MUSIC AT 221 ST. ANDREWS
Testimonials
On customizing lessons to suit the learner
Ann was always supportive and accommodating with my learning style and music tastes. She knew the kinds of songs I wanted to sing, and what would compliment my voice type. Ann always encouraged me to be myself and sing in my own style, instead of trying to recreate the sound of another artist. Ann would welcome new suggestions and I was able to explore several genres including arias, classical songs, hymns, broadway tunes, jazz standards, and more. I was always so grateful for her excitement when I brought in another new piece to her. We once brought ‘Cruella de Ville’ as a jazz piece to the Kiwanis music festival, and it worked! She was always up for a unique challenge and it helped to foster my love of singing.
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For 10 years, Ann encouraged me to practice daily. I struggled with theory, so she would help break it down into simple steps and sent recordings home with me so that I would have her accompaniment at home. She would also send me home with videos of other singers performing the songs to give me inspiration. As a creative and visual learner, her approach to practicing helped me to stay motivated to sing at home.
On fostering a love of music
To me, the most notable way that Ann helped develop my love of music was the way that she made it fun. She always explored variety and encouraged me to find new songs that would challenge me to grow as a vocalist. Ann was never strict, negative, or unkind and always welcomed me and her other students with such kindness and warmth. I always loved going to my lessons, because I felt like for one hour, I could put all of my emotions into my music and she supported me as I sang. It was such a wonderful experience as a vocalist to have a teacher who saw how much music meant to me, and she was very careful to always treat that gift with the utmost care. Even at age 10, Ann allowed me to make decisions about the songs I was singing. She would be sure to first teach me the song in the way it was written, but over time, she would encourage me to make decisions in the piece to make the song my own. With her guidance, she taught me how to use autonomy as an artist and tell the story from my viewpoint. She never told me I was ‘wrong’ for my choice. She helped me to foster my art from my perspective, and she treated me like a professional artist even from a young age.
On dealing with nerves
On several occasions, Ann helped me to prepare for Kiwanis music festival, show auditions, university auditions, performances, etc. Ann would not only help me prepare the piece, she would teach me ways to relax, combat nerves, ground myself, and take care of my voice. I continued to use many of her breathing techniques as I continued on in my voice career after our lessons. She made sure that I was aware of all aspects of the performance including posture, character development, and audience engagement.
On preparing for performing opportunities
Ann was always looking for ways to challenge me, by supporting me in the Kiwanis music festival, and celebrated my accomplishments with me. She was incredibly giving and always seemed genuinely proud of me when I completed a piece or brought it to a festival.
I studied with Ann for 10 years before going to college for performing arts. I have yet to meet an artist personally who is as diverse in music as Ann is. Ann was the best teacher I ever had. She was warm, inviting, supportive, encouraging, and challenged me to keep improving. I worked with Ann from the time I was 10 to 18, and she was as supportive to me at 10 as she was as I was preparing for University auditions. She even added additional lessons as I prepared for auditions and exams. She goes above and beyond to see her students succeed.
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Ann is a very naturally calm and empathetic person, and so she has a way of helping you to feel at ease without saying or doing much. One thing that stands out was her ability to remain calm and supportive in performance and practice spaces. Whenever we went to a performance, or an audition, or festival, her demeanour and her smile never changed. She was the same teacher in practice as she was in performance. She was also incredibly supportive any time we were going in front of an audience. As we approached the stage, she would never focus on giving me reminders or referencing any changes that came up in rehearsal, she just wished me good luck with a smile and encouraged me to have fun. That was the best way that she helped me to keep calm and sing for myself, and not for others. I can’t recommend a better teacher than Ann Green. It was a pleasure to learn from her, and I feel so fortunate to have been her student.