Frequently Asked Questions

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At Skylark Voice Studio, you will learn to understand your instrument in order to tap into its full potential. Learn proper vocal technique with an emphasis on Body Mapping, overcome performance anxiety, polish your acting skills, become an affluent site reader, and so much more!

A Body Map is a person's mental representation of their body's size, structure, and function. We move according to what we believe to be true about our Body Map, so the more we know about our bodies, the better! At Skylark Voice Studio, students are educated about the size, structure, and function of their bodies as it pertains to singing in order to fully understand and work with their instrument. 

Yes! First of all, even if you never performed anywhere, just the act of singing has been proven to reduce stress/anxiety and to produce oxytocin. But remember that there are always performance venues, even for novice singers. I hold two to three student recitals and a handful of master classes each year. These performance opportunities are a great way for newbies to get their feet wet. Check the Performance Opportunities Tab regularly for karaoke nights, open mics, and audition info!

I find that students who take weekly lessons (vs. every other week or on a drop-in basis) make, by far, the most progress. Like in sports, as a vocalist, your body is your instrument. Attending weekly lessons holds students accountable for regular practice and ensures that proper technique is being reinforced.  

I get asked this question a LOT. Or I get told that students "don't do the virtual thing". I know that Covid turned a lot of us off to virtual meetings, particularly those of us who went through having kids who were educated in this environment during that time. 

That being said, the pandemic forced me to evolve my teaching style quickly and effectively to the virtual platform. I teach about half of my students virtually, via Google Meet. Students are asked to find a quiet place in their home where they have some physical space and, ideally, privacy. I teach them how to set up their camera in such a way that I can see their bodies from the waist up, if not the entirety of their bodies. We work together to ensure that sound and internet connections are solid. They are given a Google Drive that contains all of their music, homework, vocal exercises, and so on and asked to use a secondary device to run external audio (ex. YouTube). 

Some students find that they prefer having lessons in the comfort/privacy of their own home, and parents seem to love not having to drive to lessons. For other students, face-to-face lessons prove more effective. My suggestion is that, if you are not able to make the commute to my San Anselmo studio, you/your child give the virtual platform a try.

Like with almost anything, consistent practice is KEY to vocal development. I urge students to practice more days than not in between lessons. Students should begin by seeking balance in their bodies, bringing an awareness to the breath, and warming up their voices before jumping into their repertoire (the song{s} that they are working on). I have many warm-up videos on YouTube that can be found by searching Skylark Voice Studio. 

For singers, the BODY is the instrument (the voice is the sound the body makes), so practice should be done in front of a mirror for accountability purposes.

I strongly encourage students to communicate with me in between weekly lessons in the form of videos of what they are working on and questions for feedback!