Studio Information

Private Studio Lessons with Jane

Contact Jane to inquire about private voice lessons or vocal coaching. Students take weekly lessons for either 30, 45 or 60 minutes.

Online Lessons 

All lessons are online using either FaceTime or Skype for video, and FarPlay for audio. Most students will need to improve their microphone, and use headphones or earbuds to avoid feedback.  Ideally, students should connect directly to their routers with a cable for the best quality, and to improve latency.

Studio Policies

When a voice student schedules a private lesson, they are making a commitment to attend those lessons on the arranged day and time throughout that month. Lessons are taken weekly, and paid for in advance on the first lesson of the month, which guarantees the lesson slot and encourages consistent instruction.

Cancelled Lessons

24 Hours’ Notice  You may reschedule a lesson if you give at least 24 hours’ notice of cancellation and complete the make up as soon as possible; preferably within 2 weeks of the cancelled lesson.

Lessons cancelled under 24 hours’ notice cannot be made up.

Online Technology Challenges  You may reschedule a lesson with less than 24 hours’ notice if you have a technology related problem such as a power outage, loss of internet access, or broken equipment. 

Teacher Cancellation

In the event of teacher cancellation, the student can request either a credit, a refund, or can make up the lesson if there is an available time slot.

Stopping or Suspending Lessons

If you stop or suspend lessons before the semester has ended, current or former monthly tuition cannot be refunded or credited on a pro-rated basis.

Expectations, Practicing & Supplies

Online Lesson Setup and Preparation

• Microphones The tiny microphone on your earbuds/headphones, or the internal one in your PC are not always the best means for capturing the sounds of the singing voice. A stand alone microphone produces a truer vocal sound that helps me to teach you more effectively. Also, as you improve, the sounds you are producing can overdrive the internal mics causing distortion. Many of you may be ready to add an external microphone to your online lesson setup.
• Headphones Wired headphones are the best choice for listening during your lesson. They do not have to be expensive, as you are listening mostly to my speaking voice. Some wireless (Bluetooth) earbuds may work fine, but it can add to the delay since they are sending data “through the air.” Remember, you need to plug your headphones into the device running Cleanfeed, in order to avoid feedback.
• Ethernet Cable If possible, plug an ethernet cable from your computer running FarPlay directly into your router. This is ideal for getting the best possible sound sent through the internet. Connecting to your router on others devices (i.e., tablets, phones) can be more difficult, so I would recommend using a computer, if possible for FarPlay. Ethernet cables should be no longer than 100 feet, and are fairly inexpensive. If your computer does not have an ethernet port, you will need an adapter, and they are usually reasonably priced.
• Lesson Space  Students need to find a space in their home that allows them to stand with good posture during their lesson, and something to place their music on so they can view it without lowering their head or chin (an inexpensive folding music stand would suffice). If you must sit in a chair (due to physical restrictions or lack of space), make sure it’s stable, with your feet flat on the floor. Please avoid using any kind of office chair.
• Lesson Prep Students should warm up their voice before their lessons, have their music ready, and have learned the notes to their song(s). Warm up exercises are available at VocalFitnessTraining.com

Practicing Vocal Exercises

PLEASE NOTE: Students must continue to practice exercises, even if they are learning songs, so they will continue to improve their vocal technique.

Students are expected to practice vocal exercises a minimum of 15-20 minutes a day, 5 days a week. As a student progresses, or depending on their ability, that amount of vocal exercise practicing may increase to 30 minutes or more.

Sheet Music and Supplies
All students are responsible for purchasing their own music. All students should expect to invest in, and begin building a music library of songs and song collections.

Students training in the musical theater genre will create and maintain an audition or repertoire book.

When the Studio is Full

During peak seasons (fall and winter semesters), availability can become more limited, and it can cause scheduling challenges.  When that happens, prospective students are put on a waiting list.

*Students who come in mid-session will pay a monthly fee based on the number of lessons taken per month, which may differ from the tuition listed above. Contact Jane for more information.