Cedar Crest, NM Singing Lessons

ver/acting narration, commercial, and character development

itar and start singing." -- Angelina, age 16

*** Lesson Details ***
Each lesson will begin with tuning the guitar and warm-ups. Then we'll move on to either our practice books or a song or piece you have chosen to learn and study not found in the books.

If you are beginner, we'll start with how you handle the guitar and any technique issues. Then we'll work on note and chord recognition, the ability to sight-read and play from memory.

*** Studio Equipment ***
2011 Apple iMac;
MXL 910 microphone;
Yamaha Nylon-String Electric-Acoustic Guitar;
Yamaha Steel String Guitar;
Gibson Les Paul Special Electric Guitar;
Esteve Spanish Classical Guitar;
Roland Cube 80 electric guitar amplifier;
Ibanez T80 acoustic guitar amplifier

*** Travel Equipment ***
Music Stands;
Foot Rests

*** Specialties ***
Song Transcriptions - Use your ear to learn and notate song melodies and the guitar parts

of Music, Radio Disney AM 1260, and the New Victory Theater (Off-Broadway).
World class venues include: Carnegie Hall, The Vatican, Notre Dame Cathedral, Palau de les artes de Regina Sofia, and Symphony Space. Liz has also performed with the Amore Opera, NY Lyric Opera and Regina Opera companies of New York City.
Favorite Theatrical Credits include: The International Tour of Disney Live! (Feld Entertainment), Nickelodeon at Sea (Norwegian Cruise lines), Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (NBC), RWS and Associates, Carnival Cruise lines and legendary summer stock theaters including Ogunquit Playhouse, ME and the Granbury Opera house, TX .
Past NYC Music Venues include (Select): The Metropolitan Room, The Cutting Room, Ashford & Simpson's Sugar Bar, Toshi's Living Room, The Shrine, Silvana, The Bitter End, The Path Cafe.
Past TV/Film Selections Include: Orange is the New Black, Elementary, Law and Order SVU, Mozart in the Jungle, Grown ups 2, Labor Day, The Makeover, Nurse Jackie, The Knick, Blue Bloods, The Following, The Woody Allen Summer Project, Madame Secretary, Mysteries of Laura, Royal Pains, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, The Heat, The Carrie Diaries, Vinyl, Public Morals,The Tap, The Only Boy in New York, Irreplaceable you,The Leftovers, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Bull.
She has a passion for singing jingles, and recording voice overs all around the world for clients in India, New Zealand, France, Israel, Philippines, and Russia to name a few, be on the lookout as you never know where you may hear her Voice!
Her writing has been published by the Vail Jazz Festival, Lessonface, Takelessons, NewMusicalTheatre, Onstageblog, New Victory Theater Blog and with Dance, Laugh, Learn LLC.
She has had the pleasure of Musical Directing with various inner city schools with young, at risk students including Inside Broadway, Brooklyn Arts Council, Mainstages, The Queens Theater, Long Lake Camp for the Arts, Berklee City Music Program, Boston Bridge Charter School, and St. Joseph's Regional Catholic School. Past shows she has musical directed have included Annie, Legally Blonde, The Wizard of Oz, Seussical, Oliver, Shrek, and Chicago. Liz also serves on the Berklee Alumni Audition Committee, and was recently named Berklee Alumni Ambassador of the Year. (2017)
Currently she is working on her original musical Ciao Bambino, which debuted it's first staged reading at the Midtown International Theater Festival in the Fall of 2016! At MITF Ciao Bambino was recognized with an award for Best Staged Reading. "Give me the stage" an original song from the musical also won first place in competitions at the Bunol Symphony Orchestra in Spain and Hampton Beach talent show in New Hampshire. Check out Ciao Bambino the musical to follow the development of this exciting new musical, as it's head Off-Off Broadway in 2018!
Miss. Turner is a member of the following professional organizations: SAG-AFTRA, The Dramatists Guild, BMI, Society of Composers and Lyricists, The Drama League, The Manhattan Association of Cabaret Performers, AFM Local 802, Actor's Equity Membership Candidate, Theater Resources Unlimited, The Off-Broadway Alliance, Women in Music, National Italian American Foundation, National Organization of Italian American Women, International Women's Jazz Association and The League of Independent Theatre.

*** Lesson Details ***
I like to work with students at all levels, whether you sing for your own enjoyment or are serious about pursuing a career in performing, I want to help you be the best performer! Please send me a message before you sign up for lessons so we can coordinate time difference/scheduling, Thank you!

