Geoffrey | Teacher #2175

Teaching Philosophy

I believe anyone can improve their singing with the right teacher and right approach. Every person has a different voice and learning style, so each person requires their own personalized form of vocal instruction in order to improve. Over the past several years, I have had the pleasure of teaching students of all ages and a wide variety of musical backgrounds, and I can say with confidence that I am proficient and experienced at tailoring each student’s lessons to suit their needs efficiently and effectively. // I am a strong believer that people sing best when they work on music that inspires them. This includes songs across all genres; although I am a classical singer professionally, I have taught a variety of styles to my students including musical theater, jazz, and blues. Regardless of style, strong technical foundations are important to singing well, so I teach classical foundations that are applicable to any type of vocal music. // My teaching has been greatly informed by my musical upbringing. I began my studies as a cellist, and I later started studying voice through my love of singing in musicals and choirs which eventually led to my discovery and passion for opera. I continued my musical education at University of British Columbia (M. MUS, B. MUS), and I supplemented these studies with programs in Italy, Germany and the Czech Republic. All of this training together has given me a strong understanding of vocal technique, musicality, musicianship, languages, and repertoire. Additionally, I have sung professionally with a number of companies in North America, including Calgary Opera, Vancouver Opera, and Portland Opera. These professional experiences have also further honed my abilities as an interpreter of text, which also allows me to teach students techniques in stage performance, text analysis, and acting.