There are no words that can accurately describe the amazing experience I have had with Sheila Dugan. She is hands down, the best teacher I have had in St. Louis, New York, and everywhere else I have studied across the country. I could not have made a better decision when I decided to study with Sheila five years ago. Her approach to singing encompasses so much more than ""just the basics"" most other trainers provide: the technicality involved in singing is taught in an incredibly sophisticated yet specifically tailored way in order to most effectively get into the mind of her current student. During lessons you are not only taught what you can do physically in order to improve the sound of your voice, but you are also told what is demanded emotionally in giving the most engaging and powerful performance possible. Her knowledge goes so much further than singing- whether I needed to know a specific dialect for a play, needed to know the correct pronunciation of words in the French art song I was singing, or could not find what I was doing wrong in my portrayal of a character very different than myself, Sheila was always there with incredible coaching. When I would get to a point of new improvement, Sheila would tell me to replay the recording of my first lesson with her, and compare my results, and I was always amazed at my own growth.
I entered Sheila?s house as a 14-year-old boy without any confidence in my voice, and today I have found the enjoyment and success that comes with possessing a powerful instrument. In addition to a great voice trainer for life, in her, I have gained a life long friend. Her guidance has led me to study at NYU?s Tisch School of the Arts, one of the best artistic training grounds in the country. Because of our work together, I am on my path, creating my dream of working in the fields of straight acting and Musical Theatre.
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