Dr. Lisa Neher Voice studio
|
As part of my commitment to slow the spread of COVID-19, I am now only teaching online lessons via Skype, Google Hangouts, Zoom, or other video chatting services. Online lessons are highly effective for new and advanced students of singing! This also means you can take lessons with me from any part of the world!
During this challenging time, many of our outlets for community and expression are not available and many of the activities we look forward to have been postponed or cancelled. Developing your musical gifts is a wonderful way to nurture yourself, set and achieve new goals, prepare yourself to return to your regular ensembles or audition circuits with polished technique and fresh repertoire, and share your musical gifts with others in creative ways. Weekly lessons offer structure, stimulation, and purpose to you or your child(ren). My studio's mission is: EMPOWERED SINGERS, EXPRESSIVE VOICES. What does that mean?
|
Lisa's beautiful home studio in the Arnold Creek neighborhood of southwest Portland. You can see it via video chat during online lessons, and I hope we can gather safely again in person soon!
|
About the teacher
Dr. Lisa Neher has over ten years of experience as music educator, teaching studio voice, vocal seminar, singer's diction, music composition, music theory, and musicianship. She is Adjunct Professor of Music History at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon and previously served on the faculty of Coe College and Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Grinnell College in Grinnell Iowa, and taught as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Iowa and the University of Kansas.
In addition, Lisa has extensive experience teaching students of all ages in the private studio setting. Her high school students have won places in Iowa's All-State Choir and high school and community musical theatre productions, and have received high scores on state Solo & Ensemble Contests. Several studio recitals are held each year, giving students the opportunity to put what they have learned in lessons on stage. Her students have gone on to pursue degrees in voice performance, music education, and music therapy at colleges such as Columbia College Chicago, Wartburg College, Simpson College, the University of Northern Iowa, and the University of Iowa. Lisa regularly adjudicates vocal competitions including NATS and Solo & Ensemble Contest. She enjoys working with students from a variety of musical backgrounds.
Lisa loves singing classical and musical theatre repertoire and is particularly passionate about performing the music of living composers and music written by women, people of color, and LGBTQIA composers. She performs with Resonance Choral Ensemble of Portland, Friends of Rain New Music Ensemble, and was recently featured at St. James Lutheran Church's Bach Cantata Vespers where she performed as Alto Soloist for J.S. Bach's cantata, Mit Fried’ und Freud’ ich fahr’ dahin (With Peace and Joy I Depart). She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Iowa, a Master of Music Composition from the University of Kansas, and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Music and Theatre from Lewis & Clark College.
In addition, Lisa has extensive experience teaching students of all ages in the private studio setting. Her high school students have won places in Iowa's All-State Choir and high school and community musical theatre productions, and have received high scores on state Solo & Ensemble Contests. Several studio recitals are held each year, giving students the opportunity to put what they have learned in lessons on stage. Her students have gone on to pursue degrees in voice performance, music education, and music therapy at colleges such as Columbia College Chicago, Wartburg College, Simpson College, the University of Northern Iowa, and the University of Iowa. Lisa regularly adjudicates vocal competitions including NATS and Solo & Ensemble Contest. She enjoys working with students from a variety of musical backgrounds.
Lisa loves singing classical and musical theatre repertoire and is particularly passionate about performing the music of living composers and music written by women, people of color, and LGBTQIA composers. She performs with Resonance Choral Ensemble of Portland, Friends of Rain New Music Ensemble, and was recently featured at St. James Lutheran Church's Bach Cantata Vespers where she performed as Alto Soloist for J.S. Bach's cantata, Mit Fried’ und Freud’ ich fahr’ dahin (With Peace and Joy I Depart). She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Iowa, a Master of Music Composition from the University of Kansas, and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Music and Theatre from Lewis & Clark College.
Teaching Philosophy
My goals as a teacher are: to inspire lifelong enjoyment of singing, to support each student’s individual goals, and to empower students by cultivating conscious control of their voices and the singing process. I strive to create an atmosphere of positive energy and play, tempered with honesty. I believe the voice comes to life most effectively when we tap into our creative, expressive selves, and to this end, I will help students develop their imaginative and story-telling skills. I take my students’ vocal health seriously and will help them care for their voices through proper warm-up techniques and repertoire selection and by suggesting healthy lifestyle habits when appropriate.
--Lisa Neher
--Lisa Neher
what students and parents have to say:
I had the pleasure of working with Lisa as my vocal teacher for nearly 2 years. I have sung and performed since I was very young, but have noticed a huge growth in both my vocal and acting skills since working under Lisa’s instruction. She has taught me many new ways to practice and hone my skills outside of lessons as well as ways to improve my voice and vocal range. I feel much more confident in my storytelling abilities and my overall performing abilities after Lisa’s teachings. She thoroughly explains what she is teaching and why she is teaching it, making it easier to apply to your regular vocal routine. During my time with Lisa, I was able to add many new songs to my repertoire, choose the best songs for my voice type and acting capabilities when I had an event to perform at, get feedback on my college audition selections, and much more. I cannot recommend Lisa enough! She is patient, but will push you to your full potential and most importantly, she truly cares for her students. She has gone above and beyond to help me grow as a singer, actor, and performer. --Rylie, high school student, musical theatre major
Lisa's training really helped me grow in confidence and ability as a singer! She's personable and easy to work with and knows how to tailor to the individual. Over time, she helped me overcome my personal vocal hurdles like increasing steady breath support, smoothing over the break in my passaggio, and getting me performance ready. I also added an entire octave to my range. --Miriam, high school student
My time working under Dr. Neher was very foundational for my growth as a vocalist. Through our lessons I improved general strengths such as breath support, and found inventive ways to counter weaknesses. I had an overall goal of preparing to be a singer songwriter, and Dr. Neher supported me every step of the way. I was able to improve emotional skills by learning more on the background of the pieces I performed. Lessons with her are very personal, and focus on learning techniques that allow greater control of the body. I have no regrets with having Dr. Neher as my teacher. --Christian, college student
“I have learned so much from Lisa Neher! She is classically trained yet can still relate to my beginner voice needs easily, practicing an innate sense of what methods work best for me. My voice has improved so much in a short period of time thanks to the incredible patience Lisa has.” --Alethea, adult college student
"Lisa isn't just my teacher, she's my mentor and friend. In the time that I worked under Miss Lisa Neher she helped me develop my voice even better then I thought it could be. I was able to make semi finals at the regional NATS competition. In the lessons Lisa is patience and kind. She gets me to strive to be the best I can be whether it be in vocal warm ups and technique, or just performing a song better! I wouldn't be where I am without her and I hope anyone who is considering voice lessons will consider Lisa! She won't let you down and you will be better for it!" --N.H., college student
"Lisa isn't just my teacher, she's my mentor and friend. In the time that I worked under Miss Lisa Neher she helped me develop my voice even better then I thought it could be. I was able to make semi finals at the regional NATS competition. In the lessons Lisa is patience and kind. She gets me to strive to be the best I can be whether it be in vocal warm ups and technique, or just performing a song better! I wouldn't be where I am without her and I hope anyone who is considering voice lessons will consider Lisa! She won't let you down and you will be better for it!" --N.H., college student
My lessons with Lisa Neher were very valuable to me for two reasons. Firstly, I got to sing a lot of musical theatre pieces, which is applicable to my major. Secondly, the emphasis on technique was amazingly helpful. She taught me so many techniques that are easy to practice outside of class. I used to struggle to practice on my own because I don’t play piano, but now I am able to practice more outside of lessons. --Carmen, college musical theatre major