LessonswithBenjaminCallan.com

LessonswithBenjaminCallan.com

4.9Exceptional(11 reviews)
Top Pro
Offers online services
Top Pro
Offers online services

About

I spent five nights per week on stage for 25 years singing musical theatre. I have over 30 years of performance, production, direction, recording, and on stage experience, having performed in literally hundreds of shows.

Contact two me one directly four if six you seven are nine truly eight interested. I zero will NOT seven be responding secondarily two through lessons, since they charge me extra to speak with students who have selected me, when I have already paid for the initial contact.

I studied acting and music at Santa Fe University of Art & Design, and have studied with Carol Burnett & Samuel L. Jackson. I have more than 20 recordings out and own my own recording production studio, with multiple rock/pop/broadway/country albums released. I am also a licensed high school theatre and music teacher.

As for on stage, I teach focus and relaxation. I am skilled at stage pesentation and method/emotional based acting & singing. I play piano, drums, & guitar. I am an accomplished writer, composer, and public speaker.

My teaching philosophy is passion, performance, comunication based.. skills that will help in any carreer you choose.

What I enjoy most about teaching is watching the confidence and skill level of my students as they grow. Those "a-ha" moments, where they have a breakthrough and get that amazed look in their eyes, like, "I never thought of it that way before," is the best!


Highlights

Current Top Pro
Hired 56 times
4 employees
11 years in business
Serves Plano , TX
Offers online services

Specialties

Experience level

No experience, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Acting venue(s)

Theater, Improv theater, Musical theater, Film, TV episode, TV commercial, Radio, Not applicable; lessons are for personal interest

People in group

1 person, 2-4 people, 5 or more people

Acting focus area(s)

No specific focus, Hone diction and enunciation, Expand vocal range, Strengthen vocal projection, Refine vocal expression, Develop specific accent(s), Develop specific dialect(s)

Students goals

To prepare for an audition, To build confidence, To explore as a hobby, To continue professional development

Acting type(s)

I can make recommendations, Scene study, Cold reading, Method acting, Classical acting, Voice-over, Improv, Physical theater and movement

Student's age

Under 5 years old, 5 – 10 years old, 11 – 13 years old, 14 – 18 years old, 19 – 25 years old, 26 – 45 years old, 46 – 65 years old, Over 65 years old

Photos and videos


  • Reviews

    0.0
    0 reviews
    5
    0%
    4
    0%
    3
    0%
    2
    0%
    1
    0%

    CMW

    Carmen M W.

    He was great at teaching vocal lessons. His experience in the business is obvious. I recommend his expertise
    ... Show more
    May 17, 2021
    Hired on Lessons

    TS

    Terah S.

    Knew Ben was a good fit from the beginning. We’re excited to have him share his one of a kind talent with our son and to see him grow. Thanks Ben!
    ... Show more
    December 17, 2020
    Hired on Lessons

    TR

    Tammy R.

    My daughter is 12 years old and she needed help with her singing and acting skills in order to audition for a couple of musicals. After working with Ben, she now is a better singer and has been able to get the acting parts in the musicals she wanted. I highly recommend him for lessons.
    ... Show more
    February 02, 2019

    IJ

    Iyad J.

    Very knowledgeable, great at explaining what I need to work on, and overall very nice person.
    ... Show more
    January 28, 2019

    SP

    Surya P.

    Great guy, easy to work with. Knows his stuff
    ... Show more
    January 28, 2019

    Photo of Rand N.

    Rand N.

    Ben is a consummate professional who really knows his stuff!
    ... Show more
    January 09, 2019
    Hired on Lessons

    Frequently asked questions

    I tailor my lessons to the needs of the student.  For music, I like to get the student playing right away, since actually playing a song is the fun part.  For acting, I like to start my lessons for new students with the audition process.  How to present yourself well if public speaking is your interest,  and then begin working on a specific performance to increse you skill level.  

    Whether you want to increase your audition quality or increase your overall performance skill level, I'm your teacher!!!

    I have degees in both music and acting from Santa Fe University of Art and Design.  I also studied world music, composition, creative writing, and both digital and analog recording production.  I am a recently certified high school theatre and music teacher, with over 25 years of professional, nightly, onstage performance experience and countless live and studio recordings.  I also have a degree in music production and technology, and own a recording production company, which has produced hundreds of CD's and live shows.

    $30/hour introductory lesson

    $50/hour regular rate 

    $25/50 minutes online COVID 19 special

    After a 25 year, successful performance carreer, I decided it was time to come home and spend time with my family here in the Dallas area.  I went to school and added a teaching certificate to my degrees, taught as a theatre director at a high school in Dallas for one year, and decided I could do the most good teaching privately.  I actually find teaching as rewarding as being on stage.

    Adults, teenagers, and kids of all ages.  Most with proffessional aspirations, but many others pursuing performance as a hobby as well.  I'm currently working with 2 autistic students.  I have students in Acting, Voice, Piano, Music, Composition, Recording Production, and Public Speaking, like debate, mock trial, wedding toasts, & corporate presentations....

    -I just went and saw 4 of my students in their high school production of Grease, I've never been so proud.July 30, 2019....        

    -Today I was more proud!  I finished my week long musical thetre workshop with David Geist, I met and hung out for a while with the legendary Betty Buckley, & I pulled off a showcase performance with my students that I could not be more proud of ever!

    -Just had one of my freshman students cast as a lead in UIL over the seniors she was up against.They advancedand she got a best actress acknowledgement, too bad COVID ruined UIL this year, or she'd have won state!

    Make certain your teacher inspires you, that's the most important part of it all.  You can work with the coach every week, but how they inspire you to work on your own inbetween lessons is what's most important.

    What they want to accomplish, what is their motivation, and how offten they want to work with their coach, based on their budget and desire.  Set goals to accomplish, and then accomplish them!


    Services offered

    Guitar
    Piano
    Singing
    Acting
    Drum
    Voice Acting
    Public Speaking
    Bass Guitar
    Reading
    Speech
    Music Theory
    Djembe
    Audio Production
    Synthesizer