Jennifer S  

4

  4.0 (3)

Instruments: Voice
Styles: Classical, Pop, Rock, Folk, Country, Musical Theater, Opera, Showtunes

My first teaching experience was part of a college class over 10 years ago when as part of the coursework we had to "student teach." Between the anatomy and physiology we were learning, an introduction to various vocal pedagogies, and gaining an understanding of the psychological components of voice study, I was hooked, and I haven't stopped. I taught voice at the university's community music school for a few years, while simultaneously teaching at Trinity University in Washington, DC, as well as at a girls' boarding school. About the time I started a family, I consolidated my teaching, opening a home studio while maintaining my position at the boarding school. Since 2006 I have taught every year in a summer arts program for gifted and talented youth, only taking off the summer of 2013 while on maternity leave. While I do recommend my beginning students start with a classical foundation, I also teach a variety of contemporary commercial music (CCM) styles including pop, Music Theatre, and country, among others. Students need to enjoy and connect with the music they are singing, and I work with my students to find music they enjoy that also meets their developmental goals. I also encourage my students to perform in recitals and competitions, if sharing their voice is part of their personal and/or professional goals. Finally, knowing how busy people are these days, I work with my students to find creative ways of fitting in their practice and I teach them HOW to practice, since consistent, quality practice is critical to achieving their goals.

For all of my students, I typically start with teaching (for more advanced students at least reviewing) the fundamentals of breathing for singing. From there I move on to phonation: how to produce a healthy sound, in coordination with and supported by the breath. After the student has begun to grasp these fundamentals, I begin to introduce solo repertoire based on the where the student is developmentally and their goals. No matter the age of the student, I work to find music to which the student can connect both musically and psychologically, which is important in keeping the student engaged and motivated. I don't use a particular teaching methodology or repertoire series, but instead pull from a variety of pedagogical techniques and song anthologies, tailoring each lesson to the student, where they are in their vocal development and on that particular day. Leveraging my network of colleagues, memberships in various professional voice organizations, and my own research, I am continually learning and developing new exercises and techniques to help my students as well as working to expand the song repertoire I use in the studio.