Studio Information
Availability
Due to the demands of my other professional activites, my studio availability is often limited. Most students schedule lesson times on a week-by-week or month-by-month basis. I no longer maintain a studio space, but instead make house calls in the Denver Metro area. Please feel free to call or write with serious inquiries, and I apologize in advance if my schedule is unable to accommodate you.
Rates/Payment
- $50/hour
Payment may be made by check or cash at each lesson or at the end of each month. If payment for the previous month’s lessons is not received by the 10th, a $50 late fee will be assessed and future lessons will be suspended until payment is made.
Attendance
- If you are sick, please call me, then stay at home and rest. Your lesson will probably be wasted time for you if you’re not feeling well, and I don’t want to catch your illness.
- No-shows and lessons canceled less than 24 hours in advance will be billed at the regular lesson rate, barring extraordinary circumstances.
- In the event that you are running late and are unable to call me, I will wait ten minutes for you.
Lesson Format
- Generally, lessons are divided equally between technique and repertoire.
- Parents and visitors are welcome to quietly observe lessons with the prior consent of the student. Please be aware, however, that frequent observations may create an artificial “performance” environment for the student and serve as an obstacle to vocal progress and learning.
- I will be happy to assign repertoire or work with you to select appropriate repertoire based on your interests and abilities.
- If you choose to work with a piano accompanist, please have her/him arrive halfway through your lesson time. I do not generally accompany my students, as I find my attention is better spent on my students than on my fingers.
- I now have the ability to digitally record your lesson and upload the recording to your own personal student page on my website. You are also welcome to record your lesson using your own method/equipment.
Miscellaneous
I teach both technique and artistry. We usually start with technique, because it is more concrete and accessible to most people. Even if you never become much of an artist, you may find benefits in other areas of your life from experiencing the mechanics of breathing freely and fully, of reducing strain and tension in your musculature, or of initiating an activity from the body’s center.
You are free to supplement your voice study with other qualified teachers. Please let me know if you take supplementary lessons from another teacher so I can learn something new from your experience. Some people recommend studying with only one person to avoid conflicting viewpoints and confusion, but if you feel sharp enough to handle a lot of information at once, go for it!
I am not an accompanist. Occasionally I will play a rudimentary chordal accompaniment for a beginning student’s lesson, but if you are preparing for performance, please arrange for a professional accompanist to join us for the second half of your lesson.
Generally speaking, I am comfortable teaching singers in any genre, even if I am not an expert in your particular style. We all have the same physiology and I believe that cross-genre training is one of the best, most interesting and fun ways to make vocal progress. I love it when my students introduce me to a new musical idiom. In the case that your preferred genre is so foreign to me that I can’t help you, I will of course try to point you toward someone more qualified.
I welcome student input in repertoire selection.
These are my thoughts as we begin. Please feel free to share your own, and I look forward to working with you!
Best regards,
Jeremy