Singing with Ariel P.

Hi! My name is Ariel. Thank you so much for looking at my profile. Here is some information about my educational background, performance career, and how I believe I benefit students. I was heralded as an “impressive young…discovery” by the Los Angeles Times in 2010 when I made my operatic debut with Long Beach Opera as Nancy T’ang in Adam’s Nixon in China. I have performed roles such as Donna Elvira in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Micaela in Bizet’s Carmen, First Woman in Cherubini’s Medea, Second Lady in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, and Giovanna in Verdi’s Rigoletto. I have been a soloist with the Blackbird Music Project, and I regularly collaborate with composers in the Southern California area. I was a fourth place winner in the Palm Springs Vocal Competition and am an OperaWorks alumna. I have a Masters degree from the University of Southern California, Thornton School of Music and I have a Bachelors degree from Northern Arizona University. I also completed a teaching internship at the California Lutheran University. My style of teaching is tailor made for each student because everyone has different goals and needs. I focus on making singing fun and painless while setting a strong technical foundation. My goal for the student is to take away technical issues so they can be musically expressive and show the world who they are. *** Lesson Details *** I am a laid back teacher. My hope is that students will feel improvement in their lessons and it will motivate them to practice. In my opinion, the lessons should be fun, educational, and safe. My curriculum is based on the needs of the student. In general, I always begin with breathing techniques. Breathing is the foundation of singing and so I tend to spend some time trying to show the student the most efficient and most effortless technique. Then I move on to what I have learned from my own voice teacher, and I will teach the students what are called "vocal function exercises." These are a series of gentle warm ups that teach the student a combination of breath pressure, resonance, and eliminating physical tensions within the neck, chest, and back. Then I move on to incorporating these ideas into repertoire. I like to decide repertoire with the student based on their preferences and their skill level. Generally I like to give the student one classical piece in a foreign language and one musical theater piece, but this is not set in stone. I hope that after a few months the student will have an understanding of breathing, beginning vocal technique, and some repertoire we have been working on. All of this said, ultimately I do not hold students to my own expectations. I want them to learn at their own pace and not feel they need to be at a certain point after a certain amount of time. *** Studio Equipment *** Living Room. Keyboard. Seating for parents. Cats. *** Travel Equipment *** I can provide sheet music and I expect the student to provide a keyboard or piano. *** Specialties *** I teach a method that is very simple and allows the student to express themselves musically and to have fun. My expertise is Opera but I can teach all styles of singing.