Georgetown, IN Piano Lessons

r Atlantic Records and new works of composers on the BMI label. As a performer I won the prestigious Jessie award for "outstanding performance by an actor in a leading role" for my creation of the Marquis in "120 Songs for the Marquis de Sade" in the world premiere co-produced by Modern Baroque Opera and Vancouver New Music. My international debut was in Sweden, singing the lead role of Director in "Kafka's Chimp" by Welsh composer, John Metcalf. Originally from Hawaii I now reside in New York where I garden and raise chickens. Experience
Fall 2000-2006 New York University NY, NY
Vocal Instructor for undergraduate and graduate students in the Music and Music Professions degree programs.
Instructor of Italian Diction
Music Director/Vocal Coach for ODIN, a new rap opera.

Spring 2003-present State University of New York at Stony Brook Stony Brook, NY
Vocal Coach for chamber groups for performances, which begins with selection of repertoire and continues to final dress.

Summer 2002-2004 Banff Centre for the Arts Banff, Alberta
Guest Lecturer/Vocal Instructor working with each singer individually for festival opera productions as well as attended rehearsals and production meetings.

*** Lesson Details ***
I endeavor to teach you a natural and easy vocal production; to teach you a good solid technique of singing and to help you develop confidence and a polished delivery as a singing artist on and off the stage.

Our work together is an intuitive journey of discovery. Your participation in giving feedback about what you are experiencing during our sessions together as well as what happens in your practice sessions and in your performances is an invaluable tool for us to discover and develop your voice.

Practice: I encourage you to practice 20 minutes a day. An hour is ideal. Singing is like anything that you want to master: it improves with work and investigation. The voice is a curiously individual element of each person and aside from the basics of technique no two voices work the same. Our work together is to develop your unique voice and to discover how it works. Working outside our sessions on a regular basis will help you take ownership of your voice and technique.

Auditions/Performances: Please bring all music that you plan to sing in public to your sessions well in advance of the performance. We need time to investigate the music and its demands together; it will make you more confident and polished in your presentation.

In our Vocal sessions you will learn…
…how to use and blend the entire range of your voice.
… a healthy and free voice management.
1) You want to know what to expect from your vocal instrument on any given note and on any given word.
2) Training makes singing technique second nature; training relieves struggling to get the sound out and allows more focus on the performance.
3) Training allows for more tone coloration, a wider dynamic range, a full use and blending of the registers and greater stamina.
4) Extensive training and practical voice work gives a singer with long-range career aspirations the tools necessary to succeed in an incredibly competitive business. Whether the music is rock, pop, jazz, rhythm and blues, country, musical theater or classical, the trained singer can better meet the demands of a life on the stage as a singer.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Dedicated Music Space, music stand, grand piano, three windows

*** Specialties ***
Onstage singing: I have 29 years experience on the operatic, music theater and cabaret theatre stages.

ents accompanied by backtracks. Playing popular music has expanded my knowledge and experience. Of course classical will always have a place! It is beautiful and timeless! But playing current music is also a lot of fun, and appeals to the modern student. There's room for all kinds of music and I embrace it all!

*** Lesson Details ***
I'm not a really strict teacher but I do encourage my students to push themselves and really make the most of their practice time, especially if they have busy schedules. I believe in customizing my teaching style to my student's needs and desires. I'm very positive and encouraging while never sacrificing constructive feedback.

***What to Expect***
After 3 months with a beginning Viola, Violin, or Piano student, I expect you to be able to read the notes (without having to write them all in), understand basic rhythms, have learned how to play a scale (or more), and have completed a few of songs.

After 6 months, I expect that my students will have relative ease with reading their music, playing with hands together on piano, and starting to master basic bowing techniques and coordination on Violin and Viola.

Learning an instrument is difficult, but so rewarding. With the right teacher it can be a wonderful experience, and that's my goal. I want music to be enjoyable, interesting, fun and enriching for my students. My style is encouraging, positive, and thoughtful... I try to teach in a way that is comprehensive and wholistic!

*** Studio Equipment ***
Living Room, grand piano and an electric piano, room for parents to wait on a couch or chair, music stand, metronome

***What you should bring***
Sheet Music/Books
Rosin (for violin/viola students)

*** Specialties ***
I mainly focus on classical training, however I customize the teaching repertoire to incorporate my student's music tastes and interest. As I teach, I incorporate music theory so that my students may have a better understanding of how the music is structured because my goal is that they understand music from a wholistic perspective so that it can be enjoyed for a lifetime!

