Teaching

Latest Review

Dori is a top-notch vocal instructor – I have already recommended her to countless colleagues and friends. She is a talented and highly engaging teacher, who facilitates a positive and fun learning experience every week, while still pushing you to constantly improve. I noticed a difference in my singing and confidence-level immediately, and plan to continue studying with her as long as I’m in the city.

Dori was absolutely amazing. I have a pretty extensive singing background but hadn’t done much in the recent years and she made me feel so comfortable. She took me through a variation of different warm ups to focus on my strengths and weaknesses and then had me sing songs of my choice in which she gave very constructive feedback. I would 100% recommend her as a vocal coach!

Private Lessons
Workshops

Brad Hammonds

“I recently began taking vocal lessons with Dori Levine and have found an amazing transformation in my vocal ability as well as confidence.  Dori has taught me extremely helpful exercises to facilitate intonation, pitch, and breath control.  She is wonderful to work with and I give her my highest recommendation!”

Brad Hammonds

Professional Musician/Singer-Songwriter/Guitarist

Luis Mojica

“I’ve been taking lessons with Dori for a little over a month and I am utterly blown away by the progress we have made. Dori is not just a gifted singer and teacher – she’s an intuitive. She knows exactly what her students are looking for and her methods encourage the student to find their own voice and style. Being that her lessons are in the privacy and comfort of her beautiful home, the environment is warm and nurturing. You may come as you are and leave with more confidence about yourself. She takes you on a personal journey and turns your body into an instrument. She does this all for a very reasonable price. Thank you, Dori!”

Luis Mojica

Singer, Songwriter/Pianist

Adriana Riascos

“Dori has taken my voice to places I’d never thought possible.  She truly understands the artist within.  Dori has shown me the thrill of being a singer, and how it serves to heal the soul.  I feel very lucky!”

Adriana Riascos

Professional Singer

Alejandra Joffroy

“Taking voice lessons with Dori has freed my spirit and my voice! Lessons with her are meaningful, fun, insightful, enlightening, and inspire growth. Because she has found and developed her own unique and beautiful sound/voice she understands what it is for one to search for theirs. She understood immediately what it was I was searching for and what I wanted to work on but also illuminated other areas and possibilities that I hadn’t even thought of. Her intuitive and knowledgeable approach to teaching has been the key to helping not only my voice evolve but also myself and I know she can also be the AWESOME vocal teacher you’re looking for.”

Alejandra Joffroy

Singer

Please inquire about my convenient rates designed to fit your budget.
Feel free to CALL or email for more information or to schedule a lesson.

212-964-0852
dorilevine50@gmail.com

Throughout 20+ years of teaching I have developed my own approach to the art of teaching singing. I am continually surprised and pleased with the dramatic results that I witness, often during the first lesson.

I specialize in a “voice as an instrument” approach. I have created my own “body, breath, voice warm-up” as I see these three elements as inseparable. The warm-up encourages relaxation, effortless vocalizing, a positive singing stance, whole body breathing and brings an awareness of "you" as your instrument.

I work with developing strong musicianship skills and ear training which are also tremendous confidence builders, so necessary for singers. I have many tools to open your voice so that you can use your vocal instrument to it’s potential with all of it’s colors, nuances, range and power.

My teaching method combines traditional exercises that focus on specific skills such as strength, flexibility, intonation, range and breath support with exercises to free the voice. We will explore vocal possibilities in search of your own personal sound and style. I encourage expressing your own originality. We'll find what is special about you and expand upon it.

Teaching voice is a vast subject. For some students a few lessons are enough as the first handful of lessons are especially powerful. For other students who prefer to go more deeply the work can continue for years. It’s up to you as to how many lessons you take. Lessons and vocal exercises are personalized according to your needs.

PRIVATE LESSONS

How to Warm-up; Body, Breath & Voice
A variety of gentle body stretches, relaxation & awareness work breath work & exercises to warm & open the voice; tools that you can use for the rest of your life.

Vocal Technique:
Breath Support
Strength/Projection
Range
Intonation
Flexibility/Fluidity

Vocal Exercises:
Traditional exercises to work on developing & improving specific skills. Improvisational exercises to explore the voice searching for personal style, nuances & colors & one’s own language.
Exercises that stretch the ear

Ear Training:
Where are those pitches...really?
Singing intervals and chords
Developing relative pitch

Performance Skills:
Coping with Performance Anxiety
Microphone Technique
Internalizing your material
Communicating with Accompanist; terminology, counting tempos
Intros & endings
Creating basic arrangement
Singing the “story” of a song
Reaching your Audience
Getting your book together, choosing YOUR tunes
The importance of clear lead sheets in YOUR keys
Using Affirmations & Visualization

Improvisation:
Spontaneously creating music in the moment; freely or within the context of a tune
Scat Singing, Phrasing, Re-creation of melody
Extended Vocal Techniques

Coaching:
I truly coach for greatness and I get results! If you have a recording or performance coming up it's a really good idea to invest in some coaching before you spend lots of money in the studio and/or invite everyone you know to come and hear you perform. I can help you up your vocals several notches!

Lessons are usually an hour and divided into three parts: warm-up, vocal exercises, & developing repertoire/performance but can be varied to suit individual needs. I teach out of my Tribeca studio in lower Manhattan and am also available to teach from my Upstate New York studio near New Paltz