Vocal Coaching

What exactly is a vocal coach, and why choose me? 

Coaching a song is the marriage of lyrics and music: combining the dramatic and musical elements of a song, therefore creating a cohesive presentation. As a vocal coach my goal is to help you choose audition material and to successfully prepare you for auditions. For example:

• exploring the lyrics and the intention of the song
• addressing vocal needs such as placement, proper key, dynamics, breathing, etc.
• cutting your music down to sixteen or thirty-two bars, if needed
• marking your music so it is clear, presentable, and readable to the audition pianist

A healthy philosophy:

• auditioning well is as important, if not more, than necessarily booking the job. 
• feeling comfortable in your own skin, a friendly persona, successfully communicating to the pianist, and really knowing what you are singing about, are just some of the elements of an audition that you can prepare.
• you can’t rehearse or prepare such qualites as your height, body type, vocal color, innocence, age range, resume experience, etc. etc.
• what you can do is be extremely prepared with material that is appropriate for the audition.  Having a presence, being active, and living in the moment. 
• not getting a callback doesn’t necessarily imply that you didn’t present yourself successfully.  It may just mean that you aren’t right for that particular show, but the director is already thinking about you for a future project.
• stop second-guessing!!!

My approach to finding new material:

• the 'right' song is merely a vehicle to display a sense of yourself and your abilities, such as vocal range, personality, musicality, and abiility to act a lyric         
• a successful song is one that fits your voice, type, age, and emotional being, and that you enjoy singing.
• your audition song must fit and be adjusted to your needs, the way an expensive suit needs to be tailored to fit your body
• what part of your voice really sings?

I have one of the largest musical theatre libraries in New York City including obscure and standard material as well as shows currently running on Broadway. My clients include performers just starting out, to performers starring in Broadway Shows and National Tours.