Contemporary Voice Studio

UA-22911180-7Contemporary Voice Studio™

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New York
North VirginiaContact us in:

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A Studio for Contemporary Singers

of All Ages and Levels

Welcome!

If singing is your passion and you want to be the best you can be, you need to study with the best teachers possible. The Contemporary Voice Studio™ was founded on the idea that singers deserve real answers about their vocal questions, they deserve a positive fun atmosphere in which to learn, and most of all they deserve instruction that makes them drastically improve. Too often, that doesn't happen and singers feel like they will never reach their goals. The Contemporary Voice Studio™ is changing that. Click above on "New York" or "Virginia" to set up an appointment with one of our instructors in New York or Virginia to find out how.

What they're saying

"Matt has taught me more than any voice teacher I have ever had. Matt is the first voice teacher I have ever had that actually makes you understand clearly different placement of the voice. Also Matt is so good with class time, I have never got so much done in one lesson before."

"I've been a student with Amanda for almost 1 year and she is one of the best teachers I've had in her ability to listen and focus lessons to hone the skills that need improvement. Plus, she keeps it fun and flexible to your interests and objectives."

-Pat Donnelly

" Jackie and Matt have so much knowledge of music. They have helped my daughter with skills that will last her a lifetime. We are lucky to have them..."

"Amanda is a pleasure to work with and I often consult with her about my artists' vocal performances". - Dave Rosenberg, Producer at Red Light On Productions

"Matt Edwards didn't change the way that I sing; rather, he met me exactly where I was. Matt taught me that singing, when done using the proper techniques, can be nearly effortless. Being a rock singer (and naive), I thought that a voice coach would try to change my sound, but he didn't - he showed me how to enhance my natural sound and to work with what I've got. Not only is Matt a great vocal coach, he is a trained performer. This is clear in a lesson with him - he gives great performance advice. I can honestly say that I owe a lot to Matt; his tailor-made lessons helped me to be successful on American Idol. He gave me confidence and showed me what I needed to do to be as good as I can be. He is a great coach and I recommend him to anyone who has any interest in singing."

"Anyone in NYC in need of voice lessons? I just had a lesson with Amanda Chmela today- best lesson EVER!!! Message her for rates and scheduling." -Facebook Post by Juliana Brady, Public Relations at MadCap Collective

"I can't believe the progress you've made with her in the short time we've been coming. It's truly amazing!" -Bonnie Wilson

"Within the window of a year, Jacqlyn Zito and Matthew Edwards took my performance abilities to a new level. More than being exposed to their progressive, yet simplistic approach to vocalizing in a range of styles, I now possess an awareness of all that it takes to survive in the theater world. I would recommend both of them to any young artist with a strong dedication to their art form, seeking trust & guidance in a vocal teacher or coach."

Taking voice with Jacqlyn Zito and Matthew Edwards, I've grown as a performer as well as a person. From them I have learned not only the fundamentals of becoming a performing artist, but I have also learned lifelong lessons. Their wonderful instruction and dedication to all of their students has inspired me to follow my dreams and achieve my goals. I would highly recommend Jacqlyn or Matthew to anyone willing to learn and

mature in their quest to become an exceptional performing artist.

"Working with Matt Edwards has been a fantastic experience. Not only does his artistic career inspire me, Matt encourages me to reach my goals and live my dream. It's because of Matt that I was able to accomplish my first dream - recording a demo."

"I feel a big difference in my mixed voice now. I reach high notes without forcing my voice yet its richer than a falsetto."

"I cannot even begin to explain

how much I have grown"

"...completely revolutionalized my voice,

confidence, and outlook on voice."

"My vocal technique and style has improved

greatly. I have a new found appreciation

for my voice and my career"

"I learned a lot of interesting, fun, and unique things about my voice that no other teacher has ever taught me. The way he pays attention to the most idiosyncratic details makes me want to always work with him."

Real Solutions for Real Results

About

CCM

Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM) is a term that has been given to describe any of the genres that are not classical. This includes pop, rock, jazz, R&B, country and musical theatre.

