A NEW VOCAL MUSIC AND ACTING STUDIO GEARED TOWARDS YOUNGER ADULTS OPENS ITS NON-TRADITIONAL DOORS

by Audrey Liebross

There are a great many vocal and acting teachers and coaches in the Coachella Valley, and it’s easy to find excellent programs. But, with the older demographic in this area, it seems likely that most programs (other than perhaps at the College of the Desert) are geared towards older people. As a result, younger people who want a teacher or coach who is closer to their age might have a tough time finding someone locally.

Now there is a new acting and vocal music studio in the Coachella Valley, Coachella Valley Vocal and Acting Studio (CV Studio), taught by experienced actors and vocalists in the Coachella Valley who skew towards the younger side. And it tries to make financial allowances for “starving artists” who cannot always pay full-price. CV Studio also seeks to combine the best aspects of New York-style training and local availability.

I sat down with Christine Michele, 37, the founder of CV Studio, to talk about the program that she started with local colleagues. Christine is well-known in the Coachella Valley for both her singing and acting. She was the lead singer for a band (Christine and the Lost Keys). Christine is an alum of a two-week summer intensive course at the Actor Therapy workshop in New York. She has appeared in two independent films, local commercials, and numerous community theatre productions. Christine studies voice with Carrie St. Louis, a Coachella Valley native, who recently appeared at the McCallum, and who operates a studio in New York.

Kelly McDaniel, vocal teacher

As Christine points out, “Teaching technique vocally is changing.” Younger students may well benefit from younger mentors, who themselves learned through the new methods. Putting this idea of evolving teaching ideas into practice, the group has donated a lesson to Palm Desert Charter Middle School. Christine says, “We're looking to donate to more schools out here as well.” In keeping with this philosophy of giving to the community, Christine says, “We all try to make our rates affordable, especially to students who say they cannot afford it. And then we work with them” to make the program available.

Christine’s  colleagues at the studio in voice are Kelly McDaniel, a voice teacher whose physical studio in Cathedral City serves as the group’s home base, and vocal coaches Alisha Bates and Christian Quevedo. The acting coaches are Kudra Wagner, Patrick Wallace, and Shelby Winstead. Rebecca Rodriguez, a teaching artist, educates teachers. Kelly is the one who teaches most of the beginners, although Christian also teaches a few.

Alisha Bates, vocal coach

I noticed that Christine used the terms “teachers” and “coaches” separately. I asked Christine about the differences. She explained that, while there is some overlap, “voice teachers work on things like range, note, accuracy, breath control.” As coaches, she and Alisha “both know proper technique” and can assist with specific problems, “but a teacher more helps you [with such issues as] finding your pitch.” On the other hand, a vocal coach “generally works on improving the student’s song performance.” Beginners or intermediate students who are still learning how to sing would take lessons with a vocal teacher, but experienced singers who need help with aspects of their performance rather than with producing notes on pitch would consult a coach.

Christine prefers to work with her students in person, because she can more easily see their breath control techniques. “I travel to them or they come to my house.” Nonetheless, she will work over the Internet, if they are not in the local area. (She herself studies online with Carrie St. Louis, in New York).

Rebecca Rodriguez Christian Quevedo Shelby Winstead Patrick Wallace Kudra Wagner

I asked Christine about her experience with onstage situations where the performance goes horribly wrong – forgetting the words, or an embarrassingly clear wrong note. She said, “I don't beat myself up about anything, as I know that I worked hard to be where I'm at.” She added, “I give myself grace because we're not perfect.” I commented that this was important to teach her students. She agreed. “When we have students we want to teach them not just the vocal technique, but confidence as well.”

Christine says that she doesn’t like the expression, “Practice makes perfection,” because “there’s no  such thing” as perfection. Instead, her philosophy is, “Practice makes me progress.” She also said that she does not mind if students switch to other teachers or coaches as they focus on additional things they’d like to work on. She credits Liza Minelli with saying, “I find who's more talented than I am. And I go to them and I learn.”

CV Studio does not, at the moment, have its own web site; instead they use a “link tree,” which is apparently a new online concept. Their link tree is https://linktr.ee/cvvocalandactingstudio, where prospective students can book lessons online. In addition, there are a Facebook page, Coachella Valley Vocal & Acting Studio, and an Instagram page, https://www.instagram.com/cvvocalandactingstudio/# . The studio can be reached by email at cvvocalandactingstudio@gmail.com . Also, the teachers’ and coaches’ individual Web sites also provide information about the program.