Talmo, GA Opera Voice Lessons

signed around the needs of each student. The first lessons is always spent testing range, knowledge and abilities already known by the student. Then the student weighs in on what kind of music they would like to learn and what they hope to gain from the lessons. Theory and ear training are incorporated into the lessons. We work on breathing, technique and style. Generally we start with English or Italian. We work on vocal performance from a classical standpoint but Jazz and Broadway can also be taught if desired by the student. Scales and exercises are given each week to be worked on until the next lesson. A recording device is encouraged if the student cannot play the piano. Also, a voice note book to take notes during the lesson to be used during practice during the week.

*** Specialties ***
classical voice and jazz voice.

n of the voice for singing and speaking. Her goal is to help singers gain fulfillment and joy while improving their art. She believes music should be fun and rewarding.

VOICE STUDENTS of hers have won university placement and scholarships and have been accepted into Allstate Chorus for High School 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 Elizabeth Colson (now deceased) 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:
Voice students: 30 minutes for young students up to 5th grade. 45 minutes for young students in Middle School and some 5th graders. 45 or 60 minutes preferred for high school students and adults. Piano students: 30 minutes for most beginners of any age. 45 minutes for young intermediate level and adult students.

TEACHING STYLE AND CURRICULUM:
ALL: My teaching style is relaxed yet progressive. I use positive reinforcement to encourage progress with adults and children. Students are allowed to progress at their own pace which varies with age, coordination, processing speed and previous exposure to musical education.

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 depending both physical and musical ability. 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 without strain 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.

style of singing, but I have also worked with more contemporary styles in the realms of musical theater. As an avid dancer and actor I also teach about portraying a message through performance and bonding with your audience. In a voice lessons with me, we will work on technique, on presentation, and the performance aspect of music.