TESTIMONIALS
Laura’s lessons transformed the way I sing and behave on stage entirely. When I first began taking vocal lessons, I had felt insecure about my voice and wasn’t as confident when singing on stage. I quickly became comfortable speaking to Laura about my insecurities, and she would always have an exercise or idea on how to adjust my singing technique to create a better sound. Instead of criticizing how I sang, she used language to positively influence my confidence and voice. Vocal lessons built and continue to build up my self-esteem and have improved my voice immensely. I am very grateful to have such a wonderful teacher help me progress in my musical theatre dream, and I would definitely recommend anyone looking for a friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable vocal coach to go to Laura. Thank you, Laura!
~ Lydia Mushkatina, age 13, student since 2017
Laura Shepherd is an amazing and results-oriented voice instructor and coach! Being a musician and music teacher myself, I came to understand it was time for our daughter to study with another instructor. I also knew it was time for her to work with a female singer – someone whose voice better mirrored Emily’s vocal registers and colors. Laura’s guidance and encouragement have brought out the absolute best in Emily’s technique and musicianship. We could not be happier! Laura’s teaching also follows many of my own preferences: her organization of many moving parts and deadlines for a full studio; her excellent ability to stay in touch with students/parents throughout the year; her consistent efforts to recognize students’ accomplishments while still cheering for her entire studio; and her focus on vocal health. Emily loves to work with Laura Shepherd and all of us in our family would recommend her without hesitation to anyone looking to take their voice to the next level.
~ Thom Stuart, parent of student since 2019
During the past year and a half that my daughter has been working with Laura, she has been instrumental in helping her work through a vocal injury, emphasizing the use of proper technique and also making sure she listens to her body. In the process, Laura helped her explore different styles of music, which led her to discover her love for Jazz. Laura has an amazing way of making her students feel comfortable and confident, which bolsters their ability to learn and grow. She also provides them with an abundance of resources and opportunities to help them reach their goals. I can’t recommend her enough.
~ Anna Starikov, parent of teen student, 2017-2019
I love working with Laura! I was a Vocal Performance major in college. Since starting consistent lessons with Laura, I've been able to expand my range and make a seamless transition from strictly classical music to musical theatre, choral, and classical (part time). She's prepped me for countless auditions, shows, cabarets, and helped me knock bad singing habits. I would highly recommend!
~ Stephanie Bull, adult student since 2015
Laura has changed my life! She was my first ever voice teacher and I studied with her for about 4 years. Every week I looked forward to my lessons with her; I was always excited to learn and grow. Laura has helped me in many aspects of my music life. She has helped me expand my range, so I could feel confident singing high soprano, belting and singing low. She has also helped me with aspects of music that aren’t just singing. During my senior year of high school I was taking AP Music Theory, and Laura helped me outside of class to really understand the subject. My favorite part of Laura’s lessons, however, were help with college auditions. During this time she helped me pick out songs and monologues that suited me and even helped me look into colleges that were right for me. Laura has been with me through most of my music journey and I cannot thank her enough!
~ Shelley Dean, student 2015-2018
Laura is a superior singing teacher and an amazing person. She’s been our daughter’s singing teacher for more than four years, and had instructed, encouraged, and supported her growth as a singer. Laura teaches healthy singing technique and prepares her students for their vocal endeavors, such as musical theater roles, singing competitions, school choirs, and college auditions. I also appreciate how organized and flexible Laura is. She records each lesson and posts them to Dropbox, which makes practicing for the next lesson easier, and her electronic calendar is helpful when a lesson needs to be rescheduled. Laura makes lessons fun, and my daughter says Laura is her closest non-family, adult relationship. I enthusiastically recommend Laura to you, as I have to several friends and co-workers. Your singer will make impressive improvements, and they will enjoy lessons with Laura.
