Voice lessons Utah

The best vocal teacher is your own ears. We are born to mimic. From the first sounds we utter as a child to the phrases we speak as an adult, it all starts with the need to mimic what we have heard.

My first voice lesson was with Jeri Clinger in 1973. Jeri had a performing group called "Galena Street East." I was surrounded by talented friends as we sang, danced and performed our way through high school.

Back in 1980- wet behind the ears- I was asked to be a student teacher while attending Brigham Young University. Armed with 6 years of private instruction from Jeri Clinger (Sacramento, California) I began teaching my first group of vocal students. (Jeri Clinger continues to be a mentor and friend and is still a revered vocal teacher and performance coach in Northern California.)

I continued my training with William Stoker while at BYU. William was an amazing vocal technician. He was a big band singer who performed with the Kay Kyser Orchestra. Bill "Smilin" Stoker, as he was known in the late 30's, later went on to teach in Los Angeles and San Francisco with many notable students including Johnny Mathis, Shirley Temple and Merv Griffin. (For more about Bill, see blog.)

With his methodology in hand and several years of performance experience under my belt, I moved to Los Angeles County and began teaching at a performing arts studio and eventually opened Jennifer Madsen's Vocal Studio in Claremont, California. For thirteen years I worked with some of the most amazing and talented students from Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange Counties.

It was a unique time. Star Search had just gotten underway and several of my students were selected to perform and compete on the nationally televised program with Ed McMahon as host. One of my more gifted students, Jana James won the 1985 Jr. Star Search Vocalist of the Year. Natalie Cole's Big Break was next on the scene and during the season her show ran, I had placed over 6 vocal performers on the opening season with my two star pupils, Chris Pierce and Terry Shorter placing third behind R. Kelley in the season finale. Many of my students today are performing in film, television, and on Broadway.

As a vocal and performance coach I have been hired to coach vocalists in the Christian, Country, Jazz, Pop and Broadway stylizings. I have been hired by producers to spend the week with the artist in the studio to help them "get it right." I have had many singer/songwriters that I have coached and helped to refine their original compositions.