*** Specialties ***
Voice, Piano, Clarinet, Music Theory, Songwriting, College Audition Prep.

onal tours, released albums, are in bands, have been accepted into performing arts schools (high schools and colleges), have been cast in regional/Off-Off-Broadway/Off-Broadway Theatre, movies (Noah, The Wolf Of Wall Street, Finally Famous), music videos, and on TV (Royal Pains, Smash, 30 Rock, The Good Wife, Law and Order: SVU, & NBC's The Voice competition).

Owner/Teacher: Rachel M.
SAG-AFTRA, VASTA, NATS (certified), NARAS, NAMTA, BMI, MAC, NJMEA, NAfME. NJ Theatre Alliance, & Certified Artist Developer with Conquer Entertainment,
16+ years of teaching to children - teens - adults (Ages 6+ group classes, 8+ private lessons)

RACHEL M.'S BIO:

Rachel is a member of SAG-AFTRA, The National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS certified), VASTA (Voice And Speech Trainers Association), NARAS (The Grammy Awards), NAMTA, NJMEA (New Jersey Music Educators Association), NAfME (National Association of Music Education), NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association,) MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs), The NJ Theatre Alliance, NSA (Nashville Songwriting Association International), and BMI (Broadcast Music Inc). She has been teaching Bel Canto singing technique for the modern singer and Stella Adler-Stanislavsky-Chekhov-Meisner acting technique for all mediums for 16+ years to children, teens, and adults.

Rachel has trained at The Hages Music Studio under a master teacher for 22+ years in the Bel Canto singing technique for all genres, studied at The Stella Adler Studio of Acting in NYC as well as recorded and released her first album called "Just Meant To Be". Other credits include commercials, films, TV shows (One Tree Hill, AMC, Food Network), music videos (including Rachel's singles "Don't Even Try", "You Will Love On"), & numerous stage credits (Off-Broadway/NYC Theatre). Rachel most recently was seen in the reading of a new play "Vanishing Son" by Peter Gil-Sheridan performed in NYC. She is also a songwriter (16+ years), scriptwriter (10+ years), director (14+ years), and an international recording artist (10+ years).

Rachel has been performing for 20+ years, has performed in front of sold out crowds, and has been honored with many standing ovations. Other honors include magazine covers, featured articles, singing to thousands of people, studio recordings/albums, originated the role of "Antigone" in "Oedipus: The Musical", 2002 Helen Hayes Nomination for" Outstanding Vocal Performance in a Musical" ("Miss Adelaide" in "Guys And Dolls"), & 2008 finalist for NYC Singing Idol Competition. Rachel has also been fortunate to have worked & performed with many people in the business including Grammy-Tony-Emmy Award Winners/Nominees.

LESSON DETAILS

Whether you are a parent looking for instruction for your child, or for yourself, Rachel can customize the right program that best suits your needs. Her students come from all walks of life and have different goals, but they all have one thing in common. They love performing and have the desire to be the best at their chosen craft (singing/acting).

Some students want to sing/act for themselves, others want to sing/act for a hobby, and others want to be professional performers. That's where Rachel comes in. No matter what your goals are, she can help. Rachel teaches her students how to become true artists without tearing them down and without taking away the part of them that makes them unique. She teaches healthy technique that is based off of the human anatomy; the science of how the body/mind works and how the body/mind can work as efficiently as possible while singing or acting.

Learning how to sing/act is a process and doesn't happen overnight. Rachel's ultimate goal as a teacher is to not only make her students the best performers and singers they can be, but also give them all of the proper tools they need to have a more productive mind frame and become self-sufficient. Of course this can take years to master. It takes time and dedication.

OTHER LESSON INFORMATION

SINGING: Bel Canto singing technique for the modern singer is taught in private and group classes. No one sounds like old opera singers, even if the student wants to sing opera. Students are allowed to choose most of the material they learn in the lesson. There will be times when Rachel will suggest a song to a student but if the student doesn't enjoy the song, they will work as a team to find a song that does work for the student. Gain a better tone quality, complete control of your voice, bigger range, more flexibility, and confidence. Learn healthy voice technique, how to fully take care of your own voice so you can sing for the rest of your life (even after lessons), and become a self sufficient performer for life.

ACTING: Stella Adler, Stanislavsky, Chekhov, and Meisner Acting Technique for Theatre/Camera is taught in private and group classes. All students are exposed to each technique and Rachel sees which technique each student responds to the most. Once the student and Rachel are able to identify the technique, Rachel continues to use the terminology of that technique for the remainder of the time the student is in lessons. Students eventually are able to play roles truthfully and realistically, even if the roles are opposite of the student's own personality.