~ David Cogan, parent of teen student, 2015-2019
Laura is amazing! I’ve been taking voice with her for about 5 years and I can’t even begin to explain how much my voice has grown. Her teaching style is very flexible and fun and she has a great balance of working on what needs to be worked on and just doing fun songs. She has helped me with countless auditions and callbacks and always has great advice and suggestions. She also knows how to pick the perfect songs and warmups to grow and strengthen my voice. Laura is so kind, talented and knowledgeable and I’m so grateful to have her as my voice teacher!
~ Amelie Whitesell, age 16, student 2013-2020
Laura has been a flexible and inspirational teacher for my daughter for four years. Laura is not only a sensitive and talented guide, but is also a gifted performer in her own right. She brings energy, encouragement and enthusiasm to each lesson and is attuned to helping students reach their potential with understanding of and respect for the specific role music plays in each of their lives. As a parent, I’m grateful my daughter has had the opportunity to work with Laura and I see the benefits carry over into other aspects of her life. As a client, I am consistently impressed by Laura’s organization and integrity. It’s not every artist who has the capacity to execute on the business side of things with such grace and it’s always an easy pleasure to work with her.
~ Greta Climer, parent of students 2015-2020
Laura Shepherd is the sole reason I attended the New England Conservatory of Music. When I was 12, she became my first voice teacher and the first person to encourage my passion for music. With her careful guidance and incredible tutelage, I found my voice and what I love doing most. Not only is she an amazing teacher, but she is also a tremendous person, mentor, and friend.
~ Syd Rvinsky, student 2006-2011
What I like the most is that Laura teaches my girls that what really matters is how you feel about yourself, not whether you have pleased others. Teaching kids to love and value themselves and the uniqueness of others is her greatest skill. Two of my daughters have taken voice lessons with Laura, and they have thrived under her guidance. She is both professional and fun! I greatly appreciate her flexibility in working with their individual voices, personalities, and goals. I also appreciate that she is always prepared for the lesson, keeping notes and providing detailed assessments. My girls have each been fortunate enough to have roles in professional theatre productions and Laura has helped them not only through the audition process, but also has helped them prepare challenging pieces prior to the rehearsal process beginning so they arrived feeling confident and prepared. Laura is reliable, kind, organized and a very gifted singer herself.
~ Sara Corley, parent of students 2013-2017
I trained with Laura for five years before leaving for college, and we still get together over breaks to catch up. She is one of the most caring teachers I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. She is incredibly knowledgeable about vocal training and placement, and was wonderful at finding music to fit my vocal abilities. She also records each voice lesson, so I was able to listen and evaluate myself between sessions. Her laugh is also contagious. Highly recommend!
~ Lauren Scovel, student 2007-2011
Before I started private voice lessons with Laura, I was nervous and lacked confidence every time I sang - I dreaded it in auditions. But after a couple of weeks working with her, I could hear my voice improving by leaps and bounds and became both a better and more confident singer. I learned so much from her about voice technique, placement and my voice in particular, and had a great time doing it. Her sweet, lovely presence creates a great environment for her students and we can all tell she loves what she does. We still meet up when I am in town and she is still a great mentor and friend to me and all her students.
~ Lindsey Foster, student 2009-2012
Laura is amazing and, without a doubt, the best voice teacher I have ever had. She is both fun and focused, she is flexible with her teaching style so that people of all learning styles can flourish, and she listens and adjusts if you tell her something isn't working. She has been both teacher and mentor to me, and I'm thankful every day that I had the opportunity to learn from her.
~ Kim Miner, student 2009-2011
I took private voice lessons with Laura during Junior High and High School and it was so worth it. She is really great at knowing how to tackle your voice and what pieces and warm ups will help you the most. She also was wonderful at helping me get ready for any auditions I had coming up with theatre, choir, and college! Best of all, she is generous and makes you feel comfortable, knowing that voice lessons can be a scary thing! I am currently in my fifth year in college and still to this day she is very helpful whenever I need her. I know I can contact her about needing some sheet music or tracks or anything else. She is stuck being my voice teacher forever!
~ Megan Connell, student 2007-2010