Michael Lance Russell
About
Dr. Lance R. is a Professor of Music offering private lessons online and in New Braunfels, TX. He received his B.M. and M.M. in Vocal Performance from the University of South Florida, and a Ph. D in Music Theory, with a related field in Vocal Pedagogy from the University of North Texas. His greatest expertise are as a vocal coach for all styles, and in training general musicianship skills. He also offers lessons and coaching for saxophone, piano, songwriting, and voice therapy. Lance offers a comfortable learning environment for students of all levels, from those who have never sung, picked up a saxophone, or touched a piano in their lives, to active performers looking to reach that next level.
Teaching Style
Musicianship Skills and Ear-Training: Lance has years of experience teaching students how to become fluent music readers and to easily navigate difficult musical passages. His methodology includes instruction in solfege, musical theory, and composition.
Vocal Technique Development: Lance has specialized training to detect and correct anything that may be getting in the way of a healthy, musical singing sound.
Curriculum
For adult students seeking to learn to read music and about basic musical concepts, Lance has written his own text, How to Read Music: The Fundamentals of Musical Notation, which is available in a digital format. He also creates his own custom materials for use during lessons.
For child piano instruction, Lance recommends Alfred's Basic Piano Course Lesson Books. For adults, Bartok's Mikrokosmos piano collection may be used, available for free on imslp.org.
Credentials & Affiliations
Doctor of Philosophy in Music Theory, related field in Vocal Pedagogy, University of North Texas, 2020
Masters of Music in Performance, University of South Florida, 2012
Bachelor of Music, University of South Florida, 2011
Dallas College, Music Faculty since 2019
Society for Music Theory Member
Barbershop Harmony Society
