on a program of medieval Spanish repertoire with early music ensemble The Goliards, which she has collaborated with since 2010.
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Other past operatic performances include Ännchen in Der Freischütz, Barbarina, La Contessa and Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Erste Dame, Pamina and Papagena in Die Zauberflöte, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, and Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance.

Ashley has pursued the study of voice, vocal pedagogy, acting, and Alexander Technique with teachers from around the country since 2008. Currently, she studies with Sharon Stephenson, Dr. William Lavonis, and Dr Ron Dennis. She resides in Atlanta, Georgia where she maintains a private studio in addition to her performance schedule.