Private Voice Lesson Scheduling

Dr. Charlie Christenson is an associate professor of voice at the Berklee College of Music. As a vocalist, keyboardist, and songwriter, he has continually challenged the status-quo and forged his own unique aesthetic path. He is equally at home playing, singing, and improvising in a wide array of contemporary styles, particularly rock, R&B, folk, and jazz (all of which are represented in the working bands which he has led in Minneapolis, Miami, New York City, and now New England). His recordings can be found on Spotify and Apple Music, released independently and through the New York based-label Biophilia Records.

Dr. Christenson teaches or has taught at some of the world’s leading educational institutions, including Philips Exeter Academy, the University of Southern Maine, the University of Miami, and the Manhattan School of Music. He is editor-in-chief of the online music publication Foray Music where he supervises the weekly newsletter, hosts podcasts, and produces articles and videos for musicians of all levels. A native of Wisconsin, he grew up listening to Paul Simon and playing drums in a Led Zeppelin cover band. In college he produced a classic rock radio show and played piano in a salsa orchestra. In New York, he sang with big bands and avant-garde free jazz ensembles, while spending his afternoons walking through Central Park listening to Sufjan Stevens and Bon Iver. When not playing or teaching music, he loves to hike, camp, read, watch NBA basketball, and play video games.

"Developing a unique sound or aesthetic is less about creation and more about discovery—your music is already somewhere inside of you."

Martín Guas is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Argentina. He started his musical education when he was only three years old. Versatile on the guitar, the piano, and his captivating voice, Guas's music and his lyrical writing are deeply rooted in Global Music and Latin American folk. 

With contemporary productions influenced by his current environment living in the United States, he brings his music to the present.

Over the last few years, Guas has written songs for major film productions and has shared the stage and recorded with multi-Grammy winners such as John Legend, Larry Klein, Natalia Lafourcade, Armando Manzanero, Kurt Elling, Javier Limón, Alejandro Lerner and many others.

"Your music can never be better than who you are as a human being." - Quincy Jones

Lydia "LovelySinger” Harrell is one of Boston’s musical treasures. Her sultry, soulful voice and evocative songwriting have garnered her the attention and respect of the nation’s finest musicians and venues. Jazz and soul is where her heart is; however, Harrell has shown an unbreakable ability to mold herself into any musical situation. Be it performing with the Boston Pops, serenading NBA fans with America’s national anthem, or lending her vocal talents to chart-topping deep house singles by British record label Reel People Music, Harrell’s dedication to extracting the pure essence of song is unmatched.

I want the students I work with to come away from our lessons with confidence and a feeling of encouragement—as well as healthy technique and emotion in their performances.

Everything I have ever done and still do is related to my music career—singing, playing, acting, and so much more. I learn more and more with each performance and rehearsal. As a result of my experiences, I am always excited to pass my knowledge on to the students I work with. This is how my background contributes to my teaching.

Christiane Karam’s unique vocal style stems from her love for different musical traditions. She is the leader of the acclaimed Pletenitsa Balkan Choir and has had the privilege of sharing the stage with the likes of Hüsnü Senlendirici, Javier Limón, the Assad Brothers, Binka Dobreva, and Tigran Hamasyan, among others. She has performed at venues and festivals such as Carnegie Hall, SummerStage, Celebrate Brooklyn!, Symphony Space, and the Koprivshtitsa Folklore Festival, among others. She has also been featured on PBS and VH1.

In addition to performing, Karam is an award-winning songwriter and composer. She's a staunch activist for cultural understanding, tolerance, and nonviolent conflict resolution. Currently on the faculty of Berklee College of Music, where she teaches in the Voice, Ensemble, Songwriting and CWP departments, she is the founder and leader of the annual Berklee Middle Eastern Festival and the Pletenitsa Balkan Choir, and actively continues her work of bringing awareness and positive social change through music and the arts. Karam also performs and teaches around the world.

