“Katherine has both an amazing ear and inestimable understanding of the vocal apparatus.  When you put those two together, you have someone who can listen to the sounds a student produces, watch the way the sound is produced, watch the involvement of the body in the production, and translate that into the HOW to do it in a correct and healthy manner.  She is also someone I would call a natural purist – by which I mean she insists that the sound a student produces is defined by the nature of his or her own vocal apparatus, and not just produced by mimicking someone else’s notion of the “right” sound.

Katherine has a performance, stage-side background with which to cultivate the artistic, performance aspect of singing within her students.  One of the humorous songs from the Broadway musical, Brigadoon, speaks about the poet who “only writes about the things he cannot do.”  It is sad that many excellent voice teachers cannot perform and many performers cannot teach; but in Katherine, you have a musician who does both very well.

Many vocal studios are run by fear, intimidation, and “artistic temperament.”  Katherine just does not run that kind of studio.  She runs a studio of technical and artistic skill as well as one that is infinitely encouraging.  One day I had been listening to a long succession of student voices that were far, far away from my idea of beautiful voices, and I asked Katherine how she could find such encouraging things to say to those students.  Her response blew me away, but spoke so much about who she is.  She said, “It’s easy – I hear the voice as it will be.”  Most of us hear what is, but Katherine hears what is potential. If you are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to study with Katherine, don’t bother to think about it – just say, “thank you,” and run with it!”

“One of the most important lessons I learned from Katherine is that during the process of vocal growth and practice one can embrace any vocal fault. A squeak, or bump in the sound is not something to be afraid of. Exactly the opposite, here is the opportunity to improve and strengthen a weakness. An unattractive sound on a note you may have been hoping to reach is a beginning that can and will blossom into something tremendous and beautiful if the study is approached in the correct manner. However, obsession over the “correct” manner of singing should be avoided. Over thinking can encumber the voice. Yes, hear the pitch but be open to any sound that comes out. Great sounds will be uncovered when we release with freedom and abandon.

I learned the voice will not tire as quickly when it is used properly. I learned that a voice can gain endurance through regular study and application to appropriate repertoire. While one hopes to achieve better high notes and low notes, the beauty in the middle of the voice is most important. Being with Katherine helps one to strive to be part of the classical music making world where music is an art form that must constantly be refined and brought to a higher level. She teaches the love of music of the great singers and musicians who have come before us.”                 

“When you met me, I was a frightened young fellow.  I had gone into the practice room, knowing that how I was singing was incorrect, and basically just yelled until I got hoarse,  unbalancing whatever shred of coordination I had, and was supposed to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Music—only, I couldn’t sing!  I remember your being still for me (because I really couldn’t be too still inside at that time), and taking me lesson by lesson to a place of the beginning of vocal health.  So, thanks for all you did for me back then.  You were a very important and vital part of my vocal understanding and development, and I’ll always be grateful that our paths crossed.  I can only imagine how many singers you’ve helped since me.”