Somatic Voicework

Somatic Voicework (TM) is a scientifically based method for teaching contemporary commercial music (CCM) singers. Rooted in voice science and therapy, the method teaches students to use their natural voice in a healthy way directly related to the type of music they like to sing. SVW founder Jeanette LoVetri has been a fixture in the voice science research community for over 30 years and has published numerous articles and research papers about Broadway and contemporary singing. There are over 300 SVW teachers in the United States teaching privately and at many of the world's leading conservatories. Through monthly meetings in NYC with Jeanie and through online chat rooms, those of us who teach the method share the newest research findings, industry news, and teaching ideas with each other meaning you are always getting the most up-to-date vocal teaching available.

Classical Technique

Up until the mid 1980's there was a lot of classically based singing on Broadway. So up to that point if you could sing classically, you could sing what was on Broadway. Rock singers were just seen as out there on the edge singing unhealthy so no one ever bothered to work with them. There are a lot of myths out there that scientific research has proven wrong in the last 10 years. We now know, thanks to science, that singers can belt in a safe and healthy way. We also now know that many styles that were once thought to be damaging are actually perfectly fine to sing as long as you do it in a healthy way which is exactly what Somatic Voicework (TM) does.

Lesson

We strive to teach our students how to use their voices in a healthy and functional way. Lessons consist of vocal exercises that not only strengthen your voice but also help to increase vocal range and ability. In addition to working on vocal exercises, we also work on becoming more aware of body tensions that have an adverse affect on the vocal mechanism. We then choose songs that you like to sing (we'll help you choose if you like) and we work on applying the new techniques to the songs. Additional training on mic technique, audition preparation and performance technique is also offered in lessons. By getting to know you and what you want to do with your singing, we'll come up with a personalized plan to meet those goals.

What is Contemporary music?

We use the Somatic Voicework (TM) method to help get you results.

I heard that if you could sing classically, you could sing anything; is that true?

What happens in a voice lesson?

Faculty

Matthew Edwards , founder of the Contemporary Voice Studio™. Educated at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Louisiana State University. Faculty at Shenandoah Conservatory. Former faculty at SUNY Cortland and Hartwick College. Extensive experience in recording studios with Pop, Rock, Country, Metal, and R&B singers. Former students performing throughout the U.S. in rock bands, on TV& Film, on Cruise Ships, at Theme Parks, and in Regional Theatre, off-Broadway, and on Broadway. Workshops throughout the U.S. on "Healthy Belting", "Teaching Pop/Rock", and "Auditioning for College"

Jackie Zito , co-founder of the Contemporary Voice Studio™. Educated at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Louisiana State University. Former faculty at the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra Conservatory, Center Stage Performing Arts Conservatory, Binghamton Conservatory. Extensive experience in musical theatre, pop/rock, and opera. Former students on TV, singing in bands, peforming in regional theatre and on Broadway, and having fun performing locally from community theatre to Karaoke nights across the United States.

Amanda Chmela , head of the New York branch with locations in Manhattan, Long Island, and Binghamton. Raised in Lindenhurst, NY, Amanda received a BFA in Musical Theatre from SUNY Fredonia. She also holds a MM in Opera Performance from Binghamton University and was certified in Somatic Voicework™ from Shenandoah University. This past fall, Amanda joined the faculty at Binghamton University as an adjunct professor in the music department where she teaches Singing and Auditioning for the Musical Stage and Music Fundamentals.

Workshops

Looking for a Masterclass for your organization?

Our faculty are available for a wide range of masterclasses including:

Healthy Belting

Singing Pop/Rock

Teaching Pop/Rock

Auditioning for College

How the Voice Really Works

Vocal Health

Crossing Over (Classical to MT)

We are also able to create a class to fit your organization's needs. We also enjoy working with performing arts schools to create a business plan for building a summer or weekend workshop around one of our topics.

Franchise

Contemporary Commercial Music is the fasted growing segment of vocal performance. In 2008, Opera America Companies in the United States and Canada sold $318 million in ticket sales. During all of the 2009-2010 season, Broadway shows and Broadway tours alone sold close to $1.6 billion. At the same time there are approximately 672 schools offering degrees in some sort of classical voice and only 112 offering degrees in musical theatre. As far as pop/rock based schools are concerned, there are less than 10.

If you are interested in joining our team and being on the leading edge of voice teachers in the United States by owning your own branch of the Contemporary Voice Studio™, we'd love to talk to you. Through specialized training you will learn how to teach contemporary vocal styles in a healthy, scientifically based way, that produces real results.

To learn more fill out the contact from below and someone will contact you to discuss becoming part of the team.