"I deeply believe in music's endless potential to connect us with one another and bring us to this peaceful place of oneness from where we all come. Berklee is a vibrant environment that offers its students a miraculous opportunity for making music across cultures and differences."

Boston native, Cassandre McKinley, is a singer, recording artist, composer, producer, vocal coach and educator. As an artist and singer, she channels a vast spectrum of genres that include Soul, Jazz, Blues, R&B, Pop and Country and has unwittingly unified them into a singular sound that is primitively hers. McKinley’s consensual freedom from stylistic boundaries has become her signature approach to making music. She is simply presenting a rich and acutely diversified mix of music by way of a sublime voice and a veritable gift for storytelling.
In her early youth, McKinley’s burgeoning career started with private voice lessons, intensive studies in dance, theater and vocal performance and by 19, after attending Boston Conservatory, she was signed with an agent and entrenched in her work as an actor, singer, dance, print model and voice over artist. Today, McKinley is deeply rooted in a recording career, having released 5 solo albums, currently in pre-production for her 6th collaborative project. She is revered for her spirited and impassioned live performances illustrating evidentially her extensive range and vocal power. Her most notable collaborations include those with Peter Eldridge (New York Voices), Duke Levine (Bonnie Raitt, Tom Petty), Dave Mattacks (Paul McCartney, Elton John), Clay Osborne, Bernard Purdie (Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin) and Herb Pomeroy. Her 2018 independent release “Dragonfly” exhibits the same persuasive and robust vocal interpretations she has become celebrated for. Her music can now be heard on hundreds of national and international radio stations, cable and internet music outlets including iHeartRadio, Spotify, Pandora and XM Radio.
Currently, she is an Associate Professor in the Voice Department at Berklee College of Music in Boston and Berklee Online. She also continues to tour regularly as a headlining artist and featured guest artist.

"I build a trusted bond with my students so that my experience and perspective might serve as helpful insight into the industry - enabling them to establish reasonable expectations and career goals for themselves. It's important to "dream big" but additionally key to know what is expected of you as an artist - imperative to a successful launch into music as a career. I strive to be encouraging yet honest about those expectations, provide the necessary tools technically, musically and expressively to empower them to move forward with confidence when opportunity presents itself to them. In this process, my students and I come together for deeply positive,highly productive lessons and a shared excitement when goals and milestones are met. I live for those moments because it truly highlights how awesome that teacher/student bond really is."

Clare McLeod, Ed.M., is an associate professor in the Voice Department at Berklee College of Music, where she is the principal creator of the minor in teaching contemporary voice. A certified Estill Master Teacher, she also trained at the National Center for Voice and Speech, and is a member of the Voice Foundation, the National Association of Teachers of Singing, and the Pan American Vocologists Association. In addition to teaching at Berklee, she presents voice clinics regularly around the world and continues to contribute to developments in voice research.

"I want to help singers close the gap between what they intend to do and what they are currently able to do; to help them understand the physical aspects of how their instrument works. The voice of the singer is like a race car, the singer is the driver and I’m in the pit, getting them road ready. One of the best parts about teaching is building a relationship in which students expand their awareness, are able ask questions, and learn to trust their bodies. I love watching the lights on go in the moments when students see new paths open for them."

Daniela Schächter started early her musical career performing publicly in Sicily, Italy. After her classical studies she moved to Boston MA as recipient of a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music, where she studied with Phil Wilson, Joe Lovano, Hal Crook and Joanne Brackeen. Daniela has won many prestigious awards, such as the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Piano Competition 2005, The Sister in Jazz Competition 2002, the Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead Competition 2002, among others and also she appeared in the Jazziz magazine collector's CD (July 2001). Daniela has performed at the Brass Group Jazz Festival, the Umbria Jazz Fest, the Cape May Jazz Festival, the Cleveland Jazz Fest with the Rainbow Big Band, the International Trumpet Guilt Conference, the Kennedy Center, the Sarasota Jazz Festival, the Cape Cod Jazz Festival, the Ravinia Jazz Festival with the Count Basie Big Band and at the Hollywood Bowl. Daniela has performed with Randy Brecker, John Clayton Jr. and the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, the New York Voices, Terri Lyne Carrington, Patti Austin, Kevin Mahogany, Carmen Lundy, Regina Carter, Christian McBride, Ingrid Jensen, and Shirley Horn among others. Daniela was guest artist of the prestigious Marian McPartland Piano Jazz radio program, the Java Jazz Festival and the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival in 2006. She is currently residing in Boston.

