I came to Cathy a decade ago and I never looked back. My first thought was that this very engaging and talented woman was a diamond in the ruff, and my second thought was of shear gratitude for being fortunate enough to have found her. She is not only a voice teacher with tremendous ability to help build your pipes, and reach notes you never thought possible, she also has an uncanny way of zeroing in and unveiling your layers to the deepest core. Prior to working with Cathy I had a fairly extensive career as a professional in musical theatre. However I had abandoned that part of myself for 20 years while raising a family and all that goes with it. I had all but forgotten who I was as a woman, let alone who I was on stage. Then enters Cathy Gabrielle.... And the rest they say is history. She taught, I listened, she began to peel down the layers like an onion, and I shed like crazy.... And then I grew... And grew .... and to this day I am happy to say I'm still growing. I learned from Cathy how to go back to basics and become my authentic self again. I learned how to just stand still and strong and communicate through song... Is there anything better?! I think not. Cathy gives to every one of her pupils from every fiber of her being. Yes her very extensive vocal knowledge is impressive, but I believe equally important is her quest for helping you explore and find your awareness ..... And working with her throughout the years I did... I found awareness in my life, and on stage again. I am happy to say that I have gone back to performing on occasion when I can, and I can also state without a doubt, I have never felt stronger or more at home in that realm. One has only to gain in working with this magnificent lady. Vocally and spiritually, allow yourself to be taken on a ride ... And what a glorious ride it will be!!! read more

I have been very fortunate to be a private voice student of Cathy's for the past 4 years and counting. I write "counting", because I can't imagine I will ever study with another voice coach besides Cathy for as long as I am lucky enough to be her student! All of the other reviews of Cathy are completely accurate, as not only will she take your singing voice and range to places beyond what you thought capable, she also becomes like a spiritual teacher and life mentor to help you become the most authentic, genuine, grounded and truthful expression of yourself on and off the stage. Cathy truly has a passion and immense gift for teaching, and she understands singing from the most fundamental foundations to the most subtle emotional aspects of performing a song. I am very fortunate to make my living as a singer, and Cathy is brilliant at creating unique versions and perfect interpretations of songs for my gigs and performances. She is the most talented, generous, wise person I know, and I am blown away by how Cathy has changed and matured my singing voice in the past few years. She has cried with me during break through's in lessons, and supports me and believes in me beyond the gratitude I could ever express to her. If these reviews of Cathy are not enough to convince you of how lucky you would be to study voice with her, please contact me through my website (www.leighsings.com), and I will personally share about the immense ongoing transformation of my singing voice and personal life from being a student of Cathy Gabrielle. read more

In my six years of studying with Cathy, I not only became a more engaging and effective performer, I also evolved into a person who was more capable of sharing the part of myself that I wished to share with the world. I believe that this is the true yearning of any performer; to connect on a human level with others and to be able to express that energy inside of yourself that is wanting to be seen and heard. Cathy has the intuition and the experience to see the potential in you that you cannot yet see in yourself and to see that part of you that wants to express itself. As your teacher and coach, Cathy will consistently empower you to take risks to reach a higher level of personal and technical awareness and ability. I feel it was essential to (1) take a private lesson with Cathy to sharpen my technical abilities and (2) join Cathy's class for a practical application of these techniques, as it allowed me to immediately test out my new understandings of vocal technique on a willing audience. It is a joy to be a part of Cathy's class, as her students naturally follow Cathy's lead in being respectful, professional, and nurturing. If you are ready to let go of preconceived ideas of what you should be as a performer in favor of sharing challenging and uplifting experiences of true growth, work along side Cathy. read more

I've been studying voice with Cathy for 4 years now and it has been worth every hour, every penny, and every lesson. I looked around Los Angeles quite a bit before studying with her for someone who could teach acting, singing, and movement, someone who didn't pump out singers that all sounded the same in the end. Cathy's that teacher. She takes your natural strengths and fills in the gaps in time. She's committed to craft but she also has the rare gift and wisdom to attend to the person. I've seen her ability to work with students of all levels, to take them to their limits and beyond countless times. This is why I've stuck with her after studying with several teachers. She knows how to help people change. She's concerned about people and sharing the gift of song, not with feathers in her cap or talent searching. She helps you find talent or helps you to create it. She's the real deal. She has an extensive background in Musical theater and operatic performance, and she has taught craft as an entirety all along. If you want to become a performer she's the teacher to go with. She'll teach you how to embody a song, to identify with it and to really sell it. Most teachers I've met teach only voice, she'll teach you how to make others react in their seats when your singing. read more

As a professional accompanist, musical theatre director and composer with many years of experience in various genres and aspects of music, I have the utmost admiration for all that Cathy gives to and brings out of in her students. One might call her a miracle worker: in reality, she has the technical expertise as well as spiritual intuition to motivate each and every student to create their own "miracle", through their serious commitment as well as pure enjoyment of the art of singing. And she is so much more than just a voice teacher and director of musical theatre classes - she is able to guide each student to what they really need the most, through their own personal growth that comes from showing up, working the voice, the music, the acting and stage movement and choreography, the interpretation of every lyric, each and every word. Cathy is unique among all the teachers I have accompanied over the years - a living treasure right here in Los Angeles! read more

