Dena Murray Vocal Technique Teacher And Coach
About
I give 100% of myself to every single student. I am dedicated to making sure my students find their real voices and get what they came to me for. I am not a performer. I am a true"teacher" and it is my sole focus. I am also one of the only teachers around that can fix pitch problems. Most voice teachers will won't take on a student with pitch problems because they don't know how to fix them and tell the student they must be tone deaf. I don't beleive that anyone is tone deaf unless they have actual hearing loss. I know that pitch problems are often a result of bad habits and a lack of development of the muscles and cartilages that control the entirety of the mechanisms in play. My techniques are rooted in science which enables the student get a good understanding of how everything is supposed to work, and work together. I am also a very compassionate person and because of it, I am very sensitive to the needs of my students.
I am "over the moon" each and every time a student shows improvement and knows this for themselves. Nothing excites me more than when I can see a student is really "getting it" and realizing this for themselves as well.
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
To any student seeking voice lessons, I encourage you to take just one lesson with me to see if we are a right fit. This way it gives you time to think about whether or not you would like to continue.
The first lesson is a kind of diagnostic lesson. This is the lesson that gives me, and you, an idea of what the issues are and what we need to work on. It is also an introduction to how I teach and the techniques I use to help you find your real voice, fix any pitch problems, increase your range, bridge any breaks so that the voice is seamless from top to bottom, and how I work on breath control and support.
I have found that most problems are a matter of bad habits and it is my job to point them out and instruct you into EXACTLY HOW to go from bad habits to the right way to sing. Right way is easy but you won't know that until you experience this for yourself. I can guarantee that you will experience some degree of ease and freedom within a first lesson.
Should you decide to continue, you can either take lessons once a week for a discounted rate by paying by the month, or take lessons just twice a month which does not come with the discount rate.
I hope you will give me a chance to show you what I can give to you. I'm quite passionate about my craft and committed to making sure you get what you want.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I was trained by Vladimir Shustrov and Helen McComas
I have a Bachelor of Science is Speech from Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
If you take lessons once a week and pay-by-the month, the rate per one hour lesson is discounted to $60.
If you take less than once a week, the rate goes up to $80 per one lesson hour.
How did you get started teaching?
I was born with a gifted voice and started taking lessons when I was 16. I'm a natural born teacher so before I turned to teaching singers how to sing correctly and with ease and freedom, I taught dramatic literature at high school level. Years later I decided to take voice lessons again because of my love for singing. I also joined a choir at that time. Two lessons into taking lessons with the coice teacher I took lessons with when I was 16, she made me an offer I couldn't refuse. She wanted pass all of her years of experience teaching vocal technique on to me so that I could become the voice teacher she believed me great enough to become.
Shortly thereafter, she introduced to the Director of the Vocal program at the Musicians Institute and I became the lead vocal technique instructor. I taught all of the teachers the techniques so we could all be on the same page and I also wrote the curriculum for that progarm. I worked there for 12 years and left in 2006 to work at home.
What types of students have you worked with?
Beginners and professionals, but I do not teach anyone under the age lof 18.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
Anytime one of my students shows improvement and is happy about how much progress they are making, I consider this an "Event". So I can't name just one event I am fond of or proud of. I can name several. I am semi-retired now. That means I have plenty of time to really invest in my students, making sure they get everything they hoped to get from taking lessons with me. And I am quite fond of every single student I have ever taught. I consider it to have been an honor and privilege to teach them, and to come to know them.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Committment is of utmost importance. It takes that to find your real voice. It takes work. It takes practice. It takes the deep desire to learn how to be able to sing the way you always dreamt that you could, or instinctively knew was in you if not for the obstacles you've encountered. You have to want this for yourself, otherwise you will never get what you came to me to get. And I really want to be the one to help make that happen for youUESTIONS.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Think about the difficulties you are having when trying to sing with ease and freedom and ASK ME QUESTIONS!! There are no stupid questions. Ask any question you have about your voice and this process and I am happy to answer them.