Troutdale, OR Opera Voice Lessons

Learn to develop a healthy technique for singing in the classical style with proper vowels, breathing, space, and placement. Learn songs and arias in English, French, German, and Italian.

Opera is an amazing art form; the human voice can be so focused that it can carry over an entire orchestra with no amplification. Whether you aspire to this art form or not, it is great to learn how to support and project your voice and to keep it healthy for a lifetime of singing enjoyment.
I recommend adults take from 45 minutes to 1 hour lessons weekly for skill building. The price of lessons DECREASES by 10% after each 5 lesson purchased for the first 15 lessons. Studio policy is located at VaaraMusic.com.

Recommended for the highly motivated intermediate/ advanced classical voice student seriously seeking to further his/her vocal pursuits. Lessons in opera dive even deeper into breath support, building solid vocal technique, musicality, learning challenging repertoire, and pronunciation of foreign languages.

You could make money with your voice! Whether you're a beginner or advanced vocalist, James has the teaching experience and professional resume to take you beyond levels you thought you could achieve. Beyond your voice, James has the professional connections to point any student in the direction of lining up their first auditions!

Breathing techniques

If you are looking for professional high quality voice training then this is the right place to be!

I specialize in training voices at all levels of experience. If you think you have a voice in there I can help you find it! We will work together to find what your voice does naturally to find the best technique for you! Every voice is different because each human body and throat is different. It doesn't make sense to train all voices the same way. Individualized training that is designed to help discover your personal sound is what you can expect. And then we grow your own voice from there.

With a Masters Degree in vocal performance, I possess the necessary knowledge in vocal pedagogy to assist each singer in their desired vocal genre. if you have a passion for Classical, Musical Theatre, Jazz, folk, pop, contemporary, rock, crossover, or if you just want to impress your friends during karaoke night, contact me!

If you are preparing for an audition please bring the ...

Many aspects of singing may seem abstract but with the use of vocal pedagogy I have been able to make singing and vocal technique more accessible to all of my students. I teach all ages and levels and truly find joy in watching all of my students progress!

I am a very supportive teacher who is also a professional singer and actor. I have developed a highly effective yet simple technique that uses the building blocks of relaxation, breath and sending sound forward. I also build the techniques for students to act their songs, as well as monologues and scenes. I help students with auditions, performances of all genres of music and developing original cabarets.

I am a professional opera singer and principal soprano at the Metropolitan Opera. I have dedicated my entire life to music and singing, and I truly understand all the twists and turns seeking a professional life as a classical singer involves. I am, at the same time, a firm believer than anyone can be taught how to sing if they are not tone deaf (and only less than 5 percent of our population is). Singing is physiologically proven to improve your health and well being, and I believe a lot of what is involved in singing has to do with the student's mindset and confidence. I am an extremely passionate, patient, and compassionate person, and I don't teach to make a living, I teach because I truly love learning from my students and imparting what I've learned with others. I love to share the gift of music!