About Monica Norcia

I call myself a “therapeutic voice teacher” because I offer singers and speakers the opportunity to deeply explore all aspects of the voice, from the breath to making sound, in a way uncommon in traditional voice lessons. I weave together classic vocal techniques with body and energy-centered modalities, such as the Alexander Technique, yoga-inspired movement and Reiki. As an excellent vocal/body/energy diagnostician with deep knowledge of the vocal mechanism, I am able to quickly get to the root of a vocal problem or help someone grow vocally by addressing long-held physical and psychophysical habits that interfere with free and easy expression.

Sound Advice #17 – Casting Children’s Theater

In addition to giving singing lessons for kids and adults in Marin, I also love children’s theater. I’ve been involved in the Ross Valley Schools’ YES program as a music director for more than 10 years, shifting from one school to another with a variety of talented directors and choreographers that make up the “creative teams.” [...]

By |2018-11-27T21:25:56+00:00November 22nd, 2017|Sound Advice|0 Comments

Sound Advice #16 – Why a Voice Journal?

A recording device is an essential tool in my Marin singing and voice studio. What better way to review what you did in a session than by listening to it again when you get home? I find that if I don’t record my own voice lessons, I don’t remember all its intricacies. Your teacher may [...]

By |2018-11-27T21:25:56+00:00November 16th, 2017|Sound Advice|0 Comments

Sound Advice #14 – The Voice Student Living with Parkinson’s Disease

As a voice and Alexander Technique teacher who teaches singing lessons for kids and adults in Marin County, I have had occasion to work with students affected by Parkinson’s Disease. Parkinson’s, as defined by the Parkinson’s Foundation, “is a neurodegenerative brain disorder that progresses slowly in most people. …A person's brain slowly stops producing a neurotransmitter [...]

By |2018-11-27T21:25:56+00:00October 17th, 2017|Sound Advice|0 Comments

Sound Advice #13 – Integrating the Speaking and Singing Voice – A Personal Journey

Sound Advice #13 – Integrating the Speaking and Singing Voice – A Personal Journey   One of the games I like to play with children when I teach voice lessons for kids in San Francisco and Marin is “the speaking vs. singing” exercise. I ask the group, “What’s the difference between singing and speaking?” I get [...]

By |2018-11-27T21:25:56+00:00October 3rd, 2017|Sound Advice|0 Comments

Sound Advice #11: The Importance of Energy in Singing

Merriam Webster’s Dictionary defines the word energy as “a dynamic quality,” “a usually positive spiritual force,” “a vigorous exertion of power” or, more scientifically, “a fundamental entity of nature that is transferred between parts of a system in the production of physical change within the system and usually regarded as the capacity for doing work.” [...]

By |2017-08-02T02:15:09+00:00July 29th, 2017|Sound Advice|0 Comments

Sound Advice #10- What Are We Warming Up

Every good singer knows that before singing a song, especially an operatic aria, it’s a good idea to warm up your voice. It’s like stretching before you go running. However, through the years of giving voice lessons for kids and adults in Marin, I’ve thought: What is it that we’re warming up? The vocal folds? [...]

By |2017-07-23T09:12:35+00:00July 23rd, 2017|Sound Advice|0 Comments

Sound Advice #9: The Taming Of The Tongue

The tongue is one busy, strong muscle. Among its many jobs, of course, is chewing and swallowing. But as articulator of vowels and consonants, it is often at the root (no pun intended) of vocal tension and freedom. Yet, many students who start singing and voice lessons with me are rarely aware of how the tongue [...]

By |2018-11-27T21:25:56+00:00June 12th, 2017|Sound Advice|0 Comments
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