In addition to her work as a professional performer and composer, Jocelyn is a dedicated vocal coach and music instructor. She has over 19 years experience as a private singing teacher to students of all ages and levels (from 5 to 75—children to professionals), in a variety of styles ranging from Broadway to opera, pop, rock, soul, blues, and specializing in vocal jazz and Brazilian vocal styling. She holds a Master’s degree in Vocal Jazz Performance from Manhattan School of Music, a Bachelor’s in Professional Music from Berklee College of Music, and studied opera and classical voice at Stanford University. In addition to her degree credentials, Jocelyn is certified in all levels of master vocal pedagogue Jeannette LoVetri's Somatic Voicework™, a functional, body-based method of vocal training whose techniques have been adapted by a number of Jocelyn's most influential instructors including Theo Bleckmann and Luciana Souza.

Outside of her vocal studio, she has worked as an Adjunct Lecturer at LaGuardia Community College, as a choral music and ensemble director in public education throughout the 5 boroughs, as a teaching artist with MIMA (Music Improvisation and Media Academy), as a vocal jazz ensemble coach for Fordham’s Jazz at Lincoln Center, and as Head of the Vocal Department at the True School of Music, an affiliate school of Manhattan School of Music, in Mumbai, India. As a Master Class Clinician, Jocelyn has been invited around the world to present workshops in voice, composition, improvisation and vocal jazz to students at both the college and professional level. In addition, she is currently on the voice faculty of the Bloomingdale School of Music, the Dalton School and the New York Jazz Workshop School of Music. She maintains active long-distance students throughout the US, Asia and Europe, and continues her own long-distance lessons in traditional Hindustani voice with Mumbai-based master instructor Tulika Ghosh, whose unique approaches to music she often shares with her own students.

Jocelyn is available for individual and group classes in vocal technique, composition, music theory, performance coaching, or a combination there of. Lessons commonly incorporate technique work (breathing, registration, warm-ups, exercises and ear training) along with repertoire, style, interpretation, phrasing, and improvisation. Each class is unique and varied, adapting to the needs and direction of each particular singer. In addition, she offers clinics and workshops on the institutional level in the various topics listed velow. Her teachings are offered in both English and Spanish, as well as in person or via Skype or Zoom, to anyplace in the world (provided there is an internet connection!).

TOPICS for Workshops and Master Classes:

Vocal Technique (breathing, registration, placement, tone quality, intonation) and principles of Somatic Voicework® methodology, Jazz voice, Improvisation, Ear-training, Song Interpretation and Delivery, Stage Presence, Microphone Technique, Rhythm Section Direction, Repertoire Development, Composition and Songwriting, Western/Jazz Harmony and Theory, Brazilian Vocal Styles, Classical Hindustani (Indian) Vocal Techniques (including Ragas and Sargam, “Sa Re Ga…" Practice and Application)

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY:

Singing to me is a person channel of art, health, and feeling—a therapeutic outlet to enhance self-esteem and express emotion. In my classes, I strive to help my students experience this creative encounter between their bodies and minds, develop their musicianship, guide them through technical challenges and find their individual voices.

Just as music is a dynamic, ever changing and evolving cultural force, my teaching strategies vary according to the demands of the subject matter and the specific needs of my students. Every singer has the potential to succeed, whether in his personal goals, professional goals or both. As each vocalist’s instrument is unique and each singer’s mind-body awareness quite personal, I try to establish the classroom as a safe and comfortable space of non-judgement in which questions are encouraged, risks are taken, vulnerability is welcome, and experimentation is essential. Building solid technique for healthy, free vocal function is a key element in my classes, regardless of musical genre, with the ultimate goal of enabling each singer to convey the most emotional and sincere message possible with their instrument, while having a great time in the process. We are all improvisers, both as students and instructors, so I encourage my students to try new things, perhaps make mistakes and then learn from those mistakes, just as I myself do as both an educator and as an artist. I learn a great deal from my students, both from past musical experiences they bring into the classroom as well as their new creative ideas and approaches to music making.

In my own academic, artistic and spiritual education, I am fortunate to have had a variety of both effective and passionate mentors who inspired me to pursue my dreams while also providing concrete methods to make those dreams a reality. I challenge my students with high expectations while providing them with as much clear, organized information and practical structure as possible. I believe my role is to guide each student to a place where she taps into her personal reservoir of potential to develop an individual artistic voice. In the words of Greek writer and philosopher Niks Kanzantzakis, "True teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross; then, having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create their own."

For more information and to schedule a lesson, contact:
teaching (at) jocelynmedina.com