Piano with Lauren B.

My Background: I have been teaching privately for seven years. During this time, I have taught students ages 4-adult, all of whom came from various musical backgrounds with a large range of interests and abilities. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education and a Master's in Music in Voice Performance. I recently began a Doctoral Degree in Voice Performance at Arizona State University where I also teach privately lessons and a few classes. I have been blessed to study with many fantastic voice teachers and coaches throughout my career all of whom have contributed to my personal skill sets as a teacher. I am currently studying voice with Carole FitzPatrick who is a professor at ASU with an extensive resume that spans throughout opera houses in Europe and the US . I am proud to say that I am always pursuing new information and teaching techniques to pass on to my students. As a performer, my main focus is on Opera/Classical singing, but I also have a lot of experience in Musical Theater. I am classically trained, which is the foundation for healthy singing in any genre. I have a lot of performance experience so I can help you to not only become a better singer, but a better performer, which is invaluable in auditions. My most recent opera performance was as Mrs. Coyle In Benjamin Britten's "Owen Wingrave." Other roles include Musetta/La Boheme, Olympia/Les Contes d'Hoffman, Papagena/Die Zauberflote, Le Rossignol/L'Enfant et les Sortileges among others. In 2012, I had my European debut as both Susanna and Barbarina in Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro" at the Tuscia Operafestival in Italy. In my musical theater experience I have played Sally Brown in "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and Sonya in "Godspell." I am qualified to teach voice from beginning to advanced, and piano for beginning to early intermediate level. All students have the option to study both voice and piano with me if they wish to do so. Students who study piano while learning to sing are able to practice more efficiently, and will be more successful in an academic setting if they wish to pursue music at a higher level. Combined Piano and Vocal lessons are also helpful for younger students who may not have the attention span to sit through 30 minutes of one discipline. *** Lesson Details *** I think that it is important that students know what they want to achieve in their lessons. It is unlikely that you will be prepared to win American Idol after a month of voice lessons, so realistic goals and consistency in practicing are important. It is my goal to allow you to reach your own "personal best." As singers, we rely heavily on the ears of others because we cannot truly hear ourselves. I will work with you to develop your best qualities as a singer and to work on any aspects of your technique or performance abilities that may need extra help. Within a month of taking lessons, you will be able to sing noticeably easier and more comfortably. Within three months of taking lessons, you will be more aware of your capabilities as a singer and how to use them to your advantage. Voice lessons will typically be divided evenly between technique/warm-ups and working on specific songs. For piano students the lesson will consist of theory (learning how to read music), technique (learning how to play piano) and applying that information to pieces that they could eventually perform. No matter your age, level, or instrument, the student who practices what they learn in lessons throughout the week will always progress faster than the student who doesn't practice. PLEASE NOTE: Students are responsible for providing their own materials for lessons. This includes any music which is assigned by the teacher or any additional pieces they want to work on. The teacher will do her best to make obtaining materials cost effective and easy, but ultimately the cost and responsibility falls on the student and/or their parent. Also, please ensure that students signing up for piano lessons have something they can practice on at home. *** Specialties *** I personally sing mostly classical and opera, but have a strong background (and love) of musical theater. *** Training *** 10+ years voice training French, German, and Italian Diction Proficiency Basic French language skills