Speaking Voice with Holly T.

I am an enthusiastic musician with a talent for teaching. I have worked as a voice and piano teacher in Seattle for over 16 years. Previously employed at The West Side Music Academy in 2003-2006, I realized my passion for individual instruction early in my career. I studied Music Education under Dr. Romana Holmes at Seattle Pacific University and furthered my knowledge in Pedagogy. I am a huge believer in being a lifelong student! I have continued my music education throughout my adult life and have studied Jazz, Classical, Opera, Pop, Rock, Reggae, Blues, Soul, Gospel, and Folk. As a pianist I began individual instruction at age fourteen and have studied Jazz with Darius Willrich, Ryan Burns, Dan Kramlich and Mark Samson. I began singing and playing piano at age five. I have been involved in school and community choirs including The Total Experience Gospel Choir, Seattle Pacific University Women's Choir, and The Spokane Area Children's Chorus. Musical productions including Grease, Once Upon a Mattress, Chicago, and Les Miserables. I have been a featured soloist in ensembles throughout my life. I also performed in the Jazz Ensemble at Seattle Central Community College for three years as a vocalist and pianist. I have an extensive background as a performer in small and large bands in the Seattle area. I have played in various venues throughout the area including Key Arena, Benaroya Hall, McCall Hall, Folk Life Festival, Marymoor Park, Highway 99 Blues Club, Tula's Nightclub, and the Nectar Lounge to name a few. I have also worked as a studio musician with various funk, soul, and electronic music producers and bands. I study African dance and other forms of dance including hip-hop, house, and have traveled to Guinea, Conakry to study dance and music with Les Ballets African a premier African dance ensemble that tours the world. I also spent the summer of 2012 working with a non-profit organization in Chiapas, Mexico teaching music and dance to kids k-12 in the Indigenous Village of Ignacio Allende. More recently I have been studying and performing with Pat Wright and The Total Experience Gospel Choir since 2014. *** Lesson Details *** As your teacher I can help you thrive in music. I promise to provide a fun learning experience with lots of laughs and smiles. My number one goal is to help build a love and passion for music and boost student's confidence. I understand and appreciate different levels of experience and make sure to cater the lesson to the individual. Whether my students are young or old; whether they view voice or piano lessons as a just-for-fun hobby; or whether they wish to pursue a serious music career - I am happy to facilitate all of this and more, as we work together to reach their goals. My musical foundation is one built on proper technique and strong musicianship skills. Students will learn proper posturing, breathing, and vocal production- in addition to reading and music notation, music theory and more. As students master these techniques I will work to help them bring out their own voice and creative expression. We will explore music from a variety of genres including Jazz, Classical, Pop/Rock, and more. Each of my students will be able to perform in ways that are not only healthy and technically sound but unique to them. *** Studio Equipment *** In the studio I have an acoustic upright piano, shakers, tambourines, and a library of music books. The studio is also used for dance lessons and has hardwood floors and mirrors. There is also a waiting room area for parents to sit and listen in during lessons. *** Travel Equipment *** I provide books, metronome, and keyboard stand. Students are expected to have a piano or keyboard. *** Specialties *** I specialize in Jazz, Classical, Pop, Rock, RnB, and Broadway style singing. I use an eclectic approach to teaching.