Hi!
I'm Alaina
I’m a teaching artist.
I'm not currently taking new students, but I'm still running the business side of things around here, so I'm leaving my page up in case you've been wondering who all your emails come from! I perform regularly as a mezzo-soprano in concert and oratorio work alongside opera roles, chamber music, and solo recitals, and have been known to dabble in jazz and musical theater on occasion, as well. My performance career and continued study constantly inform and improve my teaching.
What do you want to do with your voice?
Musical theater? Sweet!
Opera or art song? Absolutely!
Choral music? I can help you with that!
Pop? Awesome!
Jazz? Yep! It’s not my specialty, but we can definitely work technique and I’d be happy to consult and connect you with other teachers for added input as needed.
Hard rock/metal? Not so much. I can refer you, though!
Most of my students are between ages 7 and 20 or so who want to become well-rounded musicians with healthy and versatile voices and feel at home on the stage. Many of my students participate in the Royal Conservatory exams, District auditions, various competitions, etc. and I get super psyched about working on sight-singing and musicianship skills alongside polishing repertoire for performances and digging into the nitty-gritty technical stuff.
My specialty is working with young singers.
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That people of all walks of life have something valuable to say and that their voices and experiences should be heard in the world.
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That one can never have too many books. (Ok, maybe you can own too many, but then you just have to start going to the library!)
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That singers are just as much “real” musicians as instrumentalists and that musical literacy is just as important for them as it is for any other musician.
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In creating an environment that welcomes and includes students and families of all faiths, identities, orientations, cultures, and creeds.
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That all children are born innately musical and that by nurturing that gift we can help them grow to be more creative, empathetic, and confident adults.
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That every city needs a restaurant that has live music and serves gourmet pizza and martinis. (If you know where this is around Worcester, send me a message!)
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That it’s never too late to start whatever it is you’ve always secretly wanted to do in life.
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In the power of strong coffee and sunshine and yoga and fresh air. And did I mention the coffee?
I believe:
Want to know more about my background?
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I have a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from New England Conservatory and a Master of Music in vocal performance from Longy School of Music of Bard College.
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My most recent engagements include appearances as mezzo soloist in the Saint-Saens Christmas Oratorio with The Choral Art Society of the South Shore, the roles of Benoit and Alcindoro in MetroWest Opera’s groundbreaking production of La Femme Boheme, and several solo recitals featuring repertoire ranging from Strauss lieder to Peter Lieberson’s Neruda Songs to Bolcom cabaret songs.
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I’ve been studying both voice and piano for 20-plus years now and am committed to constantly expanding my own knowledge of pedagogy and staying up-to-date on the latest research. I’m a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and a part of The SpeakEasy Cooperative for Independent Voice Teachers.
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My own voice teachers, past and present, include Dr. Dana Varga, Carol Mastrodomenico, Claudia Waite, & Beth MacLeod.
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Want to know more? Send me a message!
I challenge my students to step outside their comfort zone. In a good way.
Why? Because to move an audience, we’ve got to connect and be vulnerable and show up as our authentic selves. To improve our technique, we sometimes need to make some crazy sounds and do squats, use resistance bands, or swing our arms around while we do it. Because sometimes we discover that our difficulty with high notes is all in our head and that we’re really just afraid of making our voices heard. Because I believe that we all have music within us, and I want to help you let it shine. This singing thing is science and psychology and sport all wrapped into one, and if you’re up for it, it can be a pretty exciting adventure!