Inspiring Conversations with Grace Woolf of ‘Rock On, Songbirds’ Vocal Studio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Grace Woolf.

Hi Grace, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
About 15 years ago I attended a conservatory program majoring in Vocal Performance for Jazz and Multi-Disciplinary Music. My theoretical and academic music classes were phenomenal, but the actual technical guidance on the voice was virtually nonexistent. It seemed that my professors misunderstood that the voice, just like all the other instruments, could have concrete tools for its development that were based on science. Instead, they would judge the singers in my course on how much “they liked” their sound.

At that point, and halfway through my program, I made the difficult decision to leave the conservatory and venture out on my own singing and teaching journies. This decision forced me down a rabbit hole of research, adventure, and discovery into the fascinating and effective world of vocal research which became my life’s ambition. Since then I have taught hundreds of singers, myself included, how to sing any sound the human voice can produce in a healthy and sustainable way. My motto to my singers has always been “Ain’t no such thing as CAN’T sing” – and the past decade and a half have been spent on proving that motto to be true.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My business grew pretty organically. Since I didn’t grow up with a ton of money, I slowly transitioned from working various jobs while building up my client base and gaining experience, knowledge, and training in the field. When I say that I worked various jobs – I mean SO many jobs. I was a tour guide, substitute teacher, house cleaner, sales, retail, service industry jobs, administrative work, tutor, voice actor, commercial actor, etc.

Eventually, I gained the foundation and confidence to solely focus on my vocal studio. The main struggle with this sort of business model is it takes a while to gain recognition, experience, and expertise – at least if you build a responsible vocal studio. I knew that if I wanted to charge people money for my services, those services had better be top-of-the-line. I do believe that I achieved that goal.

As you know, we’re big fans of ‘Rock On, Songbirds’ Vocal Studio. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am a voice teacher and I give private voice lessons and workshops to singers and speakers all over the world. I am an authorized CVT (Complete Vocal Technique) teacher – and the only one in our beautiful State of Colorado. CVT is an amazing technique that is both a pedagogic method in addition to being a research-based vocal technique. It’s called “complete” because it includes all the sounds that the human voice can produce, and provides concrete tools and information so that anyone can learn to produce any sound in a healthy way. Unlike some other vocal methods, my work is never about what I like or dislike musically. The vocal process centers around the singer, and only they get to decide what they want to work on. This is what sets me apart from other vocal studios – I do not impose my own personal taste on my singers, and instead, I act as a mechanic for them to help tweak, train, and/or refine the sound that they wish to perfect.

I give workshops upon request, but for the most part, I teach private lessons from my studio either IRL in Evergreen or online.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and are any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I have learned that, for what I do, Online lessons work the same if not better than in-person lessons. It took me a few tries before getting used to it, but online lessons provide singers with the same level of professional instruction without the stress of having to commute or leave their homes. It also challenged me as an instructor, as I had to adapt my teaching methods to compensate for the fact that my singers and I were not in the same room.

Pricing:

• Single 60-minute session – $75
• 5-session package (6 mo limit) – $350
• Workshop – $Pricing upon request$

Contact Info:

• Website: http://rockonsongbirds.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockonsongbirds/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gracevoicecoach
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4haun8LwQEzORaXQZaU36Q