Individuals
US$144.00
per week per student
Learn to love your voice
First Name
Melissa
Last Name
Treinkman
Course Summary
During this 12 week course, students will learn the fundamentals of good vocal technique as it applies to excellent speaking. They will learn to love their speaking voices as they explore the four systems of the voice: Respiration, Phonation, Resonation, and Articulation. Students will learn proper breathing techniques, how to vary their intonation as they speak, maximize their volume, and improve the clarity of their words through consonant training. Variations in the course curriculum will be tailored to specific student needs.
Lives In
Los Angeles, CA
United States
Number of Students per section
2
Course Level
Beginner
Instruction Language
English
Educator Profile
Profile Picture
Instructor
First Name
Melissa
Last Name
Treinkman
Number of years of relevant experience
20 Years Experience
From: United States
Course Details
During each 60 minute class, over the course of 12 weeks, students will learn proper breathing and speaking techniques with Melissa that will help beginners control their voice and gain the confidence to speak. Melissa's course curriculum will cover four key systems of the voice; Respiration, Phonation, Resonation, and Articulation.
Topic I: Respiration - Students will be taught breath support and how to properly use a technique known as diaphragmatic breathing, which helps to strengthen not just the muscles in the diaphragm but also the student's voice and breathing control.
Topic II: Phonation - Students will learn how to build vocal fold stamina while avoiding the vocal pitfalls of breathiness, pressed vocal, or vocal fry speaking. Melissa will also coach students in vocal range exercises.
Topic III: Resonation - Resonant voice training is focused on amplification, quality, and richness of the voice. Melissa will teach students about the four resonance areas for the vocals and help students to reduce any hypernasality they may exhibit.
Topic IV: Articulation - Articulation deals with the clarity of sounds when they come out of the mouth. Students will be taught specific face workouts to help words and tone sound clearer. Melissa will also take students through consonant drills to further help with this.
About the Teacher: Melissa Treinkman is a performer, teacher and regular member of the LA Opera Chorus. She achieved a Bachelor of Music from Northwestern University, a Master of Music from DePaul University, as well as a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Southern California. She owns a private voice studio in Venice, California and has been on the voice faculty of the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program since 2011. She made her mainstage solo debut with the company playing the Vendor in classic opera Carmen in 2013, a role which she took on again in both the 2017 and 2018 seasons. She was also a Featured Ensemble singer in the LA Opera staging of The Ghosts of Versailles in 2015, which later won two awards at the Grammys. Melissa has also performed with Chicago Opera Theater, Cedar Rapids Opera Theater, Chicago Folks Operetta, Sarasota Opera, Opera North and Utah Opera.
The ipassio Edge
Students enrolling for this course on ipassio can be sure that they receive individual attention from the teacher, as the class strength is limited to 1 or 2 students. It also gives teachers the opportunity, to gauge their students progress in depth and make changes whenever and wherever required, to ensure the student gets the maximum out of this course. Since this course is detailed, students get the advantage of learning intricate details about this art form. The limited strength of the class also ensures that there is a strong bond between the students and their teacher clearing out any inhibitions that the student might have. The sustained guidance available from the teacher ensures that the student does not deviate from set goals or targets. Learning from a revered, experienced exponent of this art form, through the long duration of this course, keeps the student inspired and motivated to achieve more.
Course Specific Benefits
- improved confidence while speaking
- volume/projection
- clarity of speech
- breath control
- beauty of vocal tone
About Teacher
Based in Los Angeles, mezzo-soprano Melissa Treinkman is a versatile performer and voice teacher. She sang in the Featured Ensemble for GRAMMY award winning production of The Ghosts of Versailles and played the role of the Vendor in Carmen, both at LA Opera. In January of 2019, Melissa performed the role of Dulcinea in the world premiere of Juan Colomer's opera Dulcinea XL. She also was a part of the world premiere of the dance opera, Beyond the Waterfront, produced by the Heidi Duckler Dance Theater and LA Opera. Melissa performed the role of Clytemnestra in a concert version of The Intuition of Iphegenia by Nathan Wang. She was also seen as Tisbe in La Cenerentola with the Sarasota Opera. Melissa has been a Resident Artist with Utah Opera where she performed the role of Mercédès in Carmen and Suor Infermiera in Suor Angelica. Another recent highlight was her performance of Melousine in the American premiere of Lehar’s operetta Cloclo with the Chicago Folks Operetta.
Her scholarly articles on voice have been published in the prestigious Journal of Singing and she frequently presents her research at voice conferences. Melissa has also given workshops on the speaking voice to CEOs from around the world. Melissa received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern California, a Master of Music from DePaul University and a Bachelor of Music from Northwestern University. She won a fellowship to participate in the 2019 National Association of Teachers of Singing Intern Program, the premiere voice teacher training program in the US.
Prerequites
None
Weekly Schedule
These sections are for individual students.
Click on Enrol corresponding to the Section that matches your schedule.
| If none of the above timings work for you, just sign up for a free session and we'll work out the timings. | Sign up for a Free Session |
| SECTION | DAY & TIME | Available | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Section
Morning Course
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Mon 12:00 PM - 03:00 PM America/New_York
Tue 12:00 PM - 03:00 PM America/New_York
Wed 12:00 PM - 03:00 PM America/New_York
Thu 12:00 PM - 03:00 PM America/New_York
Fri 12:00 PM - 03:00 PM America/New_York
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2 Seats |
| SECTION | DAY & TIME | Available | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Section
Afternoon Course
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Mon 04:00 PM - 08:30 PM America/New_York
Tue 04:00 PM - 08:30 PM America/New_York
Wed 04:00 PM - 08:30 PM America/New_York
Thu 04:00 PM - 08:30 PM America/New_York
Fri 04:00 PM - 08:30 PM America/New_York
|
2 Seats |
FAQs
Question
How much time should a student enrolling for this course practice everyday?
Answer
This course will require practice time outside of lessons. Time spent practicing may vary from 15 minutes per day to an hour, depending on a student’s level of interest. Students who wish to become professional musicians will need more hours of practice per day using a different set of exercises and materials than students who are seeking to learn music as a hobby. Detailed structure of practice for each student will be discussed and explained during class.
Question
What if a student is unable to attend an upcoming class?
Answer
The student is required to inform the teacher about his absence from a particular session, two days prior to the class. In such a case, the teacher will reschedule the class and conduct the rescheduled class on or before the end (i.e. Saturday) of the ensuing week or such other time as may be mutually decided between the teacher and the student. In case the student misses to give two days prior notice about his absence to the teacher, then the decision to conduct another class for that student is completely based on teacher’s discretion.
Question
What if the teacher wishes to reschedule a class?
Answer
In case the teacher is unavailable for the scheduled class, he/she will inform the students two days prior to the class. The teacher will conduct the rescheduled class on or before the end (i.e. Saturday) of the ensuing week or such other time as may be mutually decided between the teacher and the student.
Question
How long will the teacher take to revert to a query raised after class hours?
Answer
Students should get a response within 24 hours if the teacher is not preoccupied or travelling.