Success Stories

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Here are examples of some of my students adventures. I think they will inspire you as much as they have me. 

Ricci: from hobbyist to money-earning singer

Ricci was very reserved when she arrived for her first lesson. She couldn't sing at all, but she wanted to. She had no professional aspirations, she just wanted to sing for the fun of it.

After I worked with her for about a year, she began to sound good. When I got a request for a wedding singer, I thought of Ricci. Even though she had initially told me she didn't want to work professionally, I called her and told her about the job. Ricci decided to go for it. She auditioned and was immediately hired. 

After the wedding, she showed up at her lesson beaming. She was confident and satisfied. She had had a great time and been well paid. Now she wanted more singing jobs! She has since sung at more weddings and has even started singing the National Anthem at ball games. She's having fun and getting paid for doing what she loves. She went beyond where she ever thought she could go.

Sylvia: "I've never seen my husband so happy" 

Sylvia called me one morning and asked if I could teach her to sing two songs at a professional level, in four months. (it normally takes at least a year). She was putting on a huge surprise party for her husband and wanted to sing for him. She said she'd never had any lessons, and I got the impression that she wasn't a natural singer. It's hard for me to pass up a challenge, so I told her, "Yes!"

When I heard her sing at her first lesson my heart sank. In the back of my mind I had hoped she'd have some singing skills, but she had none. She was a beginner who couldn't sing, at all. 

I told her she'd have to pick easy songs. I couldn't teach her to sing difficult ones in that short a time period. We doubled the number of lessons I'd normally give a beginner, and I scheduled her to practice for two hours a day. Beginners would normally practice for half-an-hour a day.

After two months, she was sounding okay on one song, and pretty bad on the other. But, we were making progress, and I continued to push her hard. Most importantly, she worked really hard between her lessons. At the end of the third month, she sounded good on one song, and okay on the second. I was relieved. I knew we'd make it. 

At her final lesson, two days before her big performance, she sounded good on both songs. I was happy. 

Two weeks later, I received a large gift package from her. With the package was a letter in which she wrote:

John,

Sincere thanks!! I couldn't have and wouldn't have done it without your coaching!

It was quite an experience!! I now know what it is like to have an out of body experience!! My brain was completely shut down; sound came out of my mouth and my body moved.

During the sound check, I reminded the sound man that the microphone volume should be increased on "Diggin"... and during the sound check it was, however, during the performance it was not. The first few words that I sang were barely audible. There were four floor monitors on stage, one close enough that I could kick. I found comfort in that, thinking that I would be able to hear myself. And I probably would have been able to, except for the noise from the audience.

The introduction was quite dramatic; actually, it was a production. The room was darkened, the music filled the room, and the three of us found our way on stage. There was a big explosive sound, and a pyramid spotlight shone on the first singer, another explosive sound with a pyramid spotlight shining on me, and a third explosive sound followed by a pyramid spotlight on my sister. In addition to this, I had a soft green fog, (or haze) surround us on the stage, that blended in beautifully with our jade green costumes.

While all of this lighting was happening, we were subconsciously doing our choreographed routine. If you could imagine 150 people out of their seats, cameras flashing, cameras rolling, cheering, whistling, clapping; I wasn't prepared for this. As a result, I couldn't hear myself over the noise from the audience. I really missed being in your studio and having the comfort of hearing myself through headphones. In retrospect, I'm glad it happened the way it did. The audience was really receptive, which made it very easy for me to give or express myself.

My husband was in a state of shock. I've never seen him so happy. On "1-2-3", (the second song) I left the stage and sang directly in front of him. It was quite an evening. When we got home that night he said, "I didn't know you could sing. Did you take voice lessons? Of course, I said "no."

Sylvia's letter thrilled me. I was so proud of her. She had worked hard and reaped the rewards. Her next project is to sing at her father’s 75th birthday party.

Christine: well paid for singing jingles

Christine had a hard time at her lessons. She had a beautiful and strong voice but was so afraid of criticism that she would not let it out. She had ability, but no confidence. She would get up on stage during lessons and start singing, and then stop. "I just can't do it," she'd cry.

However, she kept coming to lessons, and eventually got to the point where she could sing for me. It was very difficult for her, but she was persistent. With time and practice, she became a very good singer, full of confidence and self-expression.

Christine sang on some TV and radio commercials and earned $1,500 for about ten hours of work. I am sure it was great for her self-esteem to hear herself on TV and the radio, and to get paid for her singing. It was also exciting for me to hear her commercials, and to know I had helped her get to that point. 

David: Country-Western Success 

David arrived at his first lesson as a middle-aged man who couldn't sing. His goal was to be a professional country-western singer. He came to his lessons, worked hard, and within two years he was singing well, and also writing great songs.

