The human voice is, arguably, the most remarkable instrument of all, and the most personal. As the most immediate form of expression available to us, the voice can carry pain, sadness, joy and anger with a sensitivity and intuitiveness no external instrument can match. It is also, quietly, the hardest instrument to teach. Every voice is different. Every body is different. Every person's relationship with their own sound is different.
Our approach is structured but never formulaic. Like every instrumentalist, singers need education, practice, and constant care to develop their latent potential. We start with breath. We build through warm-ups, lip trills, scale work and resonance training. We extend the range. We teach diction, dynamics, vibrato. We train the ear in parallel with the voice, because a singer who cannot hear cannot sing.
You will work across blues, gospel, pop, rock, Bollywood and Indian ragas, and each genre teaches the voice something different. Pop teaches phrasing. Blues teaches feel. Bollywood teaches melodic ornament. Ragas teach pitch precision. By the end of the semester you will not just sing better; you will be a more versatile musician with a broader palette to draw from.
Whether you are seven or seventy-five, beginner or experienced, this is a course built for the long arc: finding your voice and learning to use it well, on a stage and off.
— Nathaniel School of Music · Vocal Faculty
