Drexel Hill, PA Singing Lessons

se who are practicing regularly and did a great job in their lesson. Lessons are a time where children can feel like music really is fun and enjoyable to learn and experience!

In addition to being a teacher, I am also a singer/songwriter, and performed for 6 years at local coffee shops and outdoor events within Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey. I am also a member of a local professional caroling group called Yuletide Singers which performs seasonally in places like Longwood Gardens and corporate functions. My history for performing stretches back, though, to my years as a puppeteer/children's performer, touring with a team doing school assemblies and evening family performances. I'm always excited to bring my understanding and experience with performance to my students!

**And, with excitement, I must add that TakeLessons named me "Teacher of the Week" on October 4, 2010! What a great honor! Thank you TakeLessons!!**

*** Lesson Details ***
Our time spent together will be filled with many smiles & laughs because that is probably why you want to take lessons -- because it makes you feel wonderful inside!

Within 3-6 months, we'll begin discovering how to read music and understand the language of it. We'll learn how to play/sing some of your favorite songs and learn some that you might not know. We'll discover what you really want to learn and achieve through taking lessons, and we'll work toward those goals!

For the intermediate piano student, we will begin understanding basic Music Theory and scales and will even take a look at how chord symbols work. Soon, you'll be learning how to accompany yourself and others as you sing! For singers, we'll learn about vocal techniques, breathing, getting your best vocal sound and discovering how to take a song to its potential! 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! For all my students, it's a journey that is exciting, unique to each individual, and one we will embark on together!

Because music is a performing art, I coordinate two music recitals each school year for students who are interested. This is an optional event, but is encouraged as part of the learning experience. It is usually held at a local firehall and presented in a low-stress and fun way with refreshments that follow!

*My studio is in a safe, family-friendly home & smoke-free environment. We also having a loving canine member in our family... a Yellow Labrador Retriever named Maximus. He is energetic and friendly. You may or may not see him since the entrance to my studio is through our back door, off the main house.

So! What do you say? Shall we START THE MUSIC? :)

Find me on Facebook: Valerie Bailey Music, for more photos of my fun recitals!

*** Studio Equipment ***
Lessons are enjoyed in a dedicated music room; keyboard (full-size with weighted keys and sustain pedal)

*** Specialties ***
*Teachers classified as a Student Favorite have taught a minimum of 25
lessons and have received the highest feedback rating from students.

I specialize in music education for all children, including ones with special needs. I feel it is so important for a child to start out with a fun and wonderful experience with music and performing. My approach is simple and fun and understandable for the young mind.

For my more intermediate students, I enjoy taking them to the next level of understanding in their instrument as well as music theory.

Because music is a performing art, I coordinate two music recitals each year for students who are interested. This is an optional event and presented in a low-stress and fun way!

both), I tailor lessons to suit each student's needs. I would like to enable you to meet your musical goals, whatever they may be.

***Lesson Details and Recommendations***

Singing voice: I teach classical vocal technique with an emphasis on the body-mind connection. Through the course of my training, I have studied the Alexander Technique, which is a method that has been used by actors, musicians, and athletes to find optimal body-mind coordination to achieve better results. The voice is the only instrument that is literally your body, so we will be using these tools to improve posture, breathing, and resonance. By learning a healthy vocal technique, you can expect improved tone quality, an expanded vocal and dynamic range, greater resonance, increased agility, improved diction, and more. Healthy vocal technique can be applied to any genre, and I teach students who are studying a wide variety of music, but classical and musical theater repertoire is my area of expertise.

Speaking voice: I have had great success helping students who come to me for help with their speaking voices. As the speaking voice and singing voice use the same set of muscles, the same set of functional principles apply. I work with students to improve their posture, breathing, and breath support when speaking, as well as clear diction, better pacing, and conveying emotion and meaning. These tools also lead to increased confidence when speaking.

Piano: I am also an established piano teacher and have had much success teaching beginning and intermediate students from ages 4 to 91 in various styles of music. I believe it is important for students to learn how to read and interpret written music as well as understand the structure behind it, so in addition to learning musical basics, I incorporate music theory into lessons. I encourage my piano students to learn how to read lead sheets and create chord accompaniments as well, which opens the door for comfortably playing in all sorts of styles sooner than would be possible by classical approaches alone. I also work on improvisation and songwriting with my piano students, if desired.

***Lesson Recommendations***
I offer lessons in 30, 45, and 60 minute increments. These are the *minimum* lesson lengths recommended. Longer lessons are more beneficial, except in the case of children with smaller attention spans. A 60 minute lesson is the best choice for serious students (teenagers or adults).

