Catherine Tlusty Voice Studio

What do I need to purchase for lessons?

Sheet Music: Voice Students will be assigned repertoire from a number of resources. Because I encourage students to sing music from varying genres, you should expect to sing songs from the classical, musical theatre, and popular genres. You will be asked to purchase books reflecting these different styles and/or asked to purchase and download music from legal sheet music websites. Please purchase materials as quickly as possible so that you, or your child, are prepared to learn and grow as young musicians.

Sight-singing and Theory Books: Beginning Fall 2023, ALL VOICE STUDENTS, will work on sight-singing and music theory in addition to vocal technique and repertoire.

Folder and/or Notebook: Voice Students should also purchase a small notebook to take notes and to write practice assignments during lessons. A folder or binder is recommended to keep loose sheet music and sight-singing and music fundamentals assignments. 

A music stand is an excellent accessory to purchase so singers may maintain ideal singing alignment while practicing. 

How much should I practice? 
Weekly practice assignments are task-oriented, rather than time-oriented. 


We begin each lesson with exercises to warm-up your voice and to work on improving your vocal technique. You should record and repeat these exercises throughout the week prior to singing. There are a lot of muscles involved in singing, and it is important that you work on developing these muscles through consistent, repeated practice! 


When we work on songs, I give specific goals to work on. Sometimes, I will ask you to "sing" a song in several different ways. Other times, I will give you specific technical and/or musical concepts to work on. You also might be asked to complete non-singing work. It is more important that you complete the task I assign, with your attention focused on the goal, rather than sing the song for 20 minutes with no specific intention. 


Consistency in practice is most important. You should strive to practice 5 days per week. You practice should be goal and task centered. If you can complete your vocal exercises and song tasks in 20 minutes, so be it. If you are more advanced, it might take 45 minutes... or more. Daily practice, just like daily exercise, is the key to a well-developed, well-tuned, and "fit" voice. 
 

What if I can't make my scheduled lesson or I get sick?

The first thing you should do is go to My Music Staff to cancel your lesson. You have several options in either of these cases. 

1. You may cancel your lesson outright. If you cancel at least 24-hours before your scheduled lesson, you will be issued a makeup credit. You can use that credit at any time during the studio teaching year (September through June). 

To schedule your makeup lesson, go to the calendar and select any open lesson slot. While some lesson slots are completely open to everyone, there will also be time slots that are only for makeup lessons. If you have a lesson credit, you may choose either.

2. You may reschedule your lesson for another open lesson slot during the same week. Simply cancel one lesson and sign up for another. You will have to do this at least 24-hours before your scheduled lesson.

3. Once you have cancelled or rescheduled your lesson in the My Music Staff calendar, I will receive an email from MMS confirming this.

4. In the case of last-minute EMERGENCIES (medical, accidents, injuries, death in the family) or sudden illnesses (vomiting the day of your lesson), please text me as soon as possible. In the event I find that I was given relatively sufficient notice and the absence was unavoidable due only to an emergency or sudden illness, I will cancel your lesson on My Music Staff and issue you a makeup credit. Please note this is only to cover something catastrophic or sudden, and I reserve the right to make the ultimate decision regarding makeup credits.

5. Any cancellations with less than 24-hours of your lesson time (not covered by #4 above) will not be granted a makeup or refund.

I am taking online lessons with you. How can I get the most out of online lessons?   

The most important thing you can do for a successful online lesson is to plug into your internet via an ethernet cord rather than rely on wi-fi!

For online lessons, I use FarPlay. To use FarPlay, you will need headphones or earbuds. An external microphone is also helpful. Prior to your first lessons, you should download FarPlay onto your computer. At the start of your lesson each week, I will send you a code that allows you to join your lesson with me. I will walk you through your settings in your first lesson.
  
Make sure you have a designated space for your lessons. You should choose a space in your home where you can stand or sit comfortably with your head to your torso visible on the video feed. The area you choose should be free of interruptions and distractions. 
  
Finally, make sure your device is fully charged or plugged in, check that your microphone and video is on at all times, and enjoy your lesson!