***Studio Policies***
I am flexible and easy to work with, however I am running a full private lesson studio and time is limited! I do require a 24-hour cancellation notice if you are unable to attend a lesson - as it does allow me to use that time to reschedule another student or optimize my time. If notice is given the day of your lesson, the lesson will be marked as "missed." With a day's notice, I will "cancel" the lesson and your lesson credit will not be used. You are welcome to reschedule your lesson to another available time during the week, however, the 24-hour notice still applies. I don't want to be unfair to you and I just ask the same of my students :)

Keep in mind, regular lessons really do make a difference in students' progress and enthusiasm, so I encourage you to keep a regular lesson schedule if possible!

d with a real sense of confidence in their musicianship. Plus they have a lot of fun as they make musical progress!

Gfire is also an award-winning singer-songwriter and "Yoga for the Voice" innovator. She has released 4 CDs of all-original music and is currently working on her 5th CD, to be released in 2015.

As a teacher, Gfire works with students of all levels and all areas of interest. In October 2007, Gfire became the only vocal teacher in the Western Hemisphere to gain full certification in the Science of Singing, developed by Ernest G. White of London, England. Her unique voice training program, entitled "Yoga for the Voice," combines this knowledge of the Science of Singing with ancient yoga breathing techniques. This technique allows each voice student to develop a "vocal tune-up" for the voice AND to discover what the natural singing range is and how to use the voice as effectively as possible. With the internet SKYPE technology, Gfire teaches voice students all over the world, from Switzerland to the U.K. to New Zealand to New York.

Her vocal students have sung in touring rock bands, on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, in successful auditions, in karaoke clubs, in coffee houses and folk clubs, at weddings and for their own enjoyment amongst family and friends. Whatever level of singing training you wish to acquire, she will show you the way to achieve it!

Gfire was also the main voice instructor and one of 3 main piano teachers at the Austin branch of Mars Music (now defunct) for 3 1/2 years. In addition to her vocal study and innovation, she has studied piano with top classical and jazz pianists, studied songwriting with Pat Pattison of Berklee College in Boston, gotten her full yoga teaching certification in 2004 and DJ'd at clubs and parties worldwide. For eight years straight - 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 - she has won the prestigious ASCAPlus Award for professional songwriting.

As a singer-songwriter, Gfire continues to write, record and perform with some of the best musicians and engineers in the world, including engineer Stuart Sullivan (Willie Nelson, Sublime, Meat Puppets, etc.), Hammond organ player Ian McLagen (Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart), cellist John Hagen (Lyle Lovett), fiddle/mandolin player Warren Hood (The Waybacks), bassist George Reiff (Ray Wylie Hubbard) and banjo picker Danny Barnes (Bad Livers, Dave Matthews).

Gfire's original songs have been played on over 200 radio and television stations worldwide. She has toured in over half of the fifty states, plus the U.K. and Canada.

*** Lesson Details ***
NEW - Gfire is now available to teach WORLDWIDE via SKYPE or FaceTime - so you can have a music lesson in the privacy of your own home!!

Voice lessons - I have created a unique and wonderful vocal method, "Yoga for the Voice," which combines ancient yoga breathing exercises with special vocal exercises to give you a "complete vocal tune-up." These techniques are simple, effective and easily-learned by any student of the voice, from about age 5-105. I love to help you learn to apply these wonderful techniques to learning the songs you wish to learn - whether they are pop, r 'n' b, folk, singer-songwriter, rock, country, opera, musical theater, jazz, etc. "Yoga for the Voice" is just as effective for professional speakers, such as teachers, lawyers, clergymen or actors - we just use a range of notes that is smaller than a singer's range, and we focus on using your speaking voice as effectively and efficiently as possible.

In 3-6 months, you will be able to:

1. master the "breath of fire" and "one-minute breath" - the BEST yoga breaths for singers!
2. master the "sinus humming exercises" - identifying where EACH note in your range originates in your own head
3. master the "full-body exercises" - traditional singing exercises on "mah, mee, moh, moo, meh" - so that you can move easily between your chest voice, middle voice, and head voice
4. master 2-10 songs or more, depending on your level and the level of difficulty of each song - being able to sing each song in TUNE, with feeling, and having a blast doing it!!
5. if you wish, you can perform your song(s) at one of my voice and piano recitals - on a REAL Austin stage!!

Piano lessons - I teach a wide range of piano styles at levels from beginner to early advanced, beginning around age 5. Whether you want to learn classical, rock, blues, country, boogie-woogie, or other styles of piano and keyboard playing, I will sculpt your lesson plan so that you have a great foundation in technique AND you learn the styles and songs you wish to play.

