Christian Gospel with Teresa P.

I was born into a family of musicians. We must have had every style of music floating around every family gathering. I would roam with delight among the Mariachis, Rockers and R&B singers and musicians in my family. As early as 3 or 4 years old, in an effort to get me to quit bugging them, they began to invite me to sing with them.... at least that way I wasn't twirling around knocking down their equipment, or asking a bunch of questions while they were rehearsing or jamming. Music was always and continues to be part of my existence, as normal to me as breathing. I love to sing and enjoy sharing that passion with others. It makes my day to see my students grow in their talents and confidence. From beginners who just want to sing for fun to the more experienced vocalists, I can help you understand how your voice works and how to get the most out of it. **In your first lesson, I will get to know you by asking for your vocal history, influences, goals, and style. Most importantly, “What would you like to get out of this lesson?” Every singer has different challenges, needs, and goals, so I approach each student and lesson as a unique experience where the student’s most pressing needs will be addressed. I’ll give you an honest idea of where your voice needs to grow and then will work with the tools to get there! You will get a personalized lesson plan to practice with. Like a gym workout routine, these exercises will target your weak areas to correct bad habits and build a strong, balanced instrument. **I will ask you to sing a song…… your latest repertoire, “Happy Birthday,” "twinkle twinkle little star", something just to get an idea of your voice and style. Then I will take you through a few singing technique exercises to quickly assess your strengths and challenges. **As your technical abilities grow, you need to apply them to songs. The key is to maintain the same easy feeling in your songs that came out in the exercises. Bring in your music and we can work out any kinks and I will also suggest appropriate material in your key and style that will build upon the successes of your exercises. Stylistic and performance coaching is available, but our focus is technique, if you don’t learn HOW to sing, WHAT you sing will always be limited. I will work with you so that as a singer, you will be able to sing through a greater range with more consistency. As a performer. you will become confident that your voice will deliver time after time. My goal is to help you sing in a free, natural manner, while keeping your lessons engaging and fun. -EAR TRAINING - As a choir and vocal director, I am trained to listen and pay special attention to all the details including pitch, vibrato, dynamic and harmonies. I will help you learn to listen and gain confidence to "hear" progressions in the music and their voice. -STYLES/GENRES - Being a worship leader, choir and vocal director in a major urban church in the Sacramento area, I have over 13 years experience as a gospel artist and contemporary christian singer, singing, performing and recording with many gospel artists and contemporary christian artists, both local and professional. I have recorded and performed with such artists as Israel Houghton, Lincoln Brewster, BJ Putnan, Trent Corey, Darnisha Taylor and the Porter Brothers. -SINGING/VOICE TRAINING - I am a Voice Teacher (student) with the Institute for Vocal Advancement. The IVA technique is based on 17th and 18th Century principles of singing developed by the Old Italian School of Singing. Our goal is to train voices to sing in a free and natural manner, smoothly, from the bottom of the range to the top with no breaks or sudden changes in quality. Training in this technique gives the singer access to all dynamics, with tonal clarity and flexibility. Also, training in this technique helps improve a singer's range, endurance, stamina, breath control, resonance, vocal strength and vocal quality across all styles of music without fatigue or damage to the voice. We accomplish these results by training the singer to find a balance between airflow and intrinsic muscular resistance, all within a resting laryngeal posture. =PERFORMANCE OR AUDITION PREP- As a former entertainment business professional and singer, I have experience in dance, choreography, stage blocking, performance technique and vocal coaching. I will help you prepare for your performances and/or auditions to present the best YOU, that you can be!