Harriet Bennish, Voice Teacher and Vocal Coach, Long Beach, California
Harriet Bennish
Ms. Bennish is a professional singer and voice instructor residing in Long Beach, California. She is a voice teacher for children, adults, and seniors. As a voice instructor for teachers, motivational speakers, and other professionals who rely on their voice to communicate, she helps eliminate voice fatigue caused by incorrect usage of the speaking and singing voice.
Harriet works with both amateurs and professionals to IMPROVE TONE QUALITY, INCREASE BREATH CONTROL and INCREASE VOLUME OF SOFT-SPOKEN SPEAKERS.
Teaching senior citizens how to sing and improve their speaking voices has had a healthy impact on the senior citizens who take Harriet’s "Voice Class for Seniors."
Singing Seniors
Ms. Bennish attended the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, MD. and received a Bachelor of Music Degree in Voice & Performance from West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV.
She is currently the featured soloist in the Long Beach Klezmer Band, "The Schtetl Menschen," and is a Performer and Entertainer for Non-Profit Organizations.
Ms. Bennish is a soloist and professional section leader for churches, synagogues and community choirs.
Early on in her career she was selected as a quarter-finalist in the Los Angeles Regional Metropolitan Opera auditions.
She has performance experience in opera, musical theater, sacred,
oratorio, cantorial music, and the recital stage. For nearly 10 years, Ms. Bennish was the soprano soloist and section leader for the widely acclaimed "Long Beach Chorale".
Ms. Bennish also holds a Masters Degree in Social Work and has tapped into those skills necessary in working with a diverse population.
Ms. Bennish’s attitude is that, "It is never too late to learn how to sing." Her oldest student is 89!!
STUDIO POLICY
Class Scheduling
Lessons are available in one hour, 45 minutes or half hour time slots and can be scheduled weekly at established times during the day. Evening and weekend lessons may also be scheduled in accordance with my performance and rehearsal schedules.
Studio performances, classes and other group events are scheduled by mutual convenience. These events could incur additional charges for hiring musicians or halls.
State of the Art Recording Equipment
All lessons are recorded on the Superscope PSD340 CD Recording System. All students take home a CD of entire lesson.
Private Instruction Rates
My private lesson rates are competitive with what you could expect to pay for ongoing private lessons in the Los Angeles/Long Beach area with a professional instructor.
Studio rates are as follows:
1 hour
$60
45 minutes
$45
1/2 hour
$30
Payment for each lesson is due at the time of the lesson. I accept checks and cash but not credit cards.
Cancellations
You must notify me of cancellations at least ONE DAY IN ADVANCE.
Notification received by 7 PM the evening before the scheduled lesson will be considered one day's advance notice. If a lesson must be missed and you have given the required notice, we can reschedule.
Missed Lessons
Payment is due for missed lessons that have not been previously canceled. If a payment is not made for the missed lesson additional lessons will not be scheduled until payment is received. In addition you could lose the scheduled time slot.
All missed lessons are charged at the full lesson rate. Personal and family emergencies, illness, local and national emergencies, extraordinary acts of nature, and other immediately related unforeseen and unpredictable events are the exceptions.
Practice: Practicing with your CD is like having another voice lesson. This will help re-enforce new ideas and physical sensations.
TESTAMONIALS
"My doctor thought I had asthma. I even began using an inhaler. After studying with Harriet, I began to breath better, and it has changed my life."
Jackie Dibs, age 68
"After singing for friends, I noticed I had really opened up and I sang like I always hoped I could. I feel very privileged to have such a fine instructor. If there is a problem, Harriet finds it and cures it! I feel very lucky."
William Walker, age 85
"I’m pleased with all the positive feed-back I am receiving on my newly found voice."
John Mackinson, age 70
"I decided to try to recover what I once had, and in fact since I have been taking these classes, thanks to Harriet, I think I’ve gone beyond what I once had."
Ed McCloud, age 80
"As a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) sufferer, I am convinced that my vocal work over the past decade, especially my work with Harriet Bennish, has saved me from deteriorating lung function. In my work with Harriet we spend a lot of time working on proper breathing techniques, and she taught me several valuable exercises to strengthen the intercostals and improve my control over the diaphragm. And, my work with her is fun! Thanks, Harriet."
Linda McVicker, age 54
“I really wanted to sing with a good voice, so my mom introduced me to Harriet Bennish, and now she is constantly asking me to, speak in a softer voice. I really improved my singing and breathing skills with Harriet as my voice instructor and it really paid off.”
Annie Scolamieri, age 10
“Harriet’s lessons helped me with my breathing and I sounded a lot better singing my songs after studying with her. The warm-ups were fun and Harriet was very nice. Thanks!”
Alicia Allen, age 10
"I came to Harriet to improve my speaking voice as I give presentations at work
and school. I wasn't interested in improving my singing voice because I thought I
was tone deaf and thus couldn't carry a tune. I thought my singing voice was so
awful - I wouldn't even sing Happy Birthday at parties! Well, we worked on my
singing voice in order to improve my speaking voice -- and now I'm just inches
away from trying karaoke. How liberating -- Thanks Harriet!"
Shelley Perez, age 44
"I heard and felt myself grow as a singer in just a few short months, and my performances increased in quality dramatically."
Bryn Cartwright, age 18
Reasons Given for Studying Voice
Senior Voice Class
Long Beach Parks and Recreation
"I enrolled in the class to improve my speaking voice so I can read aloud to small children"
Candy Young, age 53
"People were always saying, ‘What? What?’ whenever I was speaking. I don’t speak clearly or enunciate well. I want to learn how to speak with a measured calm, comfortable voice"
John Mackinson, age 70
"I’m here to enhance my breathing, and not have to think about it and have it come automatically"
Don MacIntire, age 73
Children
Ms. Bennish accepts children as young as 6 years old, carefully guiding young voices through age appropriate vocal exercises and music. Her belief that a child’s voice need not be ‘pushed’ beyond their vocal maturity level is demonstrated in her students that have been cast in musicals and/or selected to sing with school and church choirs. Her past experience as a children’s therapist has helped the shyest of children come out of their shells by helping them discover the uniqueness of their own voice, thereby enhancing their self-esteem.
"If you have never learned how to speak correctly with a strong and clear voice then you may have experienced difficulty learning how to sing. This is why an important aspect of my teaching is directed towards improving the speaking voice." Harriet Bennish
RING A BELL?
Don’t sing, just mouth the words.
Everyone knows I have a terrible singing voice.
I can’t carry a tune if my life depended on it!
It’s hopeless, I am tone-deaf, I’m too old!
I have disabilities which stop me.
"As a voice instructor for over 15 years I have heard several variations of these statements all leading towards the same result: People do not sing because they have convinced themselves that they cannot. This couldn't be further from the truth!"
Harriet Bennish Voice Teacher Vocal Coach Long Beach California, Singer, Actress, Children, Seniors, Klezmer, Church Soloist Harriet Bennish Voice Teacher Vocal Coach Long Beach California, Singer, Actress, Children, Seniors, Klezmer, Church Soloist
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Harriet Bennish Voice Teacher and Vocal Coach Long Beach California Harriet Bennish Voice Teacher and Vocal Coach Long Beach California
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