Roslyn Heights, NY Singing Lessons

inging is the joy I share as a performer and as a teacher. Anyone can learn to sing; and do it on a superior level. It takes desire and the willingness to practice the skills necessary until the goal is achieved.
The journey is worth it!

*** Lesson Details ***
WORKSHOP FOR LEARNING TO SING
COMPETENCY: A SOLID FOUNDATION IN THE BASICS OF SINGING
OBJECTIVE: Students will learn 5 Basic Components of Singing and demonstrate via public (by choice) performance; at the end of course.
1. Pitch
2. Rhythm
3. Breath
4. Voice
5. Diction
Pitch
Tone is the use of pitch in language to distinguish words. All languages use intonation to express emphasis, contrast, emotion, or other such nuances.
Pitch refers to the notes and sounds that we hear when someone sings, and it determines if the song is going to sound great or not. The singer will have to hit various pitches in a song with a relative amount of accuracy in order to be in tune with the overall music accompaniment and harmonies.
RHYTHM
Every song has a certain beat, and it is essential that we keep to the basic rhythm of the song, or else we might find that we are constantly trying to catch up with the lyrics or always lagging behind. Rhythm also determines the groove of the song, and this is what gets us on our feet and dancing when we listen to upbeat or fast tempo songs.
A great sense of rhythm begins with learning to recognize various beat duration, to vocalize notes with different beats, as well as to be able to keep to the basic tempo of a song.
BREATH CONTROL
Breathing is an essential component of singing, and is what most singing instructors would introduce to students during their first lesson for singing. It is also what most people would want to learn about and also ask questions about.
Breathing is a natural process, and it is not difficult to achieve better breath control for singing. A great breath foundation is needed for singing!
VOICE
To produce great sounds when singing it is essential to adopt beneficial singing habits in order to produce sounds that are more relaxed and healthy.
DICTION
Learning how to produce sound with our voice is not enough. We still need to shape our voice, and form words in a language that our audience will understand.
This is why diction is also one of the vital basics of singing, because it determines whether our audience understands what we are singing, and whether we are able to connect with them through our song. Diction is also a key factor towards hitting the correct pitches, especially for the high notes, and this will be explained in detail.

COURSE OUTLINE:
Lesson 1 PITCH
How to avoid the most common singing mistakes that prevent singers from producing a clean and professional vocal tone.
Objective: Students will learn warm up exercises that strengthen vocal cords and loosen the muscles needed to produce a professional sound./ the importance of singing ‘scales’ to achieve this objective.
Lesson 2 RHYTHM
Rhythms often used in various standard songs.
Objective: Students will listen and learn to identify rhythms used in songs. CD player provided.
Students will learn to tap out the various types of rhythm.
Students will sing a favorite song; using rhythms learned in class.
Lesson 3 BREATH
For the purpose of voice projection, students will learn to breath more from the diaphragm, the muscles beneath the ribcage, as well as the abdominal muscles.
Objective: Students will learn vital techniques to create a connected voice blending head, chest and diaphragm.
Lesson 5 DICTION
How to use the emotions, enunciation and clarity.
Objective: Students will learn to sing a favorite song with focus on elements of singing.
Lesson 6 Review of previous 5 lessons.
Lesson 7 Group/Individual Performances
Objective: Students will show confidence in employing elements from training.
Lessons 8/9/10 Rehearsal for recital TBA
*Each lesson to begin with a brief review of previous. Copies of previous lessons/homework assignments to be distributed at each meeting

*** Studio Equipment ***
CD Burner/SURE Microphone/Charts in various keys/Speaker System/Pitch Pipe/Recorder/keyboard/Metronome/Video Camera

*** Travel Equipment ***
Lesson plans, books, pitch pipe, keyboard. Student should be prepared to be serious and committed.

*** Specialties ***
I show the student how to use breathing and voice placement techniques to gain vocal improvement via projection.

rporates what you already know, with what you will need to learn in order to achieve your goals.

*** Lesson Details ***
Whether you want to play flute, clarinet, sing, act, or learn to play piano, I am here to help you become the best musician you can be. Classically trained, I also work with the styles of musical theatre, pop, rock, and jazz. I can teach you the proper techniques, posture, and breathing necessary to perform to the best of your ability and teach you how to utilize your full lung capacity to extend phrasing length and dynamic range. I will also help you learn to read and write music. Together, we will keep a log to track your progress lesson to lesson. This will also help you keep a record of the steps you are taking to obtain and achieve your goals and dreams.

*** Specialties ***
Young and beginner students.
Senior & Retired students
Students with special needs.
Performance techniques.
Audition preparation
Speech techniques (public speaking/voice-overs, etc.)
Bel Canto technique.
Performance anxiety
Life coaching!

