Teaching Topics
Functional vocal technique, jazz voice, improvisation, ear training, music theory, jazz harmony, performance and stage presence, microphone technique, composition, songwriting, repertoire interpretation, rhythm section communication.
Teaching Philosophy
My goal as a private teacher is to instill a love of music, while teaching my students about technical aspects of the voice and music. By drawing from a range of my experiences, studies and methods, I aim to develop my student’s vocal technique, ear training and sight reading, repertoire, performing skills, and overall confidence. Using my intuition to understand each individual student’s learning style and musical interests, I target specific functional voicework and long term goals alongside my students. As a passionate and involved teacher, I am able to reach out to each student, introduce new concepts, create a safe learning environment, and help my students realize the masterful musician inside of them. I also aim to ensure that my students have basic piano skills with which to run exercises independently and eventually accompany themselves.
Biography
Elana is a vocalist and composer residing in Manhattan, and has been teaching in the NYC and Boston metropolitan areas for 8 years. Elana is certified in all 3 levels of Somatic Voicework™ The LoVetri Method. Elana is a member of The National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and The Voice Foundation.
Elana has an extensive live performance background, and has graced venues and festivals such as B.B. King, Bowery Ballroom, Gathering of the Vibes Festival, and more. She embarked on two tours of the east coast before the age of 18. Elana graduated from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in 2016.
During her undergraduate studies, Elana focused on her blossoming teaching career, composing, and improvisation. At Berklee, Elana’s mentors included Alison Wedding and Kenny Werner who lead Elana to her refreshing and candid approach to improvising. In New York Elana has studied with renown singer and composer Theo Bleckmann and voice expert Jeanie LoVetri. Elana’s improvisations and compositions form their own world, as she frequently explores the unconventional sounds that can be made with human bodies and the voice. Composer Marti Epstein expanded Elana’s understanding of Western classical music, particularly 20th and 21st century music. Elana’s recent band, Fireproof Collective actively performed in the Boston area, expressing their own brand of free improvisation and modern jazz.