Allendale, NJ Accent Reduction Lessons

we find to explore! As of February 2013, I am also available through TakeLessons' online instruction program! Please find more information below and I hope to hear from you soon!

Thanks!

Zachary B.

A native of Charlotte, NC, Zachary began his musical career as a tuba player and jazz bass guitarist. While attending The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Zachary began singing in various vocal groups on campus and developed his love for the singing voice. With encouragement from the music faculty, Zachary began training as an operatic baritone while at UNC. While attending UNC, Zachary was awarded both the Fischer Scholarship in Voice and the Tony McDowell Voice Scholarship. His singing brought him to Boston in the summer of 2010 to begin study at The Boston Conservatory. While performing various opera roles and attending summer programs, Zachary also opened his private studio and taught at a local music academy.

Baritone Zachary B. is quickly establishing himself as an active operatic performer. Equally at home on the recital stage, his versatile lyric baritone voice fits a wide range of repertoire and styles. A graduate of The Boston Conservatory, Zachary has performed roles like the titular role in Don Giovanni, Ramiro in L'Heure Espagnole, L'horloge comtoise in L'Enfant et les sortileges, Pooh-Bah in The Mikado, and Bob in The Old Maid and the Thief.

Starting in February 2013, Zachary will also be available through TakeLessons for online instruction. Lessons will still focus on energy, breath, and solid technique, so please contact him if you think this venue of instruction will be a good fit!

*** Lesson Details ***
Regardless of your background, I believe in making lessons fun, encouraging, and accessible. This means that my work with you will, by nature, be incredibly personal and always formulated for your specific musical goals. I will constantly strive to make sure you are comfortable in our work together as we explore singing, speaking, and music theory.

I believe every singing or speaking voice can benefit from a foundation in classical vocal technique. Whether you prefer to learn through singing songs or through various exercises, I can customize our lesson plan to fit your needs. Therefore, I provide a fun and engaging lesson atmosphere, but you need to bring your best as well! We will both be happier with the process if we are equally invested in your growth. We will start with something you already know (an aria, vocal exercise, or excerpt from a song) and work toward singing in your preferred vocal style. For example, classical singers will build their knowledge of English, German, Italian, and French diction and song styles. Additionally, I will always respect and include my student's musical interests.

Along the way, I am happy to address basic music theory ideas. If you prefer, we can also spend additional time reviewing and learning those principles to enrich your musical experience. I will always provide different exercises and ideas to keep your brain active in the singing process.

I believe in whole body, whole spirit singing. As a performer, I employ a variety of holistic exercises and theories to develop my own voice, such as basic Alexander Technique principles, voice therapy techniques, a variety of pedagogical palates, and energy work. If these sorts of things interest you, I am more than happy to incorporate them into our lessons. My personal results with those practices have been incredible, so I am always eager to share.

My personality is outgoing and energetic, so I bring that sort of atmosphere to a lesson. I expect preparedness and readiness on your part to maximize our work together. My greatest desire in teaching is to see you grow! So, if a challenging, yet comforting, work environment sounds like something you would like to try, consider scheduling a trial lesson with me. I am always happy to hear from new students!

*** Studio Equipment ***
Open area between the living room and the dining room, seating available, piano to accompany the voice lesson, garage/driveway/street parking.

*** Travel Equipment ***
I prefer for my students to have a keyboard or piano, and if possible, a music stand. We can always make a situation work if the student does not have access to these tools. I provide music, pencils, etc.

*** Specialties ***
I am an opera singer, and specialize in classical singing. However, I apply similar vocal technique to all genres of music, and focus on breathing technique, body and energy awareness, and discuss a holistic approach to singing with all students.

-awareness, relaxation, and nurturing of individuality are emphasized above all.

Though I have a long background in performing arts and performing arts education, my teaching philosophies and techniques draw primarily from my study of movement and mindfulness through disciplines such as yoga, and especially the Feldenkrais Method, "a remarkable approach to human movement, learning and change... based on sound principles of physics, neurology and physiology, and the conditions under which the nervous system learns best." (The Feldenkrais Institute, NY, NY, 2013).

Training/experience:

- Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement Teacher
- Feldenkrais Practitioner Training Program certification in process
- Bachelor of Music, Highest Honors, SUNY Binghamton
- Professional singing in the US and Europe
- Professional acting throughout the US, theater and film (member of SAG-AFTRA and AEA)
- 100+ hours of YA approved yoga teacher training
- Eclectic studies in voice and body work (Linklater, Sound Healing, various dance styles, Kinetic Awareness, Tai Chi, Beijing Opera techniques)
- Kids/family music teacher certified by Music Together (an amazing, international, research-based program)
- Teaching artist (opera, chorus, musical theater, acting/improv, mindfulness) at schools around NYC - Bronx High School for Law and Finanace, PS 129, Yorkville East MS, Baruch MS, Anderson MS, PS 3
- Former fitness instructor

Finding mastery in practices of music, acting, and mindfulness have core similarities - when you find your flow, it feels like flying. But we have to start from the ground up. The stronger the foundation, the higher you fly. Let's get started!