Her fourth album “Vanheusenism” A Tribute To Jimmy Van Heusen was released in October 2016.

Daniela is Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music Boston MA and AMP Professor at Brown University.

“I will always share my musical knowledge and skills in the most creative ways in order to stimulate, and react to, the uniqueness and artistry that is present in every student.”

Lisa Thorson is a popular Boston-based jazz vocalist, actress and music educator.She has performed at jazz clubs, on radio, on stage, on film and on television for over forty years. She has toured throughout the U.S.,Canada and Italy as a concert artist and jazz vocal clinician. Lisa has released six jazz recordings as a leader. Her most recent, "Lisa Thorson Quartet Live' received unanimous critical acclaim and international airplay. Critic and writer Michael Nastos hailed "Resonance• her quintet's CD on GM Recordings as "one of the very best musical offerings of the year, and an astonishing vocal document." Lisa received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in MusicalTheatre from the Boston Conservatory and a Master's Degree in Jazz Vocal Performance from New England Conservatory. She is a Professor in the Voice Department at Berklee College of Music where she received the Distinguished Faculty Award. 

Lisa has taught at New England Conservatory, Longy School of Music and Wellesley College. The National Endowment for the Arts, Berklee College of Music and numerous public and private foundations have supported her creative performance and educational projects. 

In addition to her work as a vocal and jazz educator, Lisa's current projects include her jazz quintet, The Post-1960 Repertoire Project and Without Words; Inspiration, Discovery and Practice, an e-book scheduled for publication in 2023.

Please visit www.lisathorson.com

"Everything that I've learned as a professional comes into my teaching. How to deal with stage fright, how to negotiate a contract, how much rest you need, how much water you need to drink, what kind of food you need to eat, how much you need to keep studying, where you find an agent, how you put together a recording....I mean everything."

Ashlee Varner is a pianist, vocalist, educator, arranger, and composer from Pennsylvania. Specializing in jazz, pop, R&B, and gospel, she has toured throughout the world and performed and recorded with numerous groups, including Northern Colorado Voices, Lee Singers, and the Ken Brown Band. In 2014, she won Downbeat magazine’s award for “Best Graduate College Jazz Vocal Soloist.”

She holds an undergraduate degree from Lee University in Music Business and Music Ed. with an emphasis in classical piano (secondary in classical voice), a M.M. degree from the University of TN in Knoxville with an emphasis in jazz piano studies, and has completed coursework toward her doctoral degree in jazz piano studies with a secondary emphasis in vocal pedagogy from the University of Northern Colorado. Varner continues to perform in a variety of idioms and is best known for her unique vocal arrangements and self-accompanied performances. In addition to performing, she works as a freelance transcriptionist and serves as a vocal clinician and adjudicator for various festivals. Her latest recording work is featured on Kenneth Brown’s album, 3 Down, produced by Donald Brown and featuring Jeremy Pelt on trumpet and Greg Tardy on sax. The album has received international radio play (France, England, and United States) and appeared at #27 in Jazz Week's Top 50 chart.

"I want my students to leave my classes and lessons with concrete knowledge of the material and measurable improvement. I want them to be able to apply what they learn in my class to real-life situations and have fun throughout the process of learning. I hope that they leave the learning experience as well-rounded, marketable musicians who feel creatively inspired and confidently prepared for any professional situation so that they can reach their full potential and create a legacy of their own."