Voice:
Ages <12 years: 30 minutes
Ages 12 and up: 45 minutes

Piano:
Ages <7 years: 30 minutes
Ages 7 and up: 45 minutes

Combination Lesson:
Ages <12 years: 45 minutes
Ages 12 and up: 60 minutes

*Please note: I do not reserve regular lesson times in my schedule for students who cannot commit to weekly lessons. With students who wish to take less frequent lessons, I recommend the flex plan, with lessons to be scheduled as we go at our mutual convenience.

***Educational Background***
Elizabeth holds an M.M. in vocal performance from West Virginia University, where she was featured in numerous WVU Opera Theatre productions and was the soprano soloist with WVU Choirs in Faure's Requiem and Handel's Lord Nelson Mass. While at WVU, Elizabeth resumed taking lessons at the piano, which she had previously studied for many years, and exceeded the piano proficiency level required by the university. She also holds a B.A. in music and international studies from Emory University. Elizabeth has studied and performed internationally, both at the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, where she was the recipient of the Lemmonds Scholarship, and at the Bel Canto program in conjunction with L'Arena di Verona opera company in Verona, Italy.

As a graduate assistant at WVU, Elizabeth taught voice lessons to music education and performance majors as well as a course on vocal pedagogy. After graduating, she served as adjunct faculty, in which capacity she taught vocal repertoire and opera theater. She has maintained a private studio since 2005, in which she instructs students in voice and piano. She has also held past teaching positions with the Meridee Winters School of Music and Woodland Country Day School.

***Active, Professional Singer/ Actress***
Elizabeth was most recently seen as Joanie in The Full Monty at Candlelight Theatre in Delaware. Other recent performances include June in Musical of Musicals: The Musical and Peaches/ Baby Jane in Jerry Springer: The Opera with Bootless Stageworks in Wilmington, DE, solo performances with the New Voices Cabaret at the Society Hill Playhouse in Center City, and Woman 2 in My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra with Mainstage Center for the Arts in Blackwood, NJ. She has performed numerous leading roles with Philadelphia area Gilbert and Sullivan companies, most notably appearing as Angelina in Trial by Jury with The Savoy Company, winning Best American Production at the 2011 International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival. Her G &S performance credits include the roles of Patience (Patience), Yum-Yum (The Mikado), Rose Maybud (Ruddigore), Phyllis (Iolanthe), and Fiammetta (Gondoliers). Additionally, she has pioneered roles in new operas, including Gwendolyn in The Crowded House at the 2010 Philly Fringe Festival and Zelda in Black Horses with OperaDelaware at the 2009 Wilmington Fringe Festival.

Bachelor of Arts in Music, State University of New York at Potsdam

Master of Music Therapy, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

Training

Dena began playing piano at the age of four, she participated regularly in piano guild competitions and performances. She began voice lessons at the age of 13, she has traveled with performance choirs to Germany, Austria and Poland. She was a regular participant in All State Choirs and was chosen to perform for the American Choral Director's Association Choir while in college.

As a performer, Dena has appeared professionally with the Opera Theatre of Rochester and the Gilbert and Sullivan Players. She has performed at jazz clubs and as the lead singer of the classic rock band "No Mules," a popular local group featured at numerous fundraisers, First Night festivals and civic club events. She has played roles in numerous local theatre productions such as "Sweeney Todd," "Kiss Me Kate," "Company," and "Cinderella." She looks forward to opening up performance possibilities to her students and building their skills for a lifetime of musical memories.

As a teacher, Dena has taught for over 25 years; her students have included local DJ's, college students, 'Tweens,' young and 'not so young' adults as well as children and adults with learning differences.

*** Lesson Details ***
Dena approaches lessons with a sense of humor and fun; her ability to be flexible allows her to shape the curriculum according to the student. She uses several of the well respected piano curricula (Bastien, Alfred, etc.), tailoring lessons to students specific skills and challenges. Students should expect to play their instrument from the first lesson, building their reading skills, eye hand coordination, playing or singing skills and understanding of music theory gradually and confidently.

Subjects:

Piano- Lessons tailored to individual students, can include music reading, skill building and improvisation. Lessons are drawn from a variety of teaching sources including standard piano method books, music of interest to individual students and adapted music (e.g. simplified).

Voice- Lessons are tailored to individual students, can include introductory vocal technic, coaching for experienced students, vocal improvisation and singing for stage. Music is drawn from teacher recommendations and student preference.

