Piano with Zachary B.

Dear Students and Parents: My passion for performing and teaching brought me to TakeLessons as a way to enrich my immediate community (and more broadly via virtual lessons) and to help individual students perform at their best. As an operatic performer, I thoroughly understand the importance of building a strong technical background for any level of singing or professional speaking. My other skills, like instrumental instruction, studying skills, accent reduction, and academic preparation are all offered through TakeLessons as well. As a teacher, I love having fun in lessons and building strong connections with my students at absolutely any level. My personal musical performing experiences span opera, musical theater, jazz, pop, and R&B. I am so excited to share my knowledge and passion for singing with you, as well as any other subject we find to explore! I am also available through TakeLessons' online instruction program. Please find more information below, and I hope to hear from you soon! Thanks! Zachary B. A native of Charlotte, NC, Zachary began his musical career as a tuba player and jazz bass guitarist. While attending The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Zachary began singing in various vocal groups on campus and developed his love for the singing voice. With encouragement from the music faculty, Zachary began training as an operatic baritone while at UNC. While attending UNC, Zachary was awarded both the Fischer Scholarship in Voice and the Tony McDowell Voice Scholarship. His singing brought him to Boston in the summer of 2010 to begin study at The Boston Conservatory. While performing various opera roles and attending summer programs, Zachary also opened his private studio and taught at a local music academy. He now lives in New York and continues singing and teaching whenever possible. Zachary is available through TakeLessons for online instruction. Lessons still focus on energy, breath, and solid technique, so please contact him if you think this venue of instruction will be a good fit! *** Lesson Details *** Regardless of your background, I believe in making lessons fun, encouraging, and accessible. This means that my work with you will, by nature, be incredibly personal and always formulated for your specific musical goals. I will constantly strive to make sure you are comfortable in our work together as we explore singing, speaking, and music theory. I believe every singing or speaking voice can benefit from a foundation in classical vocal technique. Whether you prefer to learn through singing songs or through various exercises, I can customize our lesson plan to fit your needs. Therefore, I provide a fun and engaging lesson atmosphere, but you need to bring your best as well! We will both be happier with the process if we are equally invested in your growth. We will start with something you already know (an aria, vocal exercise, or excerpt from a song) and work toward singing in your preferred vocal style. For example, classical singers will build their knowledge of English, German, Italian, and French diction and song styles. Additionally, I will always respect and include my student's musical interests. Along the way, I am happy to address basic music theory ideas. If you prefer, we can also spend additional time reviewing and learning those principles to enrich your musical experience. I will always provide different exercises and ideas to keep your brain active in the singing process. I believe in whole body, whole spirit singing. As a performer, I employ a variety of holistic exercises and theories to develop my own voice, such as basic Alexander Technique principles, voice therapy techniques, a variety of pedagogical palates, and energy work. If these sorts of things interest you, I am more than happy to incorporate them into our lessons. My personal results with those practices have been incredible, so I am always eager to share. My personality is outgoing and energetic, so I bring that sort of atmosphere to a lesson. I expect preparedness and readiness on your part to maximize our work together. My greatest desire in teaching is to see you grow! So, if a challenging, yet comforting, work environment sounds like something you would like to try, consider scheduling a trial lesson with me. I am always happy to hear from new students! *** Studio Equipment *** Apartment with open space and keyboard. Used in virtual instruction as well. *** Travel Equipment *** I prefer for my students to have a keyboard or piano, and if possible, a music stand. We can always make a situation work if the student does not have access to these tools. I provide music, pencils, etc. *** Specialties *** I am an opera singer, and specialize in classical singing. However, I apply similar vocal technique to all genres of music, and focus on breathing technique, body and energy awareness, and discuss a holistic approach to singing with all students.