Francesca is an outstanding vocal instructor. To name some of her attributes: she is highly experience, has mastery of the Bel Canto system of instruction and technique, an outstanding gift for teaching, a deep understanding of the proper use of the vocal instrument, and a passion for passing on the art of singing. The Bel Canto technique, as Francesca teaches it, trains your body to naturally enable the proper function of the vocal instrument. The voice will then produce its most beautiful sound, just like a fine tuned, and well maintained musical instrument will. Both the breathing exercises and the vocalizes are essential to the process and work together for this purpose. This system is dependable. It will keep the vocal instrument at its best. The voice will grow and reveal more and more of its beauty as the vocalizes and breathing exercises are practiced. I love that this system is straight forward and really works! Nevertheless, from my experience in having a teacher as excellent as Francesca, I can see that to achieve success a skillful teacher to teach the Bel Canto system is as essential as the system itself. Teaching Bel Canto is more than teaching vocal exercises, it's passing on wisdom. With Francesca I'm learning how to identify for myself when something is out of line and how to apply the knowledge she has passed on to me to think of the most natural solution. I knew singing shouldn't feel as hard as it did for me, but I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. I always struggled with finding songs that "I could sing". My voice felt trapped, weight down and restricted like a prisoner in heavy chains confined to a tight cell. Oh how I wanted freedom for my voice! From my first lesson with Francesca I had the sense that "this was it". I was finally going to understand so many things about beautiful singing that had me puzzled for so long. When Francesca described to me what my voice would grow to be I was hopeful and skeptical at the same time for it seemed impossible. Now, singing feels easier than ever and I am singing songs I never would have seriously considered an option for me. I can now see how possible it is for my voice to grow into what I never even dreamed it could be. read more

Francesca has been such a gift in my life. I have been singing for many years and more recently have been suffering from vocal fatigue and just general discomfort from singing. I never like voice lessons. I always thought they were boring and I always felt like my throat was sore after them. I would get light headed, my ears would clog. Something definitely wasn't right. The first lesson with Francesca she said, "Here are the breathing exercises and the vocalizes, you have to do them everyday or you won't see results. " At first I was somewhat skeptical but also intrigued. I like to refer to her method of training as mouth pilates. She will get you to train your mouth and throat to do what it needs to do to allow your voice to gain it's strength and to allow it's beauty to shine through. I have been studying with her for about 7 months. And when I sing, I feel powerful, I hear colors I've never heard before and I am so excited to see what the future holds for my voice. Francesca is also one of my favorite people I have met in my life, she makes me laugh, she pushes me when I need it and I know she cares deeply about what she does and my journey as her student. I recommend her highly to any singer out there looking to improve their health and vocal ability and feel so lucky that I was able to find her so close to home. read more

Sonoma County is very lucky to have a vocal instructor of Francesca's caliber. She teaches the fundamentals of technique based on a well-established system of instruction. Prior instructors would just have me bring in a song to work on and then we'd chip away at it by trial and error - my voice never really improved. Francesca, by contrast, is a professional singing teacher. She has an uncanny ability to explain what is happening with my vocal mechanics (tongue, palate, breathing, etc) and articulate what I need to do differently. She teaches through an effective system that provides essential structure for learning and practicing. The impact her instruction has made in my singing (and even speaking) voice has been dramatic. In addition, she is a lovely person who is enjoyable to spend an hour per week with. I recommend her without reservation. She is amazing! read more

I don't believe you'll find a better vocal teacher in this part of the world. I was performing regularly in a rock band and became concerned I might be damaging my voice, when a lucky Google search lead me to Bel Canto Studio (Francesca Motisi). I then began the journey of learning how to use my voice as an instrument. Francesca teaches a time honored method of singing that requires dedication, focus and work. I now sing with more control, more range, more strength and less effort and fatigue. People began asking me what I was doing to improve my voice - audiences, friends, bandmates - the difference was noticeable. She is helping me reach the true potential of my voice, which is a huge gift. I continue to take lessons with her, learning and improving by leaps and bounds. If you're serious about singing, in any style, Francesca is an invaluable resource, and I can't recommend her more highly. read more

Francesca is a voice magician. I came to her in the summer of 2020 having not really sung for a couple of years, but at a place where I knew it was something I wanted to pursue. Francesca Is a teacher who brings joy, discipline, and heart in to every lesson. It has never felt easier to sing then it does now. I came to her as a beginner in the opera world and I still have a long way to go, but her lessons ultimately got me a spot at a great opera academy in Florence, Italy that I will be starting next fall. I could have, and I mean this whole-heartedly, never gotten to a place where I even thought going to opera school was possible, with out her. She taught me to find the beauty in my voice again, and I am positive that any future students she has will be able to find that same glimmer. If you're looking for a voice teacher who is dedicated and will help you succeed please look no further, you've found her. Francesca is quite simply, the best. read more

Francesca has been my instructor for over 4 years now and there is no one else I trust to actually teach REAL and proper technique (I would know I have tried several instructors here in this area). Singing is like any sport plus the added difficulty of it being a wind and string instrument as well. If you want to legitimately learn how to sing and realize the beauty within your own voice then Francesca is the right teacher for you. My vocal range has expanded by an octave, my breath has improved to support tone, and I am able to produce beautiful notes effortlessly (with proper technique)without pushing or damaging my vocal chords. She completely changed my life. read more

Hello reader! The short version of my review is that I highly recommend taking singing lessons with Francesca. I am a 26 year old male. I sang in choruses and a cappella groups from 2010-2014. I always had a good voice, but it lacked the rich, resonant, room-filling quality that I've always found most beautiful. At this writing I have had seven lessons with Francesca and have made very rapid progress toward having the voice I've long wanted. Francesca's approach to singing is very simple. Singing is a skill just like any other. As you train the muscles in your abdomen, jaw, mouth, etc. singing becomes easier and more relaxing while the quality of your voice becomes richer and more beautiful. The trick is finding someone who knows precisely how you should be training your instrument and who can identify (by sound and by sight) where your technique needs modification. Francesca is that person. If my voice starts to sound strained or pinched,or anything else, Francesca knows why and has various phrases and imagery to help me understand what I need to be doing. She provides students with a set of both breathing and singing exercises. Every week we go over the singing exercises, refining my technique, identifying areas of growth and of drift into bad habits. The benefit of going over the same exercises every week is that I am learning to self-diagnose my own problems. I know how the exercise should sound and feel, so if I'm doing it wrong I notice. I'll be leaving Sonoma County for grad school in a few months, but I'll still be able to make progress with my voice because I now know how to practice and have this self-feedback method. I should mention that Francesca is a professional singer herself who studied with (and gleaned her methods from) a distinguished Bel Canto instructor. She knows her stuff. Plus she has a great sense of humor and isn't afraid to be silly in the name of helping you understand an important technique or concept. I leave every lesson feeling like I got my money's worth and feeling enthusiastic about my progress. Francesca's instruction has made serious, solo performing a real possibility for me, and I expect singing will be a pursuit that will enrich my personal and professional life for many years to come. read more