"I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for in the patterns of music and all the arts are the keys of learning" ~Plato

**if you need a particular time slot or one not listed on my availability I will do my best to accommodate your needs**

**All lessons will be scheduled in advance with confirmation of both the student and instructor. If cancellation is necessary, a written notice 48 hour cancellation policy is in effect or you forfeit the lesson credit. For lessons scheduled outside of the areas provided, a surcharge for travel will be added.**

Broadway/Musical Theater and any other vocal style!

Many, many of my students have gone on to place in the renowned Bergen County, North Jersey Regional, and All State Choruses and consistently receive leading roles in school, community, and regional theater productions! I also have current and past students who have gone on to have roles on Broadway including an upcoming production of Annie! I've also had students who have gone on to have their rock and heavy metal bands place in local and regional band competitions and be signed!

Whether you want to learn how to sing Karaoke better, audition for American Idol, prepare for auditions, or really seriously work on your vocal technique, i'm the teacher for you!

*** Lesson Details ***
Our lessons will be filled with music, support, encouragement and success! I teach to the whole student and we will get to know one another well so I can tailor your lesson specifically to your needs, goals and dreams! By taking lessons, you are taking an amazing step to improve not only your skills as a performer but also your self esteem! When you become better at an instrument or your voice improves so will your outlook! Its a natural fit!

Within 3-6 months, you'll have learned many standard warm-ups and vocalises that you can have in your back pocket for any opportunity that comes your way. If you are a singer, you will have learned how to breathe correctly for singing and implemented great technique into the style music of your choice. You will also have learned quite a few songs, starting from simple to more advanced as we go along!

For the beginner piano student, we will begin understanding basic Music Theory and scales. We will work on finger position and learn basic tunes starting with one hand at a time. soon you'll be learning how to play simple songs with both hands and accompany yourself as you sing along!

For singers, we'll learn about vocal techniques, breathing, relaxation and getting your best vocal sound and discovering how to perform a song with great diction and presence! We'll also learn performance techniques, how to work with a microphone, have a great stage presence in front of a live audience and begin learning how to read music and even get familiar with the piano keyboard!

All of my current students will say that they enjoy our lessons because each one is tailored to the individual and their goals. Its a wonderful and exciting journey that we embark upon together! I love seeing my students progress and learn over the course of our time together!

I encourage all of my students to get out and perform and i'm ALWAYS looking for opportunities for my students to do just that (unpaid AND paid!). Since music is a performing art I try to schedule two recitals a year with my students. These recitals are completely optional (but encouraged!) and take place in a local church hall or other performing space. They are done is a low stress and fun way ...and afterwards, i always provide some sweet treats for the parents and students that attend! Its a super fun way to display how hard my students have been working! Each student leaves the recital with their name and piece in a printed program and a certificate!

My studio is located in a safe, family home on a quiet street with ample street parking. The home is a smoke-free environment. We have a cute little Shih Tzu but not to worry if you have any allergies. He stays in his house downstairs and away from the studio and he never enters the studio room.

Let's make some music!

*** Studio Equipment ***
second floor up stairs, bathroom, desk, f/w keyboard seating for parents, method books, music stand

*** Travel Equipment ***
I will provide any necessary music books, pitch pipe, and possibly music stand. Student must have a keyboard or piano.

*** Specialties ***
I specialize in the Bel Canto style of voice teaching. This means an easy and fluid voice that can be applied to ANY STYLE of music! Whether you want to sing pop, rock, musical theater, classical/opera I will help you to perfect your style and technique!

ic dreams.

MORE INFO:
I have been singing since I was 3, anything and everything from Michael Jackson to Elvis Presley to Luciano Pavarotti. Originally from Colorado, I studied music/theatre, as well as vocal pedagogy at The University of Colorado at Boulder, where I graduated with highest honors. I made my Broadway debut in "The Phantom of the Opera" at age 24. I also performed in "Chess in concert" as a featured rock tenor soloist at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway with Josh Groban. I have understudied and performed lead roles in the first AEA National Tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s "Whistle Down the Wind." Regionally, I have played many lead roles all over the United States in productions including "Les Miserables," "Miss Saigon," "The Wild Party," and "She Loves Me."

As an ASCAP recording artist, currently I am working in the studio with a full production team on my first pop/rock album. I also often sing on demos for producers and write songs for other artists in many different genres.

As a TV/Film actor, most recently I was on set with Marvel's TIARA 2 on Netflix. I have booked lead roles in 4 SAG-AFTRA short films, as well as the comedic lead in a SAG-AFTRA Web-series. I was called back for producers as a Series Regular for "The Knick," an episodic series produced and directed by Steven Soderbergh on Cinemax.

