Laurie's Vocal Studio

Laurie Vandegrift
633 West 1850 North
West Bountiful UT 84087
[801] 292-2070
Email

Certified Speech Level Instructor

Vocal Training for Today’s Voices!  Singing, Broadway, Pop & Country!

 

See below students success!

  

Hello and Welcome to Starlflite Productions and Laurie's Vocal Studio!

My studio is dedicated to helping you develop and nurture your talents, and help you reach your full potential as a singer. Laurie's studio is exclusively a Speech Level Singing Studio.  The Speech Level Singing (SLS) Technique, developed by Seth Riggs, has an unsurpassed track record of training some of the best voices and artist in the music business.  It is the technique behind 120 Grammy Award Winners, 4 winners of the New York Metropolitan Opera Awards, numerous Star Search winners, American Idol finalists, countless Broadway stars, television personalities, and recording artists.

I am proud to be a part of a worldwide community of the best