In 3-6 months, you will be able to:

1. master the Leschetizky, hand massage, and isometric warm-up exercises - the BEST piano warm-ups!
2. depending on your level, master Hanon exercises 1-12, major and minor scales, major and minor arpeggios
3. for beginners, you will be able to play with BOTH hands on the treble and bass clefs - at the same time!!
4. master the I-IV-V progression in 3-12 keys, depending on your level - so that you can play blues, rock, country, boogie-woogie, and ragtime songs!!
5. master 4-20 songs or more, depending on your level and the level of difficulty of each song (classical songs tend to take more time to master) - being able to play each song with great technique, with feeling, and having a blast doing it!!
6. if you wish, you can perform your song(s) at one of my voice and piano recitals - on a REAL Austin stage!!

Songwriting lessons - I will teach you how to create a great song, in the style you wish to write in. Country songs, pop songs, rock tunes, r'n' b, folk, etc. - all of these genres have "unwritten rules" about how to put together an effective song. We will utilize special songwriting exercises and tools to help you learn to be a wonderful songwriter.

DJ lessons - I teach beat matching, turntable fine-tuning and repertoire selection to help you become the DJ you aspire to be. I own crates and crates of vinyl records and CDs, and I have DJ'd all over the world to enthusiastic crowds, so I can teach you to attain a real joy and skill in the art of turntablism.

Yoga lessons - I am a fully KRI-certified yoga teacher and I can help you develop a valuable yoga routine to help you achieve your health and relaxation goals. We will choose from literally hundreds of exercises and breathing techniques specifically geared to your needs and wants.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Pro Tools mBox PRO Full Recording Studio
Yamaha U1 Upright Piano
Shure SM 58 Microphone
Shure SM 57 Microphone
Korg microKorg Synthesizer
Yamaha M06 Synthesizer
Yamaha StagePas 300 PA System
Neumann TLM 103 Microphone
Neumann KMS 105 Microphone
Nord Lead Synthesizer
Taylor Acoustic Guitar
West African Djembe
MacBook Pro Computer
Universal Audio LA-610 Pre-amp
2 Technics 1200 Professional DJ Turntables
American DJ Pro-Scratch 1 Professional CDJ
Rane MP22 DJ Mixer
Mogami Professional Audio Cables

*** Travel Equipment ***
Yamaha M06 Synthesizer
Yamaha StagePas 300 PA System
Neumann KMS 105 Microphone
Macintosh Laptop Computer

*** Specialties ***
music, singing, piano, songwriting, DJ'ing, yoga, folk guitar

I have developed "Yoga for the Voice" - a combination of my 18 years of studying and receiving certification in the "Science of Singing" (as taught by Ernest George White of London, England) and my 10 years experience and certification in yoga, specifically ancient yoga breathing techniques. I will work with voice students as young as 4 and as old as they want to go! Voice lessons span all styles and all levels - pop, rock, r 'n' b, country, folk, singer-songwriter, opera, classical, musical theater, etc. from beginner to advanced. Generally beginning around age 7.

Piano - levels beginner to early advanced, most styles, including classical, rock, pop, folk, country, singer-songwriter, blues and boogie-woogie. Generally beginning around age 5.

Songwriting - all popular styles, including rock, pop, folk, country, blues, singer-songwriter, r 'n' b, etc.

DJ'ing - all basic DJ methods, including beat matching, turntable basics and repertoire selection.

Yoga - yoga breathing AND physical exercises, depending on the needs and wants of the student.

Folk guitar - finger picking and accompaniment skills for folk singers.

In piano, I specialize in teaching students who want to play a wide variety of music - classical, pop, rock, country, blues, etc. I begin with piano students who are 5 years of age and older, as long as they have the requisite attention span.

In songwriting, I specialize in teaching students methods of developing popular songs - pop, r 'n' b, country, rock, folk, etc.

In DJ'ing, I specialize in basic beatmatching and repertoire selection.

And in yoga, I specialize in tailoring the yogic needs of the student - whether she/he wishes to work on stretching, breathing, abdominal strengthening, etc.

and New York. I was an recipient of the outstanding student presentation award at the CMS Great Lakes Regional Conference, 2014.

intensive student teaching course. I student taught in London and subsequently worked there. This year I relocated back to Chicago and have continued to teach in schools. In all my schools I've taught a wide range of instruments and musical styles, both in and out of the classroom. Fully background checked.