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Teaching privately at Lori Moran Music in Los Angeles. www.LoriMoranMusic.com
Rate information at: http://www.lorimoranmusic.com/ratesandpolicies.html
Working for the Music Center of Los Angeles as a 'Teaching Artist':http://www.musiccenter.org/education/artistdirectory_155.html
The human voice is the most profoundly personal instrument one can explore and harness. The voice gives language to thought, expresses emotion, and is the sounding board of the spirit.
Megan Hook teaches voice lessons privately. Her current students range from ages 14 to 65, and include beginning as well as advanced singers. She teaches diverse styles, including classical/operatic, jazz, folk, and pop/rock. Emphasis is placed on the underlying elements that unify all healthy vocal production.
Lessons are one hour in length. Bring a blank cassette if you would like your lesson to be recorded (highly recommended). Wear loose fitting clothing so that you can move and breath comfortably.
Roughly half of the lesson time is spent on scales and rudimentary patterns designed to strengthen the voice, increase range, bring clarity to the vocal tone and develop a healthy breathing technique.
The other half of the lesson is spent on repertoire -that is - singing songs. I will gladly assign songs to a student, but also welcome the student's input. Students are encouraged to bring in songs they WANT to sing. Repertoire can be almost anything - an Italian art song or aria, a favorite hymn, a folk song, a jazz standard, or even a song you have written.
Time is also spent on relaxation techniques, stretching, and "waking and loosening" the body. The body IS the instrument, not metaphorically but in physical reality, therefore addressing a student's habitual level of tension is crucial.
Studying singing should be magical and enlightening. Like most things in life, art requires discipline and hard work, but the joy of singing should not be lost in the process of studying singing.
Lessons are tailored to you, the student. How we work together depends upon where you are in your vocal development and what your specific goals are in taking voice lessons. For instance, I like to work at a pace that challenges a student and fosters growth, but I do not want singing to become overwhelming or stressful. Pace varies from student to student, and even from day to day with the same student. Where you are "at" is respected at all times.
Questions are welcomed and encouraged. Singers play an instrument they can't see. And an instrument that in some ways they themselves must build. Plus, everyone's body, while similiar, is also different. In light of this, I have found questions from my students invaluable to the learning/teaching process. Ask me anything. Not because I have all the answers, but because it is an excellent way to stimulate growth and understanding.
My experience as a performer informs my teaching in several different ways.
Fourteen years of classical/operatic study /performance deeply informs my attention to the crucial building blocks of singing - range, tone, resonance, diction, and breath support. The decipering of the musical language is also addressed, specifically the essential elements of melody and rhythm.
I perform professionally as an actor. My acting training and study of the speaking voice allows me to offer instruction in two crucial areas regarding singing.1) The art of bringing a song to life- telling the story. 2) Bridging the speaking voice with the singing voice.
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