Speaking Voice Lessons in Blossvale. Amazing Teachers.

"Very warm and very helpful"

"Understood right away what needed to be worked on. Good connection with student- inspires student to work/practice."

"My first spoken voice lesson was great! It was like getting a glimpse on a set of new and totally unknown tools that I could eventually find out how to use them for my expression. Though it was only a short lesson, it felt intense and concentrated and after the first excercises we did, I already felt that my throat had opened up a bit and that everything felt more clear and more connected. In a situation where I had to suddenly speak publicly right after the session, I remembered that I could reach a slightly deeper pitch after the excercises. It helped me relax my voice right in the situation. It's really great working with you, Karmyn! I'm looking forward to the next lesson."

"Normally, I don't write reviews for teachers until a couple of months have passed, but I acquiesce as TakeLessons keep on spamming me to write a review. Unlike other reviews, I'm not going to act as an echo chamber for five-star reviews. This review is based on two months with her after ten one hour online lessons through Skype.

Let's start with the positives. Denise puts in a good amount of effort in teaching you. She's flexible with accommodating your schedule, and she tailors her lessons based on what your goals are. This is evident from her referring to her notes when beginning her lessons with me. She also isn't a clock watcher who makes sure your lesson ends straight on the minute unlike some other teachers.

Is she effective as a speaking voice teacher? So far, yes there has been some progress made. Her methodology might be a bit more different than other speaking voice teachers I studied under. Other teachers focus more on the phonetic sounds, while Denise linger more toward stretches probably due to her dancing background. If you don't like Yoga type of stretches, you may be in for a bad time.

Keep in mind that due to my focus on developing a voice for acting, I'm also not having a pure speaking voice lesson as my lessons are intertwined with monologue work too. If you wish to take speaking voice lessons for public speaking, your mileage may vary.

So why a one-star deduction? Denise at the start can be pushy with trying to sell you more lessons. I mean it goes without saying that of course you'll see improvements faster if you can devote more time to any class, but time and money are factors that everyone should always consider. Let's be frank, private lessons on TakeLessons aren't cheap (unless you're rich of course). I was annoyed when she repeated her tactic three times, enough that it affected my decision to nearly not renew my monthly lessons with her.

She did cease when it seem like I wouldn't budge. Nevertheless, the pushiness did leave my experience a bit tainted, which made me question her sincereness with her excitement and positive reinforcement at times. I continue to give her a chance though because I do feel there's an ongoing improvement with my speech and line delivery. Also because we get along despite being complete opposites in some ways (which seem to frustrate and intrigue her). Despite being my teacher, I see her as a peer in a way because of how close in age we are, but I digress as this review is about her effectiveness as a teacher.

I would recommend giving Denise a try if you’re an actor seeking a speaking voice teacher. In person lessons are still best, but she has proven to be effective as an online teacher despite being a tad pushy with having you buy more lessons from her."

"Cathy was terrific! My daughter had one week to prepare for a very important10 minute presentation and Cathy gave great advice and was truly invested in helping her be her best self with poise and confidence. Definitely recommend her!"

"Wonderful person and teacher

I’m an actor who has to sing in 1-2 episodes of a new show I'm in, so I started taking voice with fawn because she came highly recommended by another actor I work with. I totally think she is great and I recommend her to any one who wants to improve their speaking or singing voice or become more confident in their performances. She also helps me with my script preparation and think she is a wonderful person and teacher."