LaVista Benson Music

LaVista Benson, soprano

Member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and former board member of the NATS Los Angeles chapter.
My principal objective is to develop the vocal potential, musicianship, and confidence of each student. This is achieved through
regular instruction and individual practice using a variety of techniques and repertoire.

 General Music and single instrument classes. 

One 50 minute class per week with designated holiday weeks off (see Quarter schedule for details) . Students should plan to practice skills between classes. Ideally, piano students will have a piano/ weighted keys keyboard accessible at home. 

Vocal and Instrumental Choirs, Bands, and other Ensembles

Two 50 minute classes per week with designated holiday weeks off. Students are encouraged to practice between rehearsals. Band students are responsible for providing their instrument of choice by either owning or renting a quality student model.  

 One- 30 minute lesson per week (Beginning) This option is best for the student who needs to start with the fundamentals of singing. We will use our time to explore proper posture and breath management, exercise the voice to create a balanced and healthy tone quality, ear training exercises for pitch sensitivity, discover technical exercises specific to the student's preferred genre, and if time permits, prepare a song for performance that may be performed at the studio recital. This option is not limited to the beginner, however, time flies when we're having fun and we need more time if the student would like to prepare multiple pieces for perfomance, audition, competition, etc..

One- 45 minute lesson per week (Intermediate) This option is best for the vocalist who has been singing in various ensembles or as a soloist and would like to dig deeper into vocal technique.  We will refresh body alignment and breath management techniques, healthy vocal fold approximation, balanced tone throughout registers, improving range and agility, discover technical exercises specific to the student's preferred genre, prepare songs for recitals, auditions, competitions, etc. This student may be asked to audition for special ensembles throughout the semester to gain more aural and performance skills. 

One-60 minute lesson per week (Advanced) This option is best for the singer who would like to prepare multiple pieces for roles, competition, auditions, etc. With this singer we will continue to build on the foundations of healthy singing, explore more challenging exercises to continue to develop range and agility, apply those skills with more challenging repertoire. This student may be asked to audition for special ensembles throughout the semester to gain more aural and performance skills.

*Music @the LAB reserves the right to adjust fees as necessary giving students with at minimum a month's notice. 

Other Fees

Students taking private lessons are responsible for obtaining legal copies of all method books, repertoire anthologies, and music to be preformed. 

Lessons with a live accompanist will be provided for an additional charge.  This would be most helpful for students preparing pieces for auditions or competitions.

Students will be encouraged to attend performances and observe and participate in studio recitals.  In addition, students may be encouraged  to participate in various master classes and N.A.T.S. (National Association of Teachers of Singing- www.nats.org) events. Students studying for exams or preparing for festival or other auditions/competitions will be given preference to participate in master classes. Fees for these events are extra and vary by event.

Payment

Tuition should be paid in full each 1st of the month before lessons will be given. Checks should be made payable to LaVista Benson Music and all electronic payments can be made directly on the website.

Scheduling

Each student will commit to a consistent weekly lesson time with the instructor. These times are subject to change as necessary and will not be held if payment is not current.

Cancellations

The instructor will do everything possible to schedule lessons without conflicts. When conflicts are unavoidable and the instructor must cancel, the lesson will be made up or credited to the next month. Your time is important, and every effort will be made to make up missed lessons in a timely manner.

Students may cancel a lesson for any reason and a make-up lesson will be given if 24 hours’ notice is given to the instructor. If a lesson is canceled without 24 hours of notice before the scheduled lesson time, the student is not eligible for a make-up lesson. 

Preparation

PRACTICE! Daily practice is essential for steady progress. Musicians are simultaneously building and learning to play his or her instrument; therefore, you must sing and properly exercise your vocal muscles every day. Sing consciously, noticing changes as they occur. Take mental and written notes as you practice. It is important to be aware of the subtle changes which occur as you build your voice. I cannot stress this enough.

It will help to bring a recording device to your lessons - though your objective should be to develop your own inner awareness it can be reinforcing feedback to hear your progression from time to time. It will also help you remember the work you've done in the lesson and be more effective while practicing and more prepared for your next lesson. Students are expected to come to their lessons prepared. This will mean different things for each student but will always include coming to lessons with all of your materials, including assigned music, and warmed up using the exercises you have learned.

Acknowledgment

All students (and a parent or guardian of students under the age of 18) are asked to sign an Acknowledgment form at the first lesson stating that they have read and that they agree to the above policy.