Teaching
Since 2015…
I have had a fervent passion for passing on the love of music to others through teaching. I teach voice and voice pedagogy at DePauw University, and I am a certified vocologist/voice specialist that emphasizes developing highly sustainable strategies and toolboxes for professional vocalists so they can achieve an effortless, repeatable approach to singing within their desired venues of voice use. Part of how I do that is through an approach called Gill Mindful Voice Training developed by pioneer vocologist, Dr. Brian Gill. Through the application of understanding vocal anatomy, physiology, flow phonation, vocal acoustics, formant tuning, and a great sensitivity for helping singers communicate text in a starkly nuanced fashion, my team of teachers and interns are equipped to meet the demands of singers at their level in both our virtual and in-person studios.
Students are feeling more pressure than ever before to be right all the time and to always display that they have a complete grasp over all aspects of their trade. Whether it is in studio classes, private lessons, or voice pedagogy classes, I encourage students to aim to practice four cardinal principles in our learning spaces that curate success and longevity of progress: 1.) There is no easy or hard, only familiar and unfamiliar (a profound philosophy of jazz music educator, Kenny Werner), 2.) The process towards becoming effortlessly masterful in any musical discipline requires that we give ourselves unapologetic permission to let making music be a sound playground, 3.) Spend time teaching someone what you learn every week, and 4.) Everyone is on their own journey.
Students of Voice Blueprint Studios perform in a wide array of voice related work ranging from singing in progressive metal bands to singing indie folk to opera to voice acting/book narrating. They are finding success performing across many of the great musical epicenters in North America such as The Grand Ole Opry, Carnegie Hall, and Studio 54 as well as performing globally in China, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Australia, and Bulgaria. Many of our younger students have gone on to attend esteemed universities and performing arts institutes including Berklee College of Music, Roosevelt University, Cornell University, Columbia College of Chicago, MTSU, and AMDA.
Please click either link below if you’d like to set up a free 60 minute private lesson and start learning how to take impressive command and control over your voice!
TESTIMONIALS
“Lessons with Nate is like going on an adventurous ride, not knowing where you’re headed but thoroughly enjoying the journey! I sing these super cool, innovative exercises he suggests, and somehow, my singing just instantly gets better. It’s like he has a secret map to a better voice, and all I have to do is follow his directions and use the tools that he teaches me how to use. I am also a full-time voice teacher, and my students have grown so much because Nate has shown me how to build exercises and tools that meet the specific needs of my students.”
“I have been working with Nate for almost 3 years now and I have grown so much vocally and mentally. Studying under a teacher for this long, he truly understands my voice including repertoire that suits me, which warms ups and vowels that suit me best, and he can tell when my voice is not feeling 100%. Nate and I have worked together in person and on zoom for an extended amount of time, and while lessons over the last few year have been virtual, I still have gotten just as much out of them! I have grown so much even since the beginning of this semester because Nate encourages practice and growth at a healthy, individualized rate. He helped me realize that there are no short cuts, and that change doesn’t happen overnight. Stabilization and presence in my head voice has grown exponentially since I have worked with him and he has inspired me to be a voice teacher one day as well. I feel more confident in my voice, I feel more confident in my acting, and I feel like I’ve gained a new friend! Nate is an incredible teacher and I always feel comfortable laughing and having fun with him during my lessons! I wouldn’t trade the last three years for the world because I know that, without Nate, I would not be at the spot I am today.”
“Nate is an amazing teacher! The techniques and tools he uses, the way he explains things and the way he conducts his whole lesson is extremely specific and beneficial!”
“I have seen growth in my clarity and diction. I have also gained access to a wider vocal range while working with Nathaniel! He is a wonderful voice teacher and helps me improve every lesson!”
“My daughter has been taking voice and piano lessons from Nate for about a year (both in person and virtual), and I cannot say enough wonderful things about him! His passion for educating his students and teaching them how to find their best voice is evident in every single interaction. Nate’s warm personality made my daughter instantly feel comfortable working him, even though she was completely new to singing. She now takes piano lessons with Nate too, and his consultative approach helped her ease into this new area of music. Nate has a heart for his students and enjoys seeing them be successful, and he also has a passion for learning and growing his knowledge, so that he will be the expert his students need. We are very blessed to have been connected to Nate and look forward to seeing where his instruction and guidance lead our daughter’s growth in music!it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”
“My daughter loves theater and wanted help with auditions. Nate has helped her find and highlight what is unique about her sound. He provides a safe place for her to take risks and stretch her limits. He combines a strong knowledge of his craft with an encouraging nature, and he gets great results. If you are preparing your child for a career in theatre or just looking to improve confidence, lessons with Nate are an excellent investment!”
“My girls LOVE Nate’s fun spirit! They are not afraid to sound weird in his vocal warm ups or make a mistake. They have enjoyed his vocal warm ups and it has improved their voice technique/range..... any advice on vocal technique they have enjoyed and benefitted from!”
“Nate began teaching voice, guitar, and music theory lessons to our son over a year ago. We knew that Nate has a great reputation with students and parents based on numerous recommendations but we did not realize the extent that our son would benefit from working with him. Nate has taken our kid from just loving music to actually creating music. In virtual and in-person lessons, our son’s voice has grown so much. Within a couple of weeks, it was like he could hear himself and others better and was more confident. I have observed that Nate carefully utilizes the time in the lessons and honestly and quickly responds to strengths/weaknesses. Nate works with students no matter if they are beginners or seasoned and takes them up quickly with challenging lessons. Nate sets high goals and motivates them to stretch their abilities and life experiences. He talks with them as a mentor with a heart and not just as an expert. As a parent and an art teacher, I feel grateful that he cares for his students’ personal goals as well as their emotional well being. Our son is now reading and writing his own music because Nate’s instruction and inspiration. Having Nate as an important person in my son’s life gives us great joy. We highly recommend him to anyone wanting the best for their child.”
“I started my journey with Nate and Voice Blueprint Studios in 2019, 4 years ago. I have grown so much these past years working with Nate. Before starting voice lessons, I had a huge fear of singing in front of people. I worked through the fears and nerves and started voice lessons. There have been some hurdles, but Nate has helped me every step of the way, through establishing my technique and learning what vocal warmups worked for me, and through the tears of frustration when my perfectionist self didn’t get it right the first time. One of the most important lessons I have learned is that the voice feeling good means I’m singing with my most natural voice. I have become a more mindful singer, and I have learned what is in the best interest of me and my voice. My favorite musical memory is the transition I have gone through from only making sounds that felt heavy and more “powerful” and made my voice tired quickly to a more flowy, easy way of singing. When Nate and I first started working on establishing light mechanism together, I burst into tears because I thought I would never get it. I’ve learned that un-doing a pressed way of singing is tricky and that there aren’t any short-cuts! However, learning how to sing sustainably through using light mechanism has really helped me as someone who sings and performs a lot, and I still sound powerful even though it feels light! Looking back, I can proudly say my confidence has grown so much in myself and my vocal ability.””