Studio:

Suburban Philadelphia (Northeast, Montgomery and Bucks County)

*** Studio Equipment ***
Keyboard with weighted keys

*** Specialties ***
Musical theatre, Adaptive music lessons (for learning differences).

oard. There is always more than one approach to teaching musical concepts! As a musician, I have performed in both the Bethlehem/Allentown area and the central New Jersery area. In addition, I have sung as a member of the Princeton Pro Musica and sat as a member on the executive board of the Princeton Girlchoir. These experiences have enhanced my professional insight as a musical instructor today. At present, I am a teacher in the classroom, an organist at a local Presbyterian church, and a private piano instructor. Overall, I thoroughly enjoy seeing my students grow and develop as musicians.

*** Lesson Details ***
My instruction correlates with the age, the musical background, and the public/private school music curriculum of the student. Each lesson is a special musical vignette in the sense that it is a unique learning time for the student. It is important for the student to be motivated by the material that they are given and to have a full understanding of the concept(s) that were taught in the lesson. Above all other reasons, it is most important for the student to enjoy their piano lessons and want to come back the next week. Therefore, it is my job as the instructor to inspire them to practice and benefit from each and every lesson. Whether it be vocal or piano instruction, each lesson consists of fun warm-ups, interesting technical exercises, and repertoire of all sorts. What the student learns in 3-6 months depends upon the motivation of the student as well as my ability to teach what the student needs to know in order to achieve their goals as a pianist and/or vocalist. Regarding my methods of instructing piano students, I use the Middle C method for players of all levels. Those who are more advanced use triads as well. My overall goal as a teacher is to work with my students and give them the skills that are necessary to play music that they enjoy.

*** Studio Equipment ***
lessons in living room; 2 pianos (C2 Yamaha and Steinway upright); organ

*** Specialties ***
Middle C Piano Method using instructional materials of the Bastien's and Alfred Publications

er Center. Last summer, she understudied Sybil Vane in Loehmann’s The Picture of Dorian Grey. In 2013, she performed the role of Suor Osmina in their production of Suor Angelica, and covered the roles of Fortuna and Venere in their production of L’coronazione di Poppea. She also portrayed Pamina, La Contessa, Ilia, Anne Truelove and Laurie Moss in their various scenes programs.

Rachel completed her Bachelor’s of Music at Mannes College in 2012. There, she performed in their Opera Scenes Workshop and their Rise of Modernism Festival, singing Canciones populares Españolas by Manuel de Falla.

mpet” chair in part of Disney’s highly selective All American College Band.

After graduate school, I moved to the city of Chicago proper. For 3 years, I played trumpet and sang jazz standards most Thursday evenings at the famous Green Mill Cocktail Lounge, one of Chicago’s oldest jazz clubs. In addition to that, I helped start The Syndicate, my hip-hop brass band that offers a blend of funk, R&B and jazz. I also played with other groups such as Four Star Brass Band, and J-Livi and the Party, which released an album in July of 2016 called “Come and Share My Life," whom I still play with.

In addition to playing trumpet, I also am an accomplished classical singer, presently predominantly performing with the Crossing, a Grammy Nominated professional chamber choir conducted by Donald Nally. This 17-18 season, I'm singing with Consprirare, Apollo’s Fire, The Crossing, Vocal Arts Ensemble (Cincinnati), Variant 6, Madison Choral Project, ekmeles (NYC), and Choral Arts Philadelphia. Recently, I made my debut as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra performing Chris Deviney’s “Pat Metheney Concerto.”

I love teaching. I go into every lesson with the belief that the student is there to learn; if they weren't interested in learning, they wouldn't be there. Because I have always had diverse musical interests, I create a stress-free atmosphere for my students by allowing them to pursue whatever avenues of music interest them. My degrees may be in Jazz Studies and Performance, but I have extensive experience with Classical and Popular music; I provide a unique perspective and enthusiasm to every student.

tion will be on tour until May 21st all across North America. Broadway.com's review of the opening night in Nashville praised the musicianship of the show, "Musical director Erik Flaten's musicians are impressive in their dexterity: At one moment, they are providing rich interpretations of the memorable John Kander score, while perhaps at the next they are playing denizens of the Kit Kat Klub or neighborhood thugs, wastrels and other folks of questionable repute. Flaten and his band are given their own richly deserved moments in the spotlight at the top of Act Two and the music director himself is given the well-earned final bow at the end of the curtain call.

Newly relocating to the East Coast, Erik is highly sought after for his collaborative work with both instrumentalists and vocalists. He is comfortable in all musical styles and genres, and has an extensive knowledge of music history and theory.

Students of Erik have the opportunities to perform in studio recitals and workshops.

have the knowledge and experience to work with any student with any goal in mind.
Starting in 2018, I've decided to open my own voice studio out of the Academy of Vocal Arts and I couldn't be more excited!
My goal is to help voice students of any skill level sharpen their craft and attain whatever skills he or she needs.