Singing lessons in Northern Virginia

October 27, 2013 10:26 AM

Does anyone have recommendations for a voice teacher in the DC area, preferably Northern Virginia? I'm a 58-year old male lead singer in a band. The band does mostly rock and country, with bluegrass and Great American Songbook stuff thrown in for good measure. I'm interested in extending my baritone range (I don't have a head voice or falsetto at all) and increasing power and volume. A couple of years ago I bought Roger Love's Set Your Voice Free, and I practice the vocal exercises daily, but that's the extent of my formal practice.
posted by Johnny Wallflower to Media & Arts (4 answers total)

Best answer: I have a friend who does singing lessons on Capitol Hill. PM me, and I can pass on your info to her. I don't know if she's taking new students right now, as she is singing in a production through December, but she might be able to recommend someone. It seems to be a pretty tight-knit community.
posted by ereshkigal45 at 12:55 PM on October 27, 2013

Jeez, I'd love this information too. One of my friends uses a voice teacher here in DC who is totally booked, and now she's stopping to go to grad school. Shortage of voice teachers here it seems.
posted by Thistledown at 5:28 PM on October 27, 2013

Best answer: You might inquire with the Washington Music Teachers Association or the Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association, as a starting point. And I think you're going to have to interview several teachers, and find one willing to work with your professional goals and repertoire, alongside their traditional teaching repertoire. Learning head resonance, projection, falsetto, vibrato, phrasing and breath support, and other techniques may be best accomplished with exercises and material outside your normal musical interests. Learn the techniques, train your voice, and then adapt your new skills to repertoire.
posted by paulsc at 1:25 AM on October 28, 2013

Response by poster: Thanks for your help, everyone. I'm off to interview some teachers.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 12:21 PM on October 29, 2013