Lessons

Rachel teaches students of all ages and abilities. Please email Rachel to inquire about rates and available lesson times. Rachel's studio is conveniently located near Sheridan and Foster in Chicago, IL. Rachel's is easily accessed from Hwy 90/94 and is steps from the Red Line (Berwyn stop).

Rachel's teaching specialties include:

Teaching children to sing, contemporary singing technique, belting technique, musical theater singing technique, contemporary and commercial music, beginning piano, combination piano and voice lessons and classical technique.

Education: (For more information, see Rachel's Resume)

MM, Vocal/Opera Performance , University of Wisconsin-Madison

BA, Vocal Performance, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison

BA, Acting Specialist, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison

Rachel has also taught voice at Cornerstone Music Academy of the Arts in Los Angeles, CA, Student Teaching Division for University of Wisconsin-Madison, Music and Movement for Madison School and Community Recreation, and Madison Summer Music Clinic (specializing in broadway performance, classical vocal technique, and posture), and currently teaches private lessons in Chicago, IL. She has also conducted choirs for Saga Cruise ships Passenger choir (England) and the Christmas Choir for Peace Lutheran Church, Racine, WI. Rachel also presently teaches music at Gymboree in Chicago, IL.

Rachel is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and the NATS Wisconsin Chapter as well as a past member if Sigma Alpha Iota. She is also a member of Chicago Cabaret Professionals.

TUITION:

Monthly tuition is due the last week of the month for the upcoming month. Payments may be made in cash or by personal check, payable to your instructor. Credit card and PayPal payments will EVENTUALLY be available online. If you are unable to attend your lesson during the last week of the month, please mail your tuition check to your instructor or pay online by credit card or PayPal before the first of the month. Tuition is non-refundable.

ATTENDANCE:

Consistency is very important in the study of music. Regular attendance at your weekly lessons and practicing between lessons is crucial to your development as an artist. We require 24-hours’ notice to cancel lessons. If less than 24-hours’ notice is provided, students will be charged for the missed lesson. Students who cancel lessons often, even with the 24-hour notice, may be charged a $10/hour cancellation fee.

ILLNESS:

In consideration for the instructor and others, students should not attend lessons when ill. Please notify your instructor as early as possible if you must miss a lesson due to illness. 24-hours’ notice is preferable, but when this is not possible due to sudden onset of illness, please call first thing in the morning on the day of your lesson if you must cancel.

DISCONTINUING LESSONS:

A minimum of two-weeks’ notice is required to discontinue lessons. If less than two weeks’ notice is given, the student will be charged the tuition fee for two additional lessons. Tuition fees are non-refundable.

MATERIALS:

Voice studentsshould bring a 3-ring binder, and a pencil with them to each lesson. Your instructor will give you music and study materials to keep in your binder. These are your best tools to use for practicing between lessons.

HOLIDAYS:

The following holidays are observed. Students will not be scheduled or charged for lessons on these days: New Year’s Eve New Year's Day Easter Sunday Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Eve Christmas Day

Students and parents are asked to understand that, because all of the instructors continue to be active performers, occasionally scheduling conflicts arise, making it necessary to re-schedule or suspend lessons for a short time. In these cases, ample notice will be provided, and every effort will be made to offer make-up lessons.

MUSIC AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT:

"The word is out: Researchers have discovered a way to make kids smarter. And savvy parents are signing their children up for private music lessons while school boards debate the role of music in the public school curriculum." These are the words of Joan Schmidt, member of the board of directors of the National School Boards Association, in support of music programs in our schools.

Statistics indicate that if your child participates in music, he or she is likely to earn higher grades and score better on standardized tests. Now there is powerful evidence of a cause and effect link between music instruction and intelligence.

A study conducted by psychologist Dr. Frances Rauscher of the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh and physicist Gordon Shaw of the University of California at Irvine produced startling results. Preschoolers who received piano instruction scored 34% higher than those who did not study piano in tests to measure spatial-temporal reasoning — that function necessary to understand math, science and engineering. They also scored higher by the same margin than children who studied computer skills!

There are dozens of recent scientific studies which indicate that music making is a key component of academic and social success. These findings show that music training at a young age may actually change how your brain works. Brain imaging has shown that a region called the planum temporale (which is involved in auditory perception) in the left hemisphere of the brain is larger in musicians compared to non-musicians. Researchers have found that the left side of the brain may be more developed in musicians, and therefore, adults with music training have better verbal memory than non-musicians.

*Research shows that children who participate in the arts on a regular basis are:

4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement 3 times more likely to be elected to class office 4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance 4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem

*In addition, young arts participants as compared with their peers are likely to:

Read for pleasure nearly twice as often Participate in youth groups nearly 4 times as frequently Perform community service nearly twice as often 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance 4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem

*Source: Dr. Shirley Brice Heath, Stanford University, for the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

"A-Sharp to A-Plus...Boost Your Kids' Brainpower with Music"

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