Brian is hands-down one of the best vocal coaches out there. He really understands the anatomy and…read morescience behind singing, and he explains what's happening in your body in a way that makes it easy to understand and recreate on your own. He's not cheap, but he's absolutely worth it if you want to learn efficiently instead of spending money on endless lessons that don't move the needle. I've been learning from him for almost a year, and I've learned so much more in that time than I did in four years at another studio. Thanks Brian!!

A little update here on yelp. It's only been four lessons, but I just wanted to take a moment to…read moreappreciate you by saying thank you very much for doing what you do!!! Music has always been there for me through many difficult parts of my life, but I've always felt like there was this gap between music and I that I could never close. I never felt like I had any talent to immerse myself, or further myself in it. Always just singing to myself, or when I'm alone, because that's the only time I have the courage to explore my voice. I have to say I've never felt this great singing before and it's only been four lessons. This year for me is big on self investment and rediscovering myself and where my interests/passion lies. You've gotta take some risks in life sometimes and taking a chance on vocal lessons with you has been by far one of the best decisions I've made in a while!. I'm still super stoked and I'm looking forward to what's to come!! Thanks voice dad!

Joel is so great to work with! He is very friendly and funny and his teaching style is very…read morehelpful. Highly recommend!!!

I'm an actor currently based in New York, but I work with Paloma in LA as well, and she has helped…read moremy acting career tremendously. From mastering cadence and vocal technique to helping me find and replicate the voice of Malcolm X, she has an incredible understanding of the actor's instrument. She stays true to the fundamentals while bringing a real sensitivity to artistry, finding innovative ways to help you discover breath, voice, rhythm, and use your instrument to its fullest ability. I recently wrapped a TV show, have a Netflix film coming out next month, and we literally just finished another session today preparing for what's next. I'm grateful to have Paloma on my team, and anyone who gets to work with her is blessed to have her on theirs.

Within 3 months Aretha has transformed my singing! Not only she helped me understand and master…read morevocal techniques better, she made me feel empowered and confidence by challenging me to sing in different genres and styles. I look forward to lesson with Aretha every week. Singing in a studio where I can hear my voice through a microphone clearly is definitely very helpful ! She gives me the exercises that caters to my voice, and have different ways to help me get 'that' note. I learned to appreciate the vocal art much more through her guidance, listening to healthy and soulful singing. Highly recommend Aretha for anyone who looks for a coach that inspires you to continuosly train and master the arts of singing!

Aretha Scruggs vocal coaching has been the BEST thing I've EVER done for my voice! She is a…read morespectacular vocalist and incredible teacher. I am a professional vocalist myself, and I've been experiencing various vocal issues. Within one 45 minute lesson, Aretha had my voice connecting and relaxed, and I was able to sing and find notes that had been gone for weeks. She is incredibly intuitive, experienced, educated and compassionate. I have studied with many? many people and I can comfortably say that she is the best. Also, you do not have to be a professional singer to benefit from her expertise. Anyone who is a public speaker, a school, teacher, pastor, or anyone who uses their voice can benefit from her techniques and practices. thank you so much Aretha and I can't wait to work with you again!

Forbsey is an amazing vocal coach! She's knowledgeable, encouraging, and makes every less and…read moreenjoyable. Do the intro lesson with her and you'll notice a big improvement in your voice and confidence, like I did all in the first lesson??- YES!! I'm getting answers here that I couldn't from months of YouTubes. Highly recommend.!!

I began working with Forbsey over a year ago now. I don't have a yelp and have never used it before…read more-- but this woman has completely transformed what I am capable of and, so, I had to come here and add myself to the praise around Forbsey. She's a vocal magician and will change your life. It will not only serve your voice, but will enhance your confidence and composure. I'm a better performer all around because of her.

I had such a great time working with Mary Helen and 100% highly recommend her if you're considering…read morevoice lessons. I worked with her weekly for about 9 months and improved every month I was there. I've always loved singing (privately)--in the car, shower, and around the house--but wouldn't consider myself a singer by any means. I'm more an enthusiastic beginner with no previous singing training. I signed up for lessons because I wanted to get better at karaoke. And a few months in, I had a karaoke work event, and I ended up getting so many compliments on my voice! A lot of this is down to the skills and practice I'd done with Mary Helen. I improved much more than practicing on my own. It was so helpful to have someone with voice training listening to me, picking up on things I might not notice about my own voice, and giving me supportive and non-judgmental feedback and suggestions. Something I hadn't even thought was possible is that my voice started to naturally develop vibrato in the very last months of working with Mary Helen, which I thought was so cool! (And something I never thought I'd be able to do!) Lessons typically start with a series of warm-up vocal exercises and end in practicing a song together. For the song, we'd typically begin by learning it without words, then after a few sessions adding words, then later singing with accompaniment (that's where you sing with just instrumentals). Singing with accompaniment was especially hard/new to me, since it's so different than singing along to a song on the radio, where you'd have another voice to help guide you. I love that this was part of the lessons, and it felt like a great skill to add to my vocal toolkit. Mary Helen was supportive, answered all the questions I brought to our lessons that I'd collected as I practiced throughout the week, and provided a non-judgmental atmosphere where I felt comfortable experimenting. I never sang such high notes in my life (nor did I realize I could sing that high), and often did things with my voice that might've sounded a bit funny to me, but Mary Helen was always supportive and said it was all part of practicing and learning new things. It's not often in my adult life I've gotten to grow new skills in the same way I did in the 9 months of lessons with Mary Helen. I really cherished our time together. I still have so much to learn and hope to return to lessons once my finances even out a bit more. But working with Mary Helen also gave me the confidence to keep practicing on my own. Definitely consider signing up for lessons if you're looking for a non-judgmental place to practice singing!

