Rachel taught some of my friends and I finally took them up on their recommendations - and I'm so glad I did! She is proficient in many different styles, which is great for someone like me who would like to do it all! Best of all, she is very focused on vocal health. She's not going to train you in such a way that your voice sounds good, but you won't be able to sing in 15 years. Rachel is super personable and does a great job of listening to what you want and working with you to get you there.

We are so grateful to have found Rachel. She is such a talented artist and her passion for music is so easy to see. It flows through her teaching and truly inspires my daughter. My daughter has learned so much from Rachel and her confidence has improved as well. She is comes out beaming from every lesson so excited to sing. We both highly recommend!

Currently, with social distancing, we are doing online classes. For both online and in-person lessons, Rachel has always been very knowledgeable and interacted well with my 7 year old daughter. She's very patient and provides great feedback for making steady progress. My daughter really seems to enjoy her lessons.

I took voice lessons and performed in musical theatre and singing groups in high school, sang at a few friends' weddings, but never really did anything with music after college (I'm now 65!!). When I joined a choir a year or two ago, I decided it was time for a tune up, and discovered Rachel. She put me at ease right away with her warm and informal approach, but her "pedigree" was impressive and I knew I had a lot to learn. And boy did I! She's taught me so much about technique; my tone and range have really improved, and I am loving it all! We started with choir music, went on to Broadway shows, and now I've started opera! Rachel can do it all. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we switched to zoom lessons, and we really haven't missed a beat (pun intended). I highly recommend Rachel; you won't be disappointed.

Rachel is so easy going and fun to work with. She really listens to you and finds ways to encourage what you may already be doing while finding ways to fine-tune your technique so it can be even better. Her way of explaining things in order to achieve results is so well executed and easy to understand. I felt in such good hands with her and could notice the difference just after one lesson. I hope to try and have more lessons with her when I get the chance, but until then I highly recommend her to anyone who needs guidance, training or just coaching on a particular piece/in a particular show. Thank you, for being so great to work with and really helping me hone in on my instrument!

Rachel provides instructions that are understandable, and that you can use to improve your technical skills and make true progress. She has also change my approach to piano practising. I believe I enjoy practising more and with greater efficiency. She is very talented, also has a great personality, bubbly and easy to talk to. I would highly recommend Rachel!

Rachel is a fantastic and knowledgeable instructor. My daughter first started with piano lessons and is now taking voice lessons as well. My daughter loves going to lessons with Rachel and looks forward to it every week. My daughter has learned so much. I highly recommend Rachel.

Rachel is an extremely wonderful teacher and vocalist. I mainly sing Musical Theatre but have a background in Classical. When I feel like I'm beginning to develop unhealthy singing habits, I usually go back to my classical roots. So finding a teacher with experience in both Musical Theatre and Classical voice is extremely important to me. Rachel really focuses on the technique and finds a way to describe it and apply it in terms her students understand. I highly recommend her whether you have a background Musical Theatre, Classical, both, or more. She'll get you singing with a healthy voice in no time!

Rachel is a bright, competent, caring, and an energetic teacher. My children look forward to their lessons each week. Rachel is extremely knowledgeable in theory and technique at all levels. My 15 year old regularly comments on how nice it is to learn the history behind music as well as technique and performance. Thank you, Rachel, for a safe, warm, and caring environment for my families growth in music. I would highly recommend Rachel as a teacher!

If I had to rate the lessons for my girls I would say the first 5 of 10 lessons were good. Then she slowly got inpatient with my young girls. Professional wise, very poor. She canceled our lessons many times last min, including the very first session. The only time we canceled was our last session because both kids were sick and I was told I couldn’t reschedule. Mind blowing! House was always dirty too.

I began taking lessons with Rachel almost two years ago because I love musical theater and singing but have never had any music education or voice classes. I was very nervous coming into my first lesson as a complete beginner with no natural talent, worried I would be too embarrassed to sing. But Rachel is so kind and really puts her students at ease - I have never felt self conscious in front of her! She has a great approach to teaching beginners.

Due to Rachel’s teaching and encouragement, I recently auditioned for a local production of a musical and got a part in the show. I never dreamed I would be good enough to be a part of the musicals I love watching and I am having the time of my life in rehearsals! I am so proud of my progress and a lot of that is due to Rachel’s skill as a teacher. She helped me with song preparation, writing a resume, and how to behave during the audition, as well as obviously all her work to improve my tone, diction, and song interpretation skills.

