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A message from Ms. Winegar:

Some people believe that people are either born with a good voice or they aren't.   If I believed that I would not be a voice teacher. Over the years I have seen quality instruction change people's voices dramatically. I believe that everyone who wants to sing should give themselves the chance to see what they can do.

Singing can be a mysterious process. Most of the equipment is internal and therefore invisible to the user. Moreover, most people perform many of the processes necessary for singing only by reflex.  Learning to sing well involves developing an awareness and sensitivity to fine distinctions between different sounds and the various physical sensations associated with them. The student must then reinforce the connection between the mental image of a sound and the physical processes used to achieve it.   The trained singer learns to coordinate many different subtle activities at the same time. When this is done well, the result is a sound that seems effortless. Indeed, the well-trained voice functions efficiently without unnecessary muscular activity.  Getting there, however, is another story.

A good teacher can quickly identify the physical causes of problems in a voice.  Sometimes these physical causes have emotional roots; fear certainly keeps many people from singing with a free tone.  A good teacher is sensitive to the feelings of the student and knows when and how to make constructive suggestions.   However, it is not enough just to tell the student to relax or be more confident.  A thorough understanding of the way the voice works and the ability to communicate that effectively to the student is essential. I find a combination of creative imagery backed up with scientific information is the most effective approach, especially when employed in a "playful" atmosphere that encourages the student to let go of self-consciousness and try new things.

Being able to create a positive change in someone's sound is one of the most gratifying experiences I have had in life. It is rivaled by the joy I have in my own singing and the great privilege it is to get to know each of my students as the unique, unrepeatable miracle that each one is.