Daniels Studio Teaching Philosophy

As a full-time teacher, my goal is to recruit great talent and to foster a healthy individual technique in each of my students; to challenge them to strive to be more than a good voice and to be as complete an artist as possible.  

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Developing proper vocal technique is a lifelong journey -- both for the student and teacher. My own singing continues to grow through the insights I gain from teaching. While some underlying talent must be present in young singers, there are techniques that can help artists cultivate their natural abilities systematically and patiently. Because so much of the vocal mechanism is invisible, I use vivid metaphors to help students grasp the processes that lead to healthy, beautiful sound production. In my experience, this helps students focus on feeling what proper technique feels like. Once students internalize these metaphors and begin to feel the technique in their own bodies, I introduce the underlying anatomy. This helps them connect intuitive sensation with concrete knowledge, bringing studio work with stage performance. 

In addition to providing singers with a solid foundation built on proper technique, I help them learn quickly to embody feedback. Certainly, some musical ideas can take time for young musicians to apply, and occasional plateaus in learning are to be expected at certain stages. But, by helping students physically apply feedback they are given as quickly as possible, I help them develop healthy habits for working in professional rehearsal rooms. Most importantly, by clearly responding instantaneously, students can deliver inspiring performances and create connections with audiences - which can be some of the most important feedback of all.