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Brenda's Teaching Education and Experience Testimonials from Brenda's Music Students Music Performance Opportunities for Students Brenda's Teaching Education and Experience Brenda Freed graduated from the University of Iowa with a BA in Music Education and Music Therapy in 1980 (completing her Masters in 1992). In 1980, she taught K-12 vocal music and general music classes in rural Iowa. During this time, she revived a music program that had been inactive by producing two grade-school musicals, spring and winter concerts for choirs grades 1-12, and took the high school choir members to large and small group contests where they did very well. In 1982, she left public school teaching to start working as a music therapist at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. In 1990, up to her ears in U of IA academia and music therapy, she left Iowa on a bicycle and pedaled 9,000 miles, touring Ontario and Nova Scotia, Canada and the East Coast and Southern U.S. before coming to a halt in Luckenbach, Texas in 1991. Since that time, while pursuing her music career, Brenda has been teaching guitar, piano and voice privately from her Creative Endeavors studio in the Texas Hill Country[Return to top] Music Therapy is
an important part of Brenda's teaching. The ultimate goal is
that her students, aged 4 to 84, feel good about themselves, what they
are doing, and the learning process. Students often feel vulnerable
when they are learning to sing or to play an instrument. Brenda's
music therapy background gives her the skills to help students deal
constructively with whatever personal issues may arise during lessons,
whether they are personal experiences from their past or just the lack
of self-confidence. Brenda likes to have a good time with her students so that everyone
leaves the studio feeling good. She believes that students learn
by playing or singing the style of music they enjoy. Every student
learns a solid foundation in music theory and rhythm presented in a
way that is fun and not scary. Based on experience, Brenda has
shown time and again, knowledge of fundamentals enables students to
read and to play music, and to perform at any level they choose whether
for themselves or for the public. She enjoys figuring out how
to motivate students to want to learn. For some, the answer
is to encourage them to use their skills to compose or to write songs. For
others it is a small bribe. "It is amazing what some people
will do for an M&M," she laughs. Brenda sees music
as the activity that people can enjoy for the rest of their lives,
even if only able to listen, and teaches in the hope that all students
will enjoy music for the rest of their lives. Testimonials from Brenda's Music Students I really like the way Brenda lets me choose the songs I want to work
on. She gives me that freedom and can still teach me what I need to
know. Brenda took me to a level I couldn't get to by myself . Brenda has restored my love of music. I am so excited to
have this passion for my piano emerging after so many years of not
striking one key. Brenda's enthusiasm and positive attitude
have been the driving force behind my level of self confidence! Brenda proved to me that anyone can learn to sing
if they have the desire and the right teacher. She made it
easy for someone with no musical background to learn to sing and
play guitar. Using her own magic and years of teaching experience,
she taught me the proper techniques to vocalize and play the guitar. Brenda Freed's Voice Lessons are Truly a Transformational
Journey to bringing out the hidden voice. Her
methods encourage beautiful results ... Her attitude & approach
is always positive ...Mix that with a bit of practice & You gain
a beautiful resonant voice. I've
seen her vocal results transform many adults in our community .
I took lessons from Brenda for roughly eight years. She is one of the most supportive people I have ever known. Whether I was struggling through Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on the piano or performing my own original music at an open mic, Brenda offered positive feedback and always managed to phrase her constructive criticism in the least-soul-crushing way. She never became angry when I hadn't practiced enough or forgot my songbooks, nor did she become frustrated when I was struggling with a piece of music. She reinforced everything she said during lessons by writing it in a notebook for future reference. Even now I occasionally get out those old notebooks and brush up on a few things. Brenda is a good teacher because she knows her stuff and can relate
it in an easy to understand way, whether you are ten or seventeen,
but more important than what she teaches is the passion behind it. I
don't think I would still be playing music today, much less writing
my own songs, if it weren't for Brenda's constant enthusiasm. She
really believes in her students and loves what she does. Brenda Freed is a fine music teacher: she has the
intuition to recognize what each student needs to progress, the
musical knowledge to share what is needed, the patience to allow
the student to work at an individual pace, and the good will and
enthusiasm to rejoice with the student when skills are mastered. I've
thoroughly enjoyed working with her. What can I say about Brenda Freed without sounding like
I'm exaggerating? Because this will sound like exaggerating...
but it's true. Brenda's the real music deal. My
bandmate and I heard her sing at a gig last year and were blown
away by her beautiful vocals and stage presence and later thought
we'd struck gold when we learned she teaches voice. After just
one lesson Mardi and I had the basics down to learn harmony singing
for our original songs. Brenda is great - an intuitive
teacher and music lover, with a Masters in music to back up her natural
music inclination. Brenda Freed is a blessing and I can't wait
for my next lesson with her to get her input on how best to sing
a couple of new songs I've written. THE TRUTH !!!
