Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]

MAY 2021 UPDATE:  

• In accordance with new CDC guidelines, we are again offering indoor in-person singing lessons and coaching for students fully vaccinated against COVID-19.  
• Students who have not yet been vaccinated are welcome to take outdoor Patio lessons, weather permitting. 
•  All students are welcome to take online lessons or to substitute an online lesson for an in-person lesson. Please give at least two hours' notice.

MAY 2021 UPDATE:  

• Only individuals who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be allowed to enter the home studio.
• Air purifiers which include HEPA filtration and UV-C treatment will be operating at all times during indoor lessons.
• Students will be asked to remove their shoes and use hand sanitizer before entering the home studio.
• All lessons will be scheduled with a minimum of 15 minutes' break between students, to allow time for ventilation and sanitizing of commonly touched surfaces.
• All students are asked to provide their own sheet music, pencil or pen, recording device, and water bottle.
• We ask that students showing symptoms of any communicable illness, such as sore throat, fever, cough, or nausea/indigestion, please reschedule or request an online lesson in place of an in-person lesson.

We currently use the Zoom platform, which is free to install and is available across a variety of operating systems.   Zoom also allows you to record your lessons in both full-video and audio-only mode so you can study and practice with your lesson recordings.

No.  If you have an internet connection and a computer, notepad, or smartphone capable of video-conferencing, e.g. with a camera and a microphone, you can take online lessons!  It is helpful to have a second device nearby during your lesson in order to play back your accompaniment recordings.  There are optional items such as USB microphones which can improve sound quality, but they're not necessary in order to have an effective and successful lesson!

We find that the pacing of online lessons is more relaxed and laid-back.  You're in your home "space": no driving through crazy traffic to get to your lesson.  Because it takes time for information to travel through the internet, there is a brief "audio lag" between the time the student makes the sound and the time we hear it and vice versa.  We compensate for this by working in a call-and-response style, prioritizing the development of the student's musical "ear", and utilizing recorded accompaniments for songs.   

Online lessons require that students work more on their own "ear", and so are great for developing greater musical independence.   The proximity of the camera means that we actually can see and correct small movements of the singer's jaw and tongue better than when we are across the room in a live lesson.  Singers also get the opportunity to learn about presenting themselves on camera, a skill which will be of great importance in our increasingly online world.

During singing lessons, we actually work on many skills that translate to and can help foster success in other fields.  These include but are definitely not limited to:

• how to develop and maintain a healthy and effective speaking voice 
• how to present oneself in front of an audience
• communication skills
• body awareness
• time management
• project management