He then put together a country-western band and began gigging. For about a year, I didn't hear from him. Then, out of the blue, he showed up at a nightclub where some of my students were performing. When I saw him, I was astounded. He looked ten years younger and had a spring in his step. His new country band was gigging all over the area, and I'd never seen him so happy. Before he left, he gave me a copy of his latest recording.

When I listened to his CD a few days later, I was impressed. He sounded totally professional, and his band was great. No wonder they were performing so much. I was really impressed with the progress he had made, and very satisfied by the joy I saw on his face. 

Mary: from secretary to recording artist

Mary sat on the couch in my studio and told me she wanted to quit her low-paid day job and become a professional singer. Her husband had just abandoned her and her two-year-old son. I had her sing for me, and she was okay, but not great.

I worked with her for six months, helping her develop into an exciting singer and performer. At that point, I didn't think she was ready to look for work as a singer, but she wanted to and began going to auditions. She was hired by the first band she tried out for, but she didn't like them, so she immediately quit.

The second band she auditioned for also hired her, and she liked these guys a lot. Within two weeks the band began touring the west coast. Next, they released a CD which began getting radio air play. I was blown away! So was she. Mary had reached her goal and was very happy.

Mary's story is amazing because it all happened so quickly. Rarely is a student able to accomplish what she did in less than a year. Working with her challenged my preconceptions about how long it could and should take for a student to reach success. 

Leanne: from amateur to pro

Leanne arrived at her first lesson as a total amateur. 18 months later, she began working professionally. Here is the letter I received from her following her first real gig.

“Dear John and Wednesday night class,

I started my professional singing career on November 27 and sang three days straight for a craft/music festival in Sonora. It was the most fun thing I’ve done in my life so far. I cannot even begin to tell the stories and neat adventures. Most of the other performers are full-time musicians/entertainers and I have met some great people for future contacts.

We’ve already been on the local radio station and I’m trying to get copies of the show to share with the class in January. We will be on radio station to KOUP for sure sometime this month and I will keep you guys posted.

John, there were countless times I turned to the things you have told me. Breathing, warming up, not straining on the high notes, and I feel it is paying (literally)! I am wailing on those high notes! Thanks!”

LeeAnn

Cindy: quit her boring day job to sing professionally

Cindy called me during a transition in her life. She was 33, recently divorced, and looking for a career that she could sink her teeth into. She had been working as a secretary and hated it. There were two things in her life that she truly loved: painting and singing.

She wanted to explore the possibility of a singing career. At her first lesson, I discovered she had an average voice that needed a lot of work. The only singing she had done was in the high school chorus. Her voice was very light and operatic, but not at all conducive to singing popular songs. 

Together, we worked to develop her vocal strength, repertoire, and performance skills. After about nine months, she was ready to step out into the real world. I sent her to some "open mics" so she could get some experience in front of live audiences. She began to feel more comfortable on stage.

She recorded her demo, put together a promo package, and was ready to look for work. Then, she balked. She didn’t think she was good enough. She didn’t think she was ready. She began to feel that being a secretary wasn’t so bad after all. It took her about a month to resolve this conflict, but once she did, nothing stood in her way.

The first agent she visited gave her a job at a local hotel nightclub, where she earned enough to quit her boring day job. After that, another agent got her a two-month job at a luxury resort in Southern California. She sent me a letter from that resort describing her days of basking in the sun by the gorgeous pool, and her nights of singing her heart out. She was in heaven.

I recently went to see her at a club in San Francisco. When I first saw the performer on stage, I thought I had walked into the wrong club. I did not recognize her. She looked like a real singer. She sounded like a real singer. I remembered her as a shy, conservatively dressed woman, not this vibrant singer with Tina Turner hair.

Why was Cindy successful? She didn’t have an extraordinary voice, she hadn’t been singing since she was five (she started at 33). Her friends and family told her she was foolish to start a singing career at such a late age, that the music business had no stability, and that she could never depend on it for an income. But she knew what she wanted to do, whatever the odds, and she did it. 

Eric: first recording contract

Eric had been studying with me for about a year and had developed to the point of being marketable to record companies. His voice was great, and he had written solid original songs. He was were ready to breakout.

He worked as a waiter at a small Mexican restaurant in San Francisco. The owner of the restaurant liked his music and offered to manage him. Eric's new manager knew nothing about the music business, but he did know that in order to succeed, Eric needed a record deal. So, he flew to L.A. and began taking Eric's demo to record companies. 

Many doors were slammed in his face, but he finally managed to see someone at Sony Records. Sony loved Eric's demo and offered him a record deal.  ​Eric's manager then went to another major record company using Sony's offer as a way to get in the door. He told them that Sony had made an offer and wanted to know if they wanted to hear Eric’s demo. They did! ​Then the bidding war began. In the end, the second record company offered more than Sony, so Eric took that deal. He was now officially a recording artist!