I have been taking voice lessons from Brenda Freed for a year
and a half. I have never taken voice lessons before (and I
was very nervous to do so) but I hoped that the lessons would help
me become more verbally confident and flexible which they certainly
have. Brenda is a delightful teacher from the standpoint that
she makes learning fun. She is a supportive, compassionate
and playful teacher and I recommend her highly to anyone, any age. Lessons with Brenda have been amazing. She is patient and
professional with her students, expecting them to master the music
they are playing. The best moment for me was while I as watching
my four year old play with her. He had not mastered the art
of interpreting written letters into significant meanings or words,
yet there he was interpreting the musical notes into keys on the
piano. He transformed the written music into a song, on his
own. You could see his mind working. It was amazing.
Over the years, Brenda has always enjoyed honing her own voice by studying voice with a number of vocal teachers, each with their own unique styles and techniques. As a result, Brenda has developed quite a unique style of teaching voice that can help singers with a variety of problems such as pitch, tone, getting hoarse or shortness of breath. In her vocal instruction, Brenda helps people find their own natural voices by using their "instruments" correctly. She teaches technique through proper breathing and tone placement. She uses these techniques to specialize in teaching people to extend their vocal ranges, and helping them to project their voices safely. Singers quickly build vocal stamina and the ability to project under Brenda's instruction. Each student is provided a customized vocal practice tape with breathing and vocal exercises designed to work out the voice consistently from the lower range to the upper range. Brenda's voice is versatile and she enjoys a variety of musical styles so she is able to coach students in their choice of musical style. She has taught several people to sing who were not able to match pitch beforehand. Brenda encourages all voice students to learn an accompanying instrument and she has the skills to teach them guitar, piano or mandolin. Therefore, many of her voice students also learn to accompany themselves while studying voice. Brenda proved to me that anyone can learn to sing if they have
the desire and the right teacher. She made it easy for someone
with no musical background to learn to sing and play guitar. Using
her own magic and years of teaching experience, she taught me the
proper techniques to vocalize and play the guitar. The voice is such a personal thing, often times personal issues arise during the course of a voice lesson. Brenda's background in music therapy and counseling provides her the unique skill to help students work through these issues while discovering and strengthening their voices. Brenda Freed's Voice Lessons are Truly a Transformational Journey
to bringing out the hidden voice. Brenda is available to teach vocal workshops to experienced, as well as to "wannabe", singers. Her workshops are practical with lots of group and individual singing and coaching. She is also available to teach harmony-singing workshops. Brenda Freed will be one of the vocal instructors at the Vocal Workshop at the 2007 Kerrville Folk Festival. For more information on vocal workshops, contact Brenda . Brenda is designing a vocal instruction DVD that will be available in 2007. Experienced as well as beginning singers will find it beneficial and it will be available at her workshops.[Return to top] Brenda has developed a technique for teaching harmony. The technique is based on many of the exercises she uses in her individual vocal instruction. It works best if duos or trios wanting to harmonize with each other study harmony together under her instruction. After just one lesson Mardi and I had the basics
down to learn harmony singing for our original songs. Brenda's years of experience teaching piano have led her to develop and to write a course in introductory piano that she is currently using with her students. Parents and students alike are amazed by how fast and easy students learn to read and play music using Brenda's distinctive technique. Brenda teaches piano students to read and to play music including reading and playing rhythm. Even though Brenda emphasizes reading and playing music, Brenda's piano students are more than "paper trained." She encourages them to learn to play scales and to read and to play chord symbols in preparation for the ultimate musical experience of being able to improvise. The best moment for me was while I as watching my four year old
play with her. He had not mastered the art of interpreting
written letters into significant meanings or words, yet there he
was interpreting the musical notes into keys on the piano. He
transformed the written music into a song, on his own. You
could see his mind working. It was amazing. [Return to top] Brenda teaches introductory and intermediate classical, folk, blues and lead guitar to all age groups. She encourages a classical guitar posture because she believes it will better prepare any student for playing in any style whether sitting or standing. From the beginning, she teaches students some theory of why certain chords go together; knowledge that helps them figure out songs for themselves as well as write their own songs. Unique to Brenda's teaching is the fact that she can teach several instruments. Brenda encourages vocal students to learn to accompany themselves on piano or guitar and she has the skills to teach them to do this. Therefore, several of Brenda's students of all ages have studied more than one instrument from her at any given time.[Return to top] As a performing singer/songwriter, Brenda
plays bass and mandolin in addition to guitar and piano. She
teaches introductory bass and mandolin and coaches interested students
in songwriting. Music Performance Opportunities for Students Brenda produces an annual recital that is open to the public for students who choose to participate. Inspired to create more performance opportunities for her students, as well as to encourage other youth in the community, in 2003 she started a community service project called the Young Artist Performance Incubator (YAPI) , a monthly "open mic" for youth aged 19 and under. Many young performers from the Texas Hill Country had their first public performance at YAPI. Many of them performed their own original music there and some have gone on to perform to national audiences. "YAPI open mic night provided me with the opportunity to perform for a receptive audience, which was crucial to my development as a musician," said Sahara Smith, Singer/Songwriter, who was runner-up in Garrison Keillor's 2004 Prairie Home Companion Young Artist Competition. Several of Brenda's guitar, piano and voice students, both young and old, have also gone on to perform on stage. Brenda Freed will be one of the vocal instructors at the Vocal Workshop
at the 2007 Kerrville Folk Festival. http://www.kerrvillefolkfestival.com/2007_12_18.htm |