Private voice lessons

One on one lessons at Sharon's home studio or virtually from the comfort of your home
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Shaffer Studio also provides a wide range of other services.

including conducting, music theory and more!
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About Sharon

Sharon Shaffer has been teaching voice for over 30 years. Her voice students have gone on to major colleges and conservatories, are singing and recording all over the U.S., on Broadway, in Nashville and in LA.

Locally her students are soloists and performing leading roles with The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus, The Cleveland Children’s Chorus, The Cleveland Pops Chorus, Good Company, Cleveland Opera, Choral Arts Cleveland, The Cleveland Chamber Choir, Chagrin Valley Choral Union, Suburban Symphony, Akron Symphony, The West Shore Chorale, The Beck Center, Cleveland Public Theatre, Dobama, Cleveland Musical Theatre, Pickwick and Frolic and many more!

My students can be seen on professional concert stages, as recording artists, in film, opera, musical theater, on Broadway, in Nashville, in LA, in Israel, and in local community and professional theaters throughout the united states.

Ms. Shaffer has had a prolific performance career with decades of professional performing experience. She has appeared in leading operatic and musical theatre roles, and in recitals throughout the United States, Europe and Scandinavia. Ms. Shaffer is an alumna of The University of Michigan, Oberlin Conservatory of music and Cleveland State University. She holds a BMA in Vocal Performance and an MMA in Vocal Performance and Vocal Pedagogy with a concentration in Choral Conducting.

In addition to teaching, Ms. Shaffer recently finished her eight-year tenure as the Conductor and Artistic Director of HaZamir Cleveland. She has also conducted HaZamir, The International Jewish High School Choir, in NYC. She is pleased to have been able to conduct in Lincoln Center, at Carnegie hall and at the Metropolitan Opera. Presently Ms. Shaffer is choral conductor of The Park Synagogue Choir in Cleveland Heights and Pepper Pike Ohio, and maintains a busy private teaching studio in Shaker Heights Ohio.

Services


  • Choral conducting technique for the beginner to intermediate level

  • Music theory and harmony
  • Sight reading and language coaching
  • Acting and monologue preparation

  • Vocal and breathing technique
  • Repertoire choice
  • Performance and audition preparation
"I believe beautiful singing can be achieved in any genre of music with basic knowledge of posture, breathing, placement, and tone."

These precepts, though they may differ stylistically in each genre, are necessary to achieve “The Legato”. Which is the ability to create a consistent stream of air to tone connection throughout the registers of the voice. Getting rid of those ugly “breaks” between registers and connecting and developing a proper “head” and “chest” voice mix. This is the Bel Canto technique, which is Italian for beautiful singing, and lends itself to all genres of music. Even if you choose to yodel between registers like some country and pop singing, or you choose to use your “belt” or “falsetto”, the important thing to remember is that you will have the proper vocal control to make that choice.

Vocal lessons might include, posture work based on the Alexander Technique, breathing based on the Appoggio technique. Appoggio is a classical term for breath control and refers to slowing the recoil of the diaphragm as you sing a phrase or hold a note. Repertoire choice, beginner to intermediate level music theory and harmony, advanced level sight-singing, music reading and ear-training, historical context and authentic practices, foreign language instruction and pronunciation, acting and interpreting songs and roles for performance and auditions, depending on your specific needs and desires.



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