Sam Jones

For the last few years, I have been teaching at schools in the Boston area, as well managing my own private vocal studio. In my lessons, I place an emphasis on teaching healthy vocal technique through contemporary music. Where as many voice instructors rely heavily on Italian art song (which is in my play book), I find jazz standards and well-curated pop and musical theater to be a more modern and approachable genre for students to explore their own voices. My curriculums have been based much in my student’s interests and tastes, and I shape each individual student’s experience around them. These include: world music, RnB and musical theater. For example, one of my past students was very interested in Whitney Houston and the “diva” sound, but was having trouble being that they were a tenor. For their development, we focused mainly on healthy belting placements, as well as working through their “break” and connecting their belt to their falsetto.

My teaching philosophy is very much that of empathy. I believe that the voice is an extension of a person’s whole being. Stress will find its way into a person’s singing. As an educator, one must be in-tuned with the student’s desires, hopes, fears and anxieties. A good voice instructor navigates these to achieve powerful results with their students which is the standard I hold myself to.