Shepherd Song Studio

Shepherd Song Studio

5.0Exceptional(14 reviews)
Offers online services
Offers online services

About

Laura Shepherd is a passionate and skilled teacher of singing, offering private voice lessons to young people and adults since 2005 on the Eastside of Seattle. Most of Laura’s students are high school students performing in musical theater productions, singing in choir, and generally loving music. With an exceptional background in performing and teaching music, including musical theater, classical, jazz and folk styles, Laura is an excellent teacher for the beginning to advanced singing student, age 10 to 110.

Singing is one of the most personal, most vulnerable forms of human expression. We each have a unique voice, and sharing it with other people through song can be the most precious gift we can give. I love to sing, and I love helping others find their voice and learn how to sing.


Highlights

Hired 2 times
1 employee
9 years in business
Serves Renton , WA
Offers online services

Payment methods

Credit Card, Cash, Check, Venmo, Stripe

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  • Reviews

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    ~2

    ~ 2.

    I took private voice lessons with Laura during Junior High and High School and it was so worth it. She is really great at knowing how to tackle your voice and what pieces and warm ups will help you the most. She also was wonderful at helping me get ready for any auditions I had coming up with theatre, choir, and college! Best of all, she is generous and makes you feel comfortable, knowing that voice lessons can be a scary thing! I am currently in my fifth year in college and still to this day she is very helpful whenever I need her. I know I can contact her about needing some sheet music or tracks or anything else. She is stuck being my voice teacher forever!
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    May 03, 2021

    ~2

    ~ 2.

    Laura is amazing and, without a doubt, the best voice teacher I have ever had. She is both fun and focused, she is flexible with her teaching style so that people of all learning styles can flourish, and she listens and adjusts if you tell her something isnt working. She has been both teacher and mentor to me, and Im thankful every day that I had the opportunity to learn from her.
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    May 03, 2021

    ~2

    ~ 2.

    Before I started private voice lessons with Laura, I was nervous and lacked confidence every time I sang - I dreaded it in auditions. But after a couple of weeks working with her, I could hear my voice improving by leaps and bounds and became both a better and more confident singer. I learned so much from her about voice technique, placement and my voice in particular, and had a great time doing it. Her sweet, lovely presence creates a great environment for her students and we can all tell she loves what she does. We still meet up when I am in town and she is still a great mentor and friend to me and all her students.
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    May 03, 2021

    ~2

    ~ 2.

    I trained with Laura for five years before leaving for college, and we still get together over breaks to catch up. She is one of the most caring teachers I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. She is incredibly knowledgeable about vocal training and placement, and was wonderful at finding music to fit my vocal abilities. She also records each voice lesson, so I was able to listen and evaluate myself between sessions. Her laugh is also contagious. Highly recommend!
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    May 03, 2021

    ~2

    ~ 2.

    What I like the most is that Laura teaches my girls that what really matters is how you feel about yourself, not whether you have pleased others. Teaching kids to love and value themselves and the uniqueness of others is her greatest skill. Two of my daughters have taken voice lessons with Laura, and they have thrived under her guidance. She is both professional and fun! I greatly appreciate her flexibility in working with their individual voices, personalities, and goals. I also appreciate that she is always prepared for the lesson, keeping notes and providing detailed assessments. My girls have each been fortunate enough to have roles in professional theatre productions and Laura has helped them not only through the audition process, but also has helped them prepare challenging pieces prior to the rehearsal process beginning so they arrived feeling confident and prepared. Laura is reliable, kind, organized and a very gifted singer herself.
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    May 03, 2021

    ~2

    ~ 2.

    Laura Shepherd is the sole reason I attended the New England Conservatory of Music. When I was 12, she became my first voice teacher and the first person to encourage my passion for music. With her careful guidance and incredible tutelage, I found my voice and what I love doing most. Not only is she an amazing teacher, but she is also a tremendous person, mentor, and friend.
    ... Show more
    May 03, 2021

    Frequently asked questions

    We will start with goal setting and understanding your experience and interests. Then I will get a sense of your voice by hearing you sing some exercises and/or songs. We will choose pieces to work on based on your goals and skill development needs. I will set you up with access to warm up and exercise tracks as well as practice tracks for your songs, and away we go!

    Laura’s parents both have performing backgrounds, so it makes sense that she took to the stage.  School plays and musicals were Laura’s passion all the way through 12th grade.  At the recommendation of a high school choir teacher, Laura started taking voice lessons, studying classical and musical theater repertoire.  Her theater and music teachers also guided her into leadership roles, and Laura’s first professional teaching gig was as the Musical Director for a summer performing arts program at her high school.  That experience was life-changing, and as a result, Laura applied to and enrolled in the Music Education program at Oberlin Conservatory.  Laura completed the Double Degree program, receiving undergraduate degrees in Music Education and Theatre from Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music in Oberlin, Ohio. 

    Laura began teaching group singing classes at Studio East, Training for the Performing Arts in 2001, and established her private teaching studio in 2005.  She became a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), Puget Sound Chapter in 2009, and served on the Puget Sound NATS Board 2016-2020.  In 2021 she joined the Tahoma NATS Chapter.  She has engaged in many workshops and conferences through NATS and other organizations to increase her knowledge and skills as a singing teacher, including the Bel Canto Can Belto Voice Pedagogy intensive through Penn State University.

    My students usually commit to the school year and pay tuition monthly, $236-$299 based on lesson length and frequency.  My single lesson rate is $80/hour, $68/45 minute lesson.

    Find a teacher who sings and teaches the style of music you love to sing most.  Take a lesson with the teacher you think might be a good fit, and see how the two of you communicate.  Do you feel comfortable?  Do you have fun in the lesson?  Did you learn something you can use long-term in that first lesson?  

    Think about the goals you have for lessons, and articulate them to possible teachers.  Ask how they can help you meet your goals.  Ask them what kind of practice schedule you should set for yourself.  Then ask yourself if you can meet that practice schedule.


    Services offered

    Singing