I couldn’t read music and in the beginning had no interest in learning, and Rachel never made me do tedious music theory work instead of doing the “fun part”... BUT through our lessons I came to understand what value being able to read music had and became self motivated to learn more about reading music and some music theory. Now I can play my melodies on the piano and have a greater understanding of music that has enhanced my singing practice! My point here is that Rachel has a very holistic approach to teaching and I have picked up very important skills as a musician without feeling frustrated! I also very much enjoyed learning some classical songs which I wasn’t sure I would like - but not only were they great to work on to learn better voice skills, they were super fun.

I am so glad I began lessons with Rachel. I would recommend her to ANYONE looking to become a better singer. She has made singing so fun and enabled me to do things I never thought I could! I’d give her ten stars if that was an option.

I have been taking lessons with Rachel for almost a year and I love working with her. I have noticed a marked improvement in my singing abilities and my confidence has increased dramatically because of it. Rachel starts with a great basic foundation and works with you to bring out your own talent and style. She also has a great balance of teaching you not only the how but the why, which helps to deepen the understanding. I highly recommend.

Rachel is an incredible teacher. She is so good at helping you highlight your strengths as a singer and performer. I don't know what I would do without her for help with audition prep. She knows how to slightly change one or two things to elevate your performance to a new level. Working with Rachel is one of the best decisions I've made as a singer!

Rachel is my daughter’s piano teacher, and based on our experience with her, and in comparison to my son’s guitar teachers in his early years, Rachel is the best music teacher that I have encountered. Rachel is great with kids, she knows how to keep my daughter engaged and away from frustrations. In her lectures, Rachel maintains a nice balance between fun and challenging songs, and in every assignment she give out, her student either polishes a technique or acquires the new one. All in all, Rachel creates a great learning environment and provides a positive experience.

Rachel is an amazing instructor. She is very knowledgeable on the subject of vocals. The tips and techniques she has taught me in just three lessons have already considerably helped me improve my singing. She is very hospitable, and makes you feel at home and as comfortable as she can. The flow of her classes really takes advantage of the time (at least for her 1-hour-sessions), and there isn't really much time that is wasted on other things. Overall, I think Rachel is an amazing instructor, and I really look forward to keep taking lessons with her

I have played the piano for over 50 years and studied under several teachers. Rachel is the best teacher. She is very good at exploring new techniques and is very encouraging and supportive. This "old dog" is learning many new valuable tricks that has enabled me to go to a higher playing level. Thanks much to Rachel!

Ms. Rachel Sandler is an Exceptional Teacher and knows exactly the needs of my wife (Ms. Rachel J. Saunders and I (Dr. Lewis O. Saunders, PHD) were students of Ms. Sandler for three sessions and what we learned about music was absolutely great! .

When we were assigned to Ms. Sandler we could not read music now we can not only read music but we can determine the pitch etc.. Ms. Sandler only had us for only three sessions because the pervious two sessions were conducted by Alex who had much to be desired along with the practice of being honest.

We will certainly request more sessions with Ms. Sandler because she is an excellent teacher.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Rachel J. Saunders and Dr. Lewis O. Saunders, PHD

Rachel teaches both of our girls (ages 10 & 7) piano and our oldest also takes voice lessons. Our girls are very different; and yet she is patient and engaging, knowledgeable and creative in different ways with both of them. The lessons seem to fly by because they are so engaged and have a lot of fun. She has provided a wealth of resources and guidance. We highly recommend taking lessons with Rachel.

Rachel was a music student at JMU where I teach. I highly recommend her for all the areas listed in her profile. She is a personable and intelligent young woman who is always a professional. Rachel works well with students who range from beginners (any age) through advanced students, including college-level instruction. At JMU, she was chosen to be a tutor in ear training and theory. I only hear praise about help from her peers.

Rachel has extensive experience in teaching and performing. Her degree and experiences as a singer and pianist allow her to relate to students from a unique technical perspective. Rachel is not only a talented teacher, but a kind person who is eager to help.

I've been taking piano lessons with Rachel for a few months now. I can honestly say my lessons have been a delight. Rachel quickly assessed my skill level and adjusted my lessons accordingly. I have a very challenging schedule and Rachel has been very accomadatin. I've learned a great deal and look for to learning more.
Thanks Rachel!!

Rachel is truly a professional. I've seen her perform many many times and I am always amazed at what a fabulous talent she is. She loves her art so much she has a passion for sharing it with others. That's why she is such an excellent instructor to people young and adult. Her voice and piano skills are outstanding. She is a very responsible and reliable young woman.

Rachel is truly a professional. I've seen her perform many times and each time I see what a passion she has for her art. She , so very much, loves sharing her beautiful talent with others. I've witnessed her teaching children and adults and am always amazed to see the connection between student and teacher. She is very focused and so enjoys her work. Anyone would be very lucky to have Rachel as their instructor in music.