| GENERAL
INFORMATION
Our
teachers who teach one-on-one private lessons are private contractors.
We refer students to them, and they rent teaching space from us.
They all manage their own rates and schedules. When you call or
visit the music school office for a teacher referral, we will give
you one or two names and phone numbers. If the first teacher(s)
don't work out for scheduling or any other reasons, please ask us
again, as we have a number of instructors.
Most
lessons are given in our studios at the Piedmont Piano Company,
at the corner of Piedmont Avenue and Pleasant Valley Road. Some
of our teachers also teach at another location certain days.
For
the telephone number of a teacher on this page, call
510-652-1222 or email
oaklandharmonyroad@yahoo.com. |
VOICE
TEACHERS
(alphabetical order)
Cynthia
Rogers Baggott
Cynthia is a performer, teacher and Registered Drama Therapist who
believes everyone has an innate ability to sing. She enjoys working
with all ages and levels of vocal students. Her lessons provide
a supportive and fun environment for exploring “your voice”
and the joys of singing. An associate of the prestigious Voiceworks
Method, she has nine years experience teaching voice, theatre and
self-presentation.
Elisabeth
Commanday
Elisabeth
Commanday's warm soprano and generous stage presence have graced
stages from Parma, Italy to her native Oakland, CA. She recently
moved to Berkeley from New York City, where she earned an MA in
music from Hunter College. Operatic roles at Hunter ranged from
Monteverdi's Poppea to Anna Maurrant in Kurt Weill's Street Scene. She
sang the national anthem in Radio City Music Hall at Hunter's 2005
commencement exercises, upon invitation from the college president. In
demand for her expressive interpretation of new music, Commanday
has premiered works by Eric Moe, Bettina Sheppard, and Alan Smith.
Last year she helped to create Sheppard's score for the collaborative
musical Trumnovela at New York City's Barrow Street Theatre. She
recently debuted with the new music chamber ensemble Volti. Commanday
holds a BA in Comparative Literature from Swarthmore College, and
maintains a growing voice and piano studio in Berkeley. Visit Elisabeth's
website.
Lea
Centauri
Lea Centauri began singing at the age of four in
her church in Long Island, New York, and has been singing in choirs,
ensembles, musicals, operas, and in many venues and with all kinds
of music, ever since. She has performed in seven countries so far,
and has taught in several countries as well. Lea teaches classical
music as part of a well rounded musical education, but helps every
student to find her or his own voice and technique.
Lisa
Goulder
A published songwriter, vocalist, and keyboardist, Lisa began her
musical training in classical piano. She majored in arranging and
composition at Berklee College of Music in Boston and later taught
for many years at The Blue Bear School of American Music. She has
performed as a vocalist and keyboardist all over the Bay Area in
jazz and rock bands including Dreamland and The Lisa Goulder Trio.
Lisa teaches private lessons in voice and piano, theory, and songwriting.
She also teaches rock workshops and pop harmony vocal classes.
Jan
Nichols
Jan Nichols is a pianist and vocalist with 35 years performing and
teaching experience. She studied piano at the Chicago Conservatory
and De Paul University and has performed throughout the US, Canada,
Mexico, and Asia. Jan has worked in a variety of musical styles
including jazz, swing and big band, and pop. She toured with Brazilian
performer Walten Wanderly and was in the Executives, the backup
band for the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars in the late ‘60’s.
Her philosophy is to encourage individual creativity within a framework
of theory, technique, and musicianship while always encouraging
artistry and fun. She specializes in beginners and intermediates.
Melanie
O’Reilly
Melanie is a performer/songwriter from Ireland who is a visiting
professor at UC Berkeley for the 2004-2005 year. She holds an arts
degree from University College Dublin, and studied theatre at the
Brendan Smith Academy in Dublin. She is accredited by both the Guildhall
School of Music & Drama and Goldsmiths College in London for
jazz singing and improvisation. She has won numerous awards from
the Arts Council of Ireland, was nominated as Best Contemporary
Female Singer by Irish Music Magazine, and is a regular performer
on radio and TV. Teaching, she specializes in Irish traditional,
jazz, and musical theatre. She welcomes pupils of all levels and
ages.
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