September, 2007
We are proudly celebrating our one year anniversary!
I hope you all had a great summer. I'm very excited about our second year here in Sicklerville. We have so many exciting things going on, I don't know where to begin.
New Policies
We are adjusting our policies a bit to make things easier. Basically, you will be charged a flat rate per month based on 4 lessons. The fifth week that pops up 4 times a year will be free. We will use these for your make-ups when you have to cancel through-out the year. Certainly we will continue to move lessons when given appropriate notice. We also will be offering Master classes that can be attended as make-ups for lessons missed during holidays. Please refer to our new "Lesson Cost & Policies", for exact pricing and full details. PLEASE NOTE THAT AN ANNUAL REGISTRATION FEE OF $25 IS DUE AT YOUR FIRST LESSON THIS MONTH.
New Teachers
I'm very excited about our new teachers we've added to our faculty.
Elizabeth Shin
- BA of Music Summa cum laude in Music Ed with Piano Concentration from Esther Boyer College of Music of Temple University.
- Certified teacher of music K-12
- Bachelor of Fine Art from Moore College of Art.
- Graduate credits towards MME from Temple University and Westminster Choir College .
- The Gordon Institute for Music Learning Mastership Certification Level 1.
- Middle year general music class instructor at Cherry Hill district.
- Former vocal director at Summer Drama Camp for Cherry Hill Recreation Department.
- Former Musical Director of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Glassboro , NJ .
- Over 20 years of piano instruction experience.
Elisabeth will be teaching piano and working with our Musical Theatre Classes.
Jerry Perna
- Professional actor/coach/playwright/singer of some 25 years experience.
- Graduate of the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco
- BA Communications, Cabrini College
- Appearances include everything from film/video & national commercial spots to over 75 appearances on stages across the US, in Canada and Eastern Europe.
- Accomplished playwright whose play-with-adapted music, SEVEN MEN FROM
NOW is an upcoming DVD to be released in 2008 by THE NEW CENTURY
TELEVISION network!
- Guest Lecturer-Temple Univ. Film Dept-"Acting For Film Directors"
- Guest Actor/Teaching Asst.-Drexel Univ. Film Dept.
- Activities Asst.-Int'l Fest. Of Children's Theatre-Annenberg Center
- Guest Facilitator-Senior Community Services of Delaware County, Pa.
- Consultant to ARM/Cinema 25 Pictures Inc., Philadelphia, Pa.
Jerry will be teaching our Acting 101 classes, musical theatre classes, and private coaching sessions.
Acting Program
As I evaluated our first year, I have decided to scale down our acting program a bit to concentrate on the classes that are in the highest demand. We have renovated our two most popular classes; Acting 101 & Musical Theatre. Here is a brief description of the classes:
Acting 101 (Ages 10 years old-Adult)
Want to be an actor or actress? Explore the world of acting from stage to screen! Learn the basics of placement, dialogue, dialects, monologues, auditioning, improvisation, acting on camera, and the most popular acting techniques. These are on-going classes with a monthly tuition. We will feature our students who are ready, in our showcases. Private coaching is also available in developing these skills.
Musical Theatre I (Ages 8 years old - Adult)
This class focuses on the three aspects of musical theatre: singing, acting, and movement. Special attention will be paid to improving vocal production, building characters, and using the body as a form of expression. Selections from various Broadway musicals will be learned to utilize these equally important performance skills. Emphasis will be placed on preparation for musical theatre auditions and performances. Class members will work with a musical director [teaching solos, duos, and group songs, vocal coach [teaching technique for songs taught], and an acting instructor [teaching technique, audition skills, movement, and blocking].
We will feature our students who are ready, in our showcases. Private coaching is also available in developing these skills.
Speech Level Singing Pre-Certification
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| Bill with Seth Riggs |
Many of you know that I am constantly continuing my education in vocal technique and performance. Last year I began studying and working with the Speech Level Singing Technique. I was so impressed with the power and results of the technique I decided to become certified to teach the technique. I am currently going through the one year process of becoming a certified teacher. Part of that process includes traveling to NYC every 4-6 weeks for training.
Speech Level Singing is a way of using your voice that allows you to sing freely and clearly anywhere in your range, with all your words clearly understood.
Since you are not learning what to sing but rather how to sing, you can apply this technique to any type of music. Created by Hollywood vocal coach Seth Riggs , Speech Level Singing (SLS) is a revolutionary vocal training technique that maximizes your vocal abilities in any style of singing.
From Opera to Rock; Jazz to Pop or R&B, over 120 Grammy award winners use it. SLS has also been practiced by Academy Award winning actors and industry leaders to perfect their vocal presence and empower them in speech.
For more about Seth Riggs and his technique please visit this internet address:http://www.sethriggs.com/index.htmlsit
For a list of SLS Celebrity Students please visit this internet address: http://www.speechlevelsinging.com/client_list.html
Speech Level Singing Summer Camp
Wow! What an awesome time I had in L.A. California at the SLS summer camp. Ten action packed days completely filled with performing arts training. Each day I had a private vocal lesson with a SLS master teacher [level 5]. In addition I enjoyed a full day of classes and lectures from experts and professionals in the world of music and musical theatre. Here is the list of classes and instructors:
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| Bill & Michael A. Aczon |
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Music Business Boot Camp
Instructor - Michael A. Aczon - The Author of "The Professional Musician's Legal Companion".