BY THE TIME STUDENTS GRADUATE FROM LESSONS:

1. Gain a lifelong, solid, consistent, and healthy technique that they can always count on in practice and performance.

2. Gain specific technical and personal notes in a notebook and/or computer file that is organized and always accessible for review.

3. Gain artistry, performance skills, and a strong voice that will look/sound authentic; Singers will sound appropriate to whatever style of music they are singing. (No fake sound or look.) Actors will just be in the moment and truthful whether they are on stage or in front of the camera.

4. Gain the confidence to always put on a great performance.

5. Gain focus and a more productive mind frame.

6. Become self-sufficient by knowing how to assess a problem and then fix it without creating a new issue.

*** Studio Equipment ***
PRIVATE HOME STUDIO: Keyboard, speakers (smartphone, iPod, iPad), CD player, tape recorder/player, digital recorder, music stand, mirror, laptop, sheet music selections, HD video camera, tripod, video editing software, audio editing software, USB microphone, and high speed WiFi internet. Full PA, two mixers (one mixer with 8 inputs and the other with 4), 8 Lavaliere microphones ("body mics"), multiple hand held microphones, laptop stand, and music stands.

**ASK ABOUT ON LOCATION TRAINING (ON SET, THEATER, PERFORMANCE EVENT, OR RECORDING STUDIO)!

**ONLINE LESSONS ALSO AVAILABLE!

*** Specialties ***
We specialize in Bel Canto voice technique for the modern singer. Each student can sing all genres without sounding too classical, "fake", and without losing their voice while singing for long periods of time.

Other Specialties: Teaching acting technique for theatre-TV-Film (Stella Adler, Stanislavsky, Chekhov, & Meisner), performance skills, songwriting, and creating self-sufficient singers-actors-performers (Artist Development).

STUDIO POLICIES-

CANCELLATION: 48 hour lesson cancellation policy and emergencies (determined by me) are handled on a case by case basis. If the student needs to miss a lesson due to an other activity or vacation, they or their parents/guardian if under 18, must contact Rachel Menconi at least a week from their next scheduled lesson in advance to prevent from forfeiting the lesson.

MAKE UPS: Make up lessons will be scheduled when time allows. No make up lesson or class will be given to ‘no shows’ or late cancellation, and no extra time will be given to students who are late to their lesson or class. If there is ever a time Rachel Menconi is running late, extra time will be given to make the lesson a full 60 minutes. If Rachel Menconi needs to reschedule, a make up lesson will be scheduled as close to the same week as possible. Make up lessons are scheduled at Rachel Menconi’s discretion.

ONLINE LESSONS FOR IN-PERSON LESSON CLIENTS: In the event that the student is sick but still would like their lesson, an online lesson can be scheduled instead. Students can NOT come to their in person lesson sick, coughing, sneezing, with a runny nose, cold, flu, “allergies”, fever, etc. (This is to make sure no germs will be spread).

An online lesson can also be scheduled if there is bad weather, if a student is having car trouble, or any other reason for the student not being able to physically get to Rachel during their normallly scheduled lesson time. Online lessons are conducted through FaceTime, Google, Hangouts, or Skype.

SCHEDULE:
Lessons are weekly, on the same time/day of the week unless we have rescheduled or we have discussed in writing another lesson plan. If the student’s lesson falls on a holiday, we will either reschedule or if no other day is available, resume the following week.

LATENESS:
If a student is going to be late they need to contact Rachel Menconi as soon as possible, to let her know they will be late. Lessons will end on time unless she is able to extend the lesson due to a late student or her schedule allows for it though please understand, Rachel Menconi would be extending a courtesy and would not be obligated to do so. If on the rare occasion Rachel Menconi is running late, she will always make up the time.

SITTING IN:
Parents/Guardians are ONLY permitted to stay for the first lesson and are NOT permitted to sit in for any other lesson/class unless invited. This is to promote good/strong teacher-student relationship quickly and easily. Also, many times students feel more comfortable when their parents/guardians leave.
Of course there will be times when the parent will be invited back in at the end of some of the lesson to showcase progress.

"I try to be as fair as possible to both parties when it comes to cancellations, rescheduling, lateness, and make ups. Have a concern or question? Just talk with me. I'm all about communication!" - Rachel Menconi

nd help them to prepare for auditions. I can teach how to read music, to play classically on the piano, to read jazz charts, or help you figure out parts for a chord progression for a pop or rock song.

My acting training is equally many-faceted and I have an incredibly strong foundation based in the teachings of Sanford Meisner, Stanislavsky, Lee Strasberg and Larry Moss. I use the knowledge of these great teachers along with the wisdom I've accumulated from MY mentors over the years in my teaching and coaching.