My audition prep will help you master your sides for any playing space; Broadway plays/musicals and especially on camera.

TIYA clients include (aspiring) Broadway performers, Film and TV actors, singer-songwriters, news anchors, dancers, comedians, CEO's all over the world, as well as karaoke enthusiasts, and songwriting hobbyists.

My TIYA members have performed on television in Smash, Glee, and venues around NYC ranging from The Underground, Le Poisson Rouge, Drom, Cornelia Street Cafe, Arlene’s Grocery, to the Broadway productions of Ghost, Sister Act, Evita, Wicked, West Side Story, South Pacific, The Phantom of the Opera, and Rent to name a few.

*** Lesson Details ***
We will always work on whatever you want.

For Singing, as a vocal technician/trainer I am like going to the gym for your voice. My exercises are safe, simple, and most importantly, I teach you how to practice correctly.

For ACTing, we can explore both the foundation itself with monologues and scenes, as well as the tricks of the trade mastering the camera frame and how to create memorable auditions for TV/Film.

For Songwriting, we can explore the fundamentals of both lyrics and music, as well as catchy hooks, production, and song structure.

You may use my time however you wish (Voice, Acting, Songwriting, or Artistic/Career guidance).

Most vocal sessions will usually be a combination of strengthening/ conditioning exercises, and then exploring/performing a song.

Most ACTing sessions will be theatre monologues, TV/Film sides and/or On camera auditioning craft.

Career consultations usually include how to get an agent, headshots, branding, and marketing to align your artistic dreams with a strategy for success.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Yamaha PSR 950 61-key arranger keyboard
Sony Handycam DCR-SR 100
Fovitec Studio PRO - 5' x 6.5' Gray/Blue screen
MacBook Pro 13-inch: 2.4GHz
with Retina display
Yamaha FG700S Acoustic Guitar
Bose Wave Music System
iPhone 6S plus

*** Specialties ***
SINGING, ACTING, SONGWRITING, CONSULTING

The TIYA vocal training method is uniquely my own as it combines both Bel Canto and Speech Level Singing. Emphasis is on developing a relaxed, released, authentic vocal timbre to sing in any style. Concepts explored include: Coordination, Registration, and Intonation. Chest, Head, Edge, and Pharyngel registration, 2 instruments in 1, posture, breath management, vocal cord adduction, trigger phrases, ring, consistency, and more. 

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rs, NJ All State Choir and the NJ Region II Chorus.

Justin has spent 14 years studying under some of the best vocal coaches in New York and New Jersey, including Sarah Bachman­ Krieger (Manhattan School of Music, The Juilliard School), Steven Schnurman (The Juilliard School) and; Katherine Wessinger (University of Michigan). He currently studies under Melissa Perry (Westminster Choir College, Temple, and post-graduate work included 750 hours with Maestro Vittorio Rosetta of La Scala) While doing studies at Westminster Choir College, he studied with Tenor Eric Rieger (Eastman School of Music).

Justin founded and directed The A Cappella Choir of Middlesex County. After a successful first year and a full-length album, The A Cappella Choir sang at Carnegie Hall for the premiere of Eric Whitacre's electronic opera "Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings"

Justin was the head of the choral department at the New Dover United Methodist Church in Edison, NJ. He directed and musically directed production's of The Rocky Horror Show at the Villagers Theater in Somerset, which subsequently moved to The Den Nightclub and ran for 2 consecutive years.

Justin has organized, directed and performed in fundraisers for the Edison high school Choral program, the program that first honed his raw talent and a place that to this day he still can call a home.

As a performer, Justin was seen as a back­up singer in the Bryan Hansen band. He has participated in theater all over NJ and is frequently hired for studio session work. He recently contributed backing vocals for Mike Wells' upcoming third studio album.

Justin has been teaching privately since 2007 (Justin Pollinger Vocal Studio). His Students have been accepted to some of the top music programs in the country including Westminster Choir College, Boston Conservatory, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Oberlin Conservatory, Mason Gross School School of the Arts, The Hart School and AMDA.

"Justin is so much fun to work with and always makes me feel good about performing, even when I get discouraged. He has helped me to discover a side of my voice that I didn't even know I had."
- Debbie Lingel

"Justin has been a miracle worker with my vocal development. I have gone through several instructors for numerous years and no one could tell me how to actually find my own voice. Justin was able to do that immediately and I was sold! Since then it has been a gratifying experience with our weekly lessons. Knowing I have Justin's techniques in my arsenal of tools make me a much more confident artist on stage. I can't thank him enough!
- Raj Singh

Phone: (732) 887-6496
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