My name is David Wright and I teach singing lessons for all ages, skill levels, and musical styles. All of my teaching is based on the principles of vocal skill and health, confidence, and fun.
Vocal skill and health are the foundations of your growth. Your voice is an amazing part of your body, made of muscle, cartilage, connective tissue, and other stuff. I’ll teach you the techniques you need to sing well and take good care of your voice.
You might have a lot of confidence in your singing, or you might not. I make my studio a safe place for people with all kinds of voices. I work hard to make sure every singer grows more confident in their voice with every lesson.
But most of all, you’re here to have fun singing. Me too! Making music with other people is one of the greatest joys in my life. As we work hard on your skills and take good care of your voice, your growing confidence will bring you a lot of joy in singing for years to come.
“David has helped me feel confident in ways I never did about singing.” - Rebecca P.
“I look forward to our lesson and leave feeling encouraged with a good plan to work on the next week.” - David K.
About me
Music—both teaching and performing—has been a great adventure in my life! I have a Bachelor of Arts from Oregon State University in music education and vocal performance, and a Master of Divinity from Covenant Theological Seminary.
I started teaching individual singing lessons in 2011 while working toward my M.Div. It’s been a delight to meet all kinds of interesting people during my career. I love to see my students grow during my lessons, and I also love to pursue my own growth as a singer and voice teacher. Just as you will grow while you take voice lessons, you’ll also see growth in me as I learn to teach better and better.
I’ve been making music as both a singer and an instrumentalist since 1999, including in choirs such as the Corvallis Repertory Singers, leading music at church services both traditional and contemporary, and playing in local rock and folk groups.
About my students
“I began vocal lessons with absolutely no knowledge about singing. I could not even match a single note. With David's help, I now love my voice and have a fantastic time whenever I get to use it.” - Joey W.
“I have been singing most of my life in some form or another but have developed a lot of bad habits. I've been working with David about 6 months and he has done a great job of helping me fix those bad habits.” - Josh A.
Skill level
I’ve worked with hundreds of students at every skill level. Some of them couldn’t even carry a tune when they started! But every single student grows as long as they put in the work. Whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned performer, you’ll make progress here.
Musical style
I have years of experience performing and teaching all styles of music: rock, pop, classical, contemporary worship, musical theatre, folk—I’ve done it all! Whatever music you want to work on, you’ll find this is a great place to work on it. And if you need ideas for music to work on, I’m here to advise you and help you find something you love.
Age
I welcome students of almost any age—I generally work with students 11 and up. I’m very familiar with how the voice grows and changes with age (and I’m not getting younger myself). We’ll put that knowledge to good use as we work to perfect your singing voice.
Goals
I’ve had students with all kinds of goals. One was working on recording a studio album. Another wanted to sing a love song for his wife at an anniversary party. Most students simply want to enjoy their own voice while singing along with the radio or in the shower. Whether you have a project you’re working on or you just enjoy singing, I’ll tailor your instruction to your goals.
About singing lessons
“David is a fantastic instructor! I personally love his unique approach which combines the art AND science of singing.” - Mavrick G.
A healthy voice
If your voice isn’t healthy, you can’t sing well. But if you never sing, your voice won’t ever get healthy! We’ll make sure you know how to keep your voice in good shape (believe it or not, singing through a straw is one way). Hydration, efficient use of your voice, and rest are all regular topics of instruction.
singing exercises
Good singing technique is the foundation of beautiful singing. We’ll work on all elements of singing technique, including breath management, phonation, resonance, pronunciation, registration, and more.
Artistic singing
The purpose of singing is to communicate artistically with your audience—whether it’s a packed Broadway theatre or a sing-along with the car radio. We’ll explore how you can show feeling and sing expressively in a healthy and skillful way.
genres
My students work on all genres of music. We’ll do a little bit of classical singing because that’s the main style that uses all the muscles of the singing voice (see above about the healthy voice). But beyond that, the program is up to you! I’m happy to help you make selections, but ultimately I’m here to help you work with the music you love most.
musical study
I help my students work from sheet music as well as learning by ear. If you don’t know how to read sheet music, don’t worry! Lots of students don’t, and I’m here to teach you. Intermediate and advanced students are also strongly encouraged to work with me on sight reading skills.
Instrumentalists
Lots of students want to learn to sing better while playing an instrument. I welcome all sorts of instruments in the studio! We’ll spend some of our time focused on singing technique without the instrument, and then work to apply good technique while playing.