It's almost impossible for me to write a "review" about Cathy, because she is SO MUCH MORE than a teacher. If you study with Cathy, she will be -- without hesitation -- the best vocal instructor you can find, but she also will become your champion, guru, inspiration and life-long friend. You will NEVER find another teacher who cares more about her students, period. Cathy has boundless energy, an enormous repertoire, unbelievable amounts of patience and the uncanny ability to hone in on exactly what YOU, specifically, need to work on in order to best express yourself through song. And she won't just change your voice; she will change your life. Over 15 years, I have seen how she has helped countless students -- from complete beginner to seasoned professional -- become their best selves: on stage and off. Her teaching is THAT holistic. I wish I could give her more than 5 stars... read more

I have had the pleasure of working with Cathy for almost 10 years! I work with her both in her Monday night Advanced Musical Theatre Class as well as privately. Self taught, I had been singing Gospel music since I was a teenager. When I showed up in her class I had no clue what I was doing much less what musical theatre was. Over the years she has peeled away the layers of bad habits that I had picked up along the way and helped me to reveal and develop my true voice. All those years I went around thinking I was a bass baritone. Underneath all of the muck, I was a tenor. Who knew? Well, Cathy did. Through many hours of hard work, she helped me see it too. If you would have said that one day I would be able to perform these great big opera and musical theatre numbers, I would never have believed you. Not in thousand years! Cathy is truly an artist of voice! read more

I am not a professional singer, but I go to Cathy for voice lessons and I'm in her musical theater class for fun. Cathy is amazing! She helped me widen my vocal range and strengthen my vocal power. I get to experience performing on stage every week, with spotlight and all. Sure, my classmates are the audience, but once a year we perform for the general public. That in itself is quite an experience. But aside from that, Cathy is very insightful and gives personalized remedies to improve yourself. She really cares and helps you unearth facets of yourself that connect you to the song you are singing, and voila! There you are, singing with your heart and soul. And the best thing is that whatever progress you make are carried over to your personal and professional life! I've been with Cathy for 6 years and continue to improve. I highly recommend her! read more

Studying and performing with Cathy as my mentor and guide totally changed my life. I gained confidence and was finally able to express my creativity and explore my talent in her classes. I discovered the joy inside myself and I learned how to share it with an audience. All this after the age of 60! I always marveled at the tremendous energy and intensity that she was able to access and share with every single student. I saw people who could not carry a tune learn to sing on key with her help and guidance. Her classes are like being part of a creative family, held together by her love and devotion to her students. If that weren't enough, the classes are also fun! My life has been made better by having the privilege of studying with Cathy. She opened doors I never even dreamed existed. read more

Cathy is simply amazing! I have been in her class for more than 10 years and have enjoyed every minute and learned so much! She really cares about each student and caters to meet you where you are. She pushes you to be your best because she cares and knows your full potential, sometimes better than you know yourself (or think you know.) Her lessons go beyond the stage and into our lives. I am more confident in myself on stage and everywhere else because she helped me come out of my shell. If you love musical theater, want to grow as a performer, need a place to sing and express yourself or simply want to learn something new, I highly recommend working with Cathy! read more

I have had the pleasure of working with Cathy for 3 years now and wish I had met her years ago! The combination of private voice lessons and the weekly performance classes has encouraged amazing vocal growth in range and quality while never allowing the message and meaning of the songs to suffer behind the screen of vocal acrobatics. She creates a safe, family atmosphere in the class that gives one the confidence to show real emotion. That's the gift that's often missing and so very necessary in performing. I would recommend her to anyone looking to grow in the ability to communicate, while performing or just in life. read more

I've always had a small voice. I tried some lessons in college but learned very little, except that I should hang it up because, as I was told, women's voices mature at age 24. Evidently, whoever thought that one up never met Cathy. Quite a few years later some friends introduced me to Cathy's class. She never takes "no" or "I can't" for an answer. I'm living proof that, yes, you can! I now have volume, I am able to reach notes I thought were not possible, and I can walk on stage and perform confidently by myself, without hiding behind a guitar or a chorus of others. Who knew? Cathy did. Thanks Cathy! read more

I have studied with Cathy for almost 11 years now, she has brought out the best in me. I am able to perform in ways that I never thought possible. I am excited to see what the future with her brings to my voice as well as my ability to communicate with the audience. She works with each individual on their skills and talents and helps you to build on what you already have. read more

This woman is a miracle worker. She took me from mousy "choir singer" to strong confident soloist with a vocal range from F3 to Bb5. Her expertise and repertoire blew me away, and I can't believe how hard she works for her students -- providing opportunities to perform, and support and encouragement every step of the way. read more

Cathy has done so much to make me not only a better singer but also a better performer and a better person. Private work with focuses on vocal production but class focuses more on performance -- digging deep and really communicating. Cathy challenges and encourages tirelessly and with great devotion to every singer. read more

Forget what you think you can sing. Forget what you think your range is. Forget your idea about your acting ability. If you have an inkling that you'd like to try musical theatre or return to it, you'll want to study with Cathy. She'll take you far beyond what you think you can do. read more

This is my studio and I want to add that private lessons are available by appointment. Private lessons by appointment Reasonably priced ** 1/2hour lesson - voice ** 1 hour lesson - voice & repertoire w/professional accompanist see: cgabrielle.com/cgw_lessons.htm read more