Gabriel Greenwood

My teaching style is a departure from traditional vocal pedagogy.
Through my Total Musicianship program, students will enjoy sessions built on an innovative, contemporary-based curriculum that seeks to foster musicians, not just singers.
[See Curriculum for details about each core area]

As an instructor, I help students develop their technique and confidence by focusing on professionalism, breath control, and tone. We’ll work on improvisation, repertoire, and developing your own sound, style, and artistic brand. Beyond that, I help students to learn how to look at their music from theoretical and creative angles. From these angles, students will learn how to harmonize, read sheet music, write chord charts, transcribe melodies, and even arrange for voices. I use this combination of vocal coaching and a focus on music fundamentals to nurture beginners into becoming true musicians.

As a person, I am both flexible and accommodating. I meet students wherever they are on their musical journey. I’m willing to work at whatever pace you want and adapt to even the busiest schedules. More importantly, I am patient, respectful, and very encouraging. For some, simply singing for others, let alone working with a coach, can feel intimidating. I create a judgment-free environment for students to feel at ease, supported, and more open to being vulnerable. I’ve had experience coaching students with mild or even severe stage fright, helping them channel the inner fearless performer who lives within.

With Performance & Technique, I'll guide you on:
- Warming up your voice both in and outside of a coaching session
- Picking out the best songs for your repertoire
- Daily practice etiquette [how to learn new songs quickly, how to find time to practice, how to make a routine]
- Improving breath support, control, enunciation, diction, transitioning between registers
- Adapting to countless different styles of contemporary music
- Learning and properly executing runs, riffs, scatting, vocalese
- Confidence, overcoming and dealing with stage fright, nerves, anxiety

With Theory & Notation, I'll guide you on:
- Fundamentals of harmony [All major, minor, and modal keys, scales, intervals, triads, chord extensions]
- Identifying your song's key center, transposition
- Fundamentals of rhythm [how to swing, counting, syncopation, groove]
- Reading and comprehending sheet music, sightreading.

With Arranging & Songwriting, I'll guide you on:
- Scoring using music notation, using notation software such as Noteflight, Finale, MuseScore
- Aural skills training, transcription
- Self-accompaniment [how to not overpower yourself or your instrument, learning a new repertoire song on an instrument]
- Lyric writing [identifying song form, non-lyrical hooks, rhyme, flow]
- Improvisation [how to practice it, how to insert it into your work]
- Arranging for voices [how to create background vocal parts (BGVs), beatboxing, vocal bass lines]