While teaching music at a religious seminary, I met many students with little musical background. They had never studied singing before. Some told me they were “tone-deaf.” One was nicknamed “The Composer.” Every time he sang a melody, it always sounded different, as if he were improvising on the spot or singing notes at random.

These students presented me with a big challenge. I discovered that none of them had any underlying condition that caused an inherent inability to sing. It turned out that they couldn’t sing for the same reason that I can’t speak Spanish or Japanese: lack of exposure and training.

The good—and perhaps provocative—news is that I have never yet met anyone who is really “tone-deaf.” Not even “The Composer,” whose natural musical ability (which we all have) quickly began to appear. This experience went a long way towards convincing me that pretty much anyone, even those with bad cases of “tone-deafness,” can learn to sing.

We can all learn to function musically, at least at a basic level, and become better at singing than we now are. Most melodies, like “Frère Jacques” and “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” do not require extraordinary God-given gifts to sing.

I love helping people learn to sing, and will show you that you are not “tone-deaf.” We will start together at the very beginning, even before do-re-mi. I will help you develop your musical awareness so that you begin to feel more secure and comfortable when singing. Together we will bring the musical part of you to life.