Topics of discussion included copyright law, recording contracts, what managers and agents do, understanding songwriting royalties, on line sales and marketing, the dollars and cents of playing live, how
Producers and musicians are paid, and much more. |
Staging and Presentation
Instructor - Jamie Jones with the band ALL-4-ONE Jamie shared his methods and philosophies of performing a song. His friend Wayne Brady showed up a few days to share some of his views on performing. Great class! |
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| Jaime Jones & Wayne Brady |
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Singing for Eternity -
God's Gift, My Ministry
Instructor - Rick Muchow -Worship Leader
Saddleback Church - Christian Worship Songwriter and Recording Artist whose has recorded 9 CDs. Rick's songs are sung in churches all over the world.
Many of you know that I am involved in the leadership of the worship team at The Word Church, in Williamstown , NJ . I learned so much from Rick Muchow and his son Brandon [a new Christian worship artist/songwriter who just released his 2 nd CD] concerning the lifestyle of worship, the art of signing worship, writing praise songs, as well as the business of organizing worship at a church. |
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| Rick Muchow, Brandon Muchow, & Bill |
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| Penny Framstad & Bill |
If I Knew Then What I Knew Now
Instructor - Penny Framstad - Penny's songs have been in such hit films as "White Chicks," and"10 Things I Hate About You" as well as TV hit shows, "Summerland," "Everwood," "Las Vegas," "Dawson's Creek," "Roswell," "Providence," "Jag," "The Real World," "Starting Over," and many more. Most recently, "The Heart Has a Mind of its Own" was featured in the promo for "The Office." She has co-written songs with Grammy Award, Academy Award, and CMA Award winning songwriters and has shared the stage with major recording artists in such venues as The House of Blues, The Viper Room, The Bluebird Cafe, and ASCAP's "Quiet on the Set" with Sixpence none the Richer. In MP3's heyday, Penny was rated #1 in pop and rock with over 247,000 downloads. Penny teaches at Seth Riggs' Hollywood Summer Camp, The LA Recording School, The Learning Annex, and privately. This class taught the basics of the art of songwriting. Penny is a sweet person who is eager to help young singer/songwriters get their career going.
She taught us much!
We also had excellent lectures each day by experts in the business:
Seth Riggs
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| Boco Suzuki |
Boco Suzuki -He has been the musical director of numerous Broadway productions including Rent, & is presently the music Director for the traveling production of Wicked. Great lecture concerning what goes on behind the scenes on a major Broadway production.
Dr. Nessari - Ears, Nose, & Throat specialist who has worked with many celebrities. He discussed the pitfalls and dangers of unbalanced singing. Jeff Jampol - Manager of the band, "The Doors."
Dave Kusek - author of "The Future of the Music Business
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| Rachel Lampa - Lori Kibbe - Stacie Orico |
Rachel Lampa & Stacie Orico - Both are Contemporary Christian Artists who have crossed over into secular music with their message.
Robbie Nevil - Robbie Nevil burst onto the music scene in 1986 with the infectious "C'est la Vie," which climbed into the Top Five on the American pop charts. However, Nevil had actually been a working songwriter prior to making a name for himself as a solo artist. Having played guitar since the age of 11, Nevil cut his teeth in a series of cover bands, eventually progressing to performing his own, original material. In 1983, he signed a publishing deal and managed to place tracks on albums by artists including the Pointer Sisters, El DeBarge, and Earth, Wind & Fire (whom had been an early influence on him). By 1986, Nevil had signed a recording deal with Manhattan and proceeded to record his debut with producers Alex Sadkin and Phil Thornalley.
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| Robbie Nevil & Rob Seals |
Buoyed by the lead single "C'est la Vie," his self-titled debut sold well enough to push into the Top 40 and spawn two more hits, "Dominoes" and "Wot's It to Ya" (which became his second Top Ten single). It would be four years before Nevil would release his sophomore effort, A Place Like This, and its sales failed to come close to his debut, although he did manage to scratch his way into the Top 40 when "Back on Holiday " peaked at number 34. Day 1 followed a year later, but received even less attention. His own recorded output since then has been limited to compilations, but he has continued to write and produce for artists like Babyface, Jessica Simpson, and Destiny's Child, focusing on the development of the careers of others. Tom Demalon, All Music Guide
Christmas Showcase 2007
We are looking forward to our annual Christmas Showcase presented on Sunday, December 16, at 3:00 P.M. Our rehearsal is scheduled for Tuesday, December 11, at 7:00 P.M. Both the show and rehearsal will be at The Grand Theatre on Main Street in Williamstown. Tickets will go on sale late November.
Please check out our website for up-dates.
Well I hope I haven't worn you out with all this info. I wanted you to be aware of all our studio related news. We have a wonderful year planned & look forward to sharing it with all of you.
Best Regards,
Bill Stokley |
