Teaching — Kristen Swenson

With over a decade of private teaching experience, performance experience in musical theater, opera, rock and folk as well as a Bachelors and Masters in vocal performance, I am thrilled to help you in your musical journey!

Piano lessons

I would be honored to help you begin your journey of learning how to play the piano! Lessons are offered weekly and can be 30, 45, or 60 minutes. As soon as a solid foundation of reading music is built, we will begin to learn repertoire chosen completely by the student. Whether it’s Mozart, Chopin, Simon & Garfunkel, Sara Bareilles, or Disney, what’s most important is that we find something that speaks to you! Technique, music theory, music notation, and ear training are also a part of lessons.

Voice lessons

When it comes to learning how to sing, I am very passionate about helping my students find their most authentic and freest sound. Singing lessons are about unlocking techniques you never realized your voice was capable of, leading you to express yourself as freely as possible through singing. Through lessons, we will train the breath and learn how to navigate the different registers of the voice.

Audition prep

Are you getting ready for an important audition? Whether it’s college entrance auditions, NATS, or local theatre production, I am here to help you have a successful audition. We will go over how to prepare mentally and how to make sure the repertoire is ready as well. I will also teach audition etiquette and common pitfalls to avoid.

Ear training and sight singing

Have you always wanted to get better at playing something by ear or singing more strongly in pitch? Through ear training courses, we will learn the basics of solfege and intervals and apply them to sight singing. Relative pitch is an incredibly important skill as a musician and singer which we will slowly develop!

Music theory

I have always believed that music theory is what makes music approachable and easier to understand. The notes on the page will most definitely make more sense if you understand the way in which they are all connected therefore making it easier to learn. We will cover the basics of harmony and apply this to music throughout several different genres including pop, classical, and rock.

See Kristen’s Students Perform!

Featured

Andreea

Chopin Prelude

Amy

Piano student

Chaz

Piano student

Oliver

Piano student

Mia

Voice Student

For inquiries, email kristen.swenson10@gmail.com or fill out the form below!

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We started using Kristen as a voice tutor for my 12 year old during quarantine. Despite being virtual, the lessons are engaging, personal and fun. My daughter loves working with Kristen and there are noticeable improvements after each 30 minute lesson. I also like that she recommends songs for her that compliment her voice and range. She helps her sing with guitar and ukulele, as well as annotate her own music. I would highly recommend Kristen; she has made lessons during this time something my daughter looks forward to each week.

- Lesley M -

Kristen taught piano to my two boys (ages 10 and 8) and created a perfect balance of teaching them technique along with encouraging them to build out their own passion for music. When virtual lessons became a necessity in 2020, she was able to quickly pivot and provide excellent virtual lessons to keep them engaged in music. As a supplement to lesson books, my boys picked out their own pieces to play during quarantine - a fun Jazz piece and Star Wars theme song which was a huge highlight during our 2020 quarantined months.

- Kathleen A -

When our previous piano teacher moved away we tried a few teachers and chose Kristen. We think she is fantastic with our kids. She compliments before jumping to how to improve and engages with the kids at the right level. She breaks down a problem into parts my kids can understand and accomplish. My kids also learn music theory and have gained a better understanding of what they play. Both my kids have improved tremendously and think Kristen is a great teacher.

- Theresa R -