Notes on teaching locations:

- HOME STUDIO: For a number of reasons, I prefer to teach at my home studio whenever possible. I have two friendly cats - hope you aren't allergic!

- ONLINE: For some students, online lessons are very effective, but for others, it is imperative to meet in person. So if you would like to try online lessons, please message me first to discuss,

Peace,
Briana

sincerely interested in making great strides and committed.

Happy to start any time soon. THX for visiting my profile. Questions welcome!
Isabelle

een my salvation! Throughout my life it has been a best friend and constant source of joy, and I share this gift with others so that it might help them to find the same joy. After more than 10 years of teaching, I have so many new experiences to draw from and share with my students. I've spent the last 9 years performing with Disney in California and abroad in their Tokyo Disney cast, and I must say that those experiences, vast and varied as they are, have given the word "performance" a new depth. I'm always excited to dive into every lesson with fresh ideas that will mesh well with many tried and tested teaching techniques.

Originally from Los Angeles, I now reside in Orange County and I'm especially proud to have expanded my studio to serving clients all over the world with online lessons via Skype and FaceTime! I get such joy from sharing my experiences with a diverse group of people from many walks of life.
If you're interested in learning more about my lesson style, feel free to contact me and I'd be happy to talk with you about a plan to help you reach your goals!

For Students of Voice: Teaching Style

Over the past several years I have focused much of my personal growth on developing my ears' ability to pick out and pinpoint vocal “placement”, resonance, subtleties of timbre, changes in pitch, breath support, air speed and flow, pronunciation and diction, and in general, the way in which all of these work together to create style. From these assessments, I work with the student’s particular needs to address each area individually and based on the learning style of each person.
To illustrate to the student their method as I see and hear it, as well as ways in which they might make changes to facilitate the ease of singing --be they changes of tessitura (range), length of phrase, tone color, the release of unnecessary tension etc.-- I make use of vocalise (vocal exercises), simile and metaphor, examples from recorded performances, demonstration, self assessment, and techniques to “trick” the voice into acting in a different way, in addition to videos, diagrams, and texts on anatomy and physiology. I feel that all of these tools provide a unique and personalized learning experience for each student.

My current level is ABD in a PhD program that is thus nearing completion. I am member of the Association for Language Learning, located in Leicester, UK.
My most popular subjects are as follows:

American-English Pronunciation Practice for ESL (AEPP-ESL):
*****Each Online Lesson with Free Video & MP3 Recording*****

Carefully following Burkkowsky's (1969) multi-media method, I have taught this subject for over five years for public and private causes, such as library, individuals, and language schools. My emphasis for pronunciation is a scientific, comprehensive overview and treatment of the various sounds, rhythms, inflections, and patterns the spoken language integrates. I encourage practicing and mastering both the sounds themselves, as well as how the sounds are connected and contextualized. I use contemporary sound recording and .wav editing software to involve audio feedback and self-monitoring.

Sources: Burkkowsky, Mitchess (1969) Teaching American Pronunciation to Foreign Students. New York: Warren Green, 1969.

German Language and Culture:
*****Each Online Lesson with Free Video & MP3 Recording*****

I have grown up bilingual English and German, attending an international school from a very young age. I attended, also, a German public secondary school, where I earned a diploma, and I completed college-level German credits. I taught German in the language lab of a community college, for special needs students, and for private agencies, such as Tutor Doctor. My emphasis is on a comparative introduction of the language to draw out a common ground and familiarize possibly daunting differences. I also enjoy asserting that German is often underestimated as a rewarding second language to study.

Microsoft Excel:
***It is recommended students own or have regular access to a personal computer after 2002 in order to get the best benefit***

This spreadsheet and data management software program is of crucial, pivotal importance in any business and financial environment. The program enables efficient and prompt development of arithmetic and statistical calculations of vast data sets. It also helps to visualize and juxtapose related or even discrepant variables. My approach to teaching the program is cumulative and holistic, starting with an introduction to personal inventory management to the processing of large data sets using pivot tables, charts, and dashboards. My emphasis is on making the program as intelligible and transparent as possible to avoid frustration and intimidation. I use a lot of examples and visuals that are readily available.

Typing:
***It is recommended students own or have regular access to a personal computer after 2002 in order to get the best benefit***

I teach the touch-typing method that is the convention for most journalistic and input-intensive organizational settings. I teach the home row, proper finger and hand positions, proficiency with left and right hands, as well as posture and concentration methods. I enrich the teaching with resources from the web, such as speed-building and error reduction.