Excellent personal coach. Really helped my daughter get out of her shell and sing. Thanks.read more

My four year old has been going to Molly over the past few months and she is both having fun and…read morelearning great technique! Molly is able to keep up with all of her favorite Disney songs while also pushing her to learn new things. So glad we found Molly - she's the best!

Best vocal coach ever!!! Molly coached me for a few years and drastically improved my voice and…read moremade sessions so fun. Can't recommend her enough :)

Ela is a great coach. I came with no guitar and singing background and want ro be able to play a…read moresong plus singing with it within a short period of time. Ela helped me made a plan based on my needs and schedule. I definitely won't be able to do this without her! I would highly recommend her :)

recommend her. I'm a beginner and after just a few lessons, my band leader told me I sounded much,…read moremuch better! She helped me with exactly what I needed to improve on and let me choose my own songs to work on. She is very patient, knowledgeable and professional.

We spent months in a music school and Emmalee was not processing or learning in the pace we were…read moreexpecting. We discovered Dr. Olena's music school by walking in. She has a dual doctorate degree in theory, vocal, and music. She has over 40 years experience in teaching. Dr. Olena is calm, professional, soft spoke & works very well. Emmalee learned how to properly sit, place her hands, play the piano, and read notes in a short amount of time. We highly recommend Dr. Olena, her price is generous for the degrees she holds. If you want to learn piano and or vocal, Dr. Olena's experience and credentials speak for itself.

Taking singing classes here has been one of the best decisions I've made. My teacher is incredibly…read moreencouraging and supportive -- she knows exactly how to make you feel comfortable, even if you've been shy about singing. Each class feels uplifting. She celebrates every bit of progress and helps you find your own unique sound with so much patience and positivity. I leave every lesson feeling more confident, inspired, and proud of myself. If you've ever wanted to sing but didn't know where to start, this is the perfect place.

As a professional actress/singer from NYC, finding an extraordinary vocal coach is a needle in a…read morehaystack. I've seen over 30 coaches and Emily is BY FAR the best. She truly understands the anatomy of your unique voice and will tailor the lesson based on your needs. She is also an incredible vocalist with a deep understanding of all musical styles. The vocal adjustments she taught me were life-changing. I was in LA for three months rehearsing for a contemporary new-musical. During rehearsals, I was having a lot of trouble with placement and breath control. I needed to see a coach ASAP. New to LA, I had no idea what to expect, but thank god I found Emily on Yelp. We trained nearly everyday to the point where she had improved my voice so much, our company's director asked who I was learning from in LA. She then signed on as the production's official vocal coach. The improvements are instant. I've seen vocal coaches who are over $350 an hour and don't put in half the effort as Emily does. She makes sure every note, every word, and every phrase is exactly how you want to sound. I was blown away by her ability. She also has one of the most angelic singing voices I've ever heard. It was such a joy to learn from her and to hear her sing. I cannot recommend her enough.

I met Emily about a year ago. I've gone through a few instructors and I thought she was incredible…read morefor me. She focuses the first third of the class on vocal exercises that train proper techniques. Then, she dives into your 1-2 pieces afterwards. She's more of a vocal coach and trainer than a lecturer, which is awesome! There were several instructors in my past experience that would take a lot of time demonstrating and explaining when I really just need to try it myself. She's also such an incredibly kind, responsible person. I didn't have a lot of formal training experience growing up. I started group lessons in college as a fun elective. I took it for several semesters and performed within the class. After graduating, I started getting more obsessed with singing. I wanted to improve my voice and found Emily! I definitely noticed my singing voice improve within the last year. I'm sad she left to LA!

Patricia is a brilliant Renaissance woman. She is what you get when you mix technical excellence…read moreand style with humility, compassion, and a lifelong commitment to the craft. She is simply the best! I feel incredibly lucky to have met Patricia and begun my singing journey with her. I've been a student at Studio Shanks since 2018, when I was fresh out of college and looking for a voice teacher who could earnestly teach me how to sing. At the time, there were flashy online ads for folks that could "make you a superstar" and all of it felt so loud and nothing seemed to fit. At one point Patricia returned my call. Immediately I knew that she was the right teacher for me. It was obvious that she is not just naturally fun and easygoing, but also a true technician when it comes to the craft of singing. It's been a few years since we began working together. I've discovered that singing is something that can be learned at any age. It requires hard work, but it can be done. Luckily, Patricia is entirely dedicated to the growth and success of her students. Knowing this makes it much easier to bring my own effort during and between classes. I am honestly amazed at how, despite having worked with many respected luminaries in the field, Patricia remains humble and always with a sense of humor that puts me at ease. She is everything that comprises a professional artist and educator. What I love most is that she cuts through the noise and focuses on pure foundations. That means that she is able to work with vocalists ranging from the most contemporary pop styles to opera to musical theatre and beyond. All kinds of singing require the same basic knowledge of healthy and safe vocal techniques. At Studio Shanks, everything counts and everything matters. Thank you so much, Patricia!

Thank you very much for communicating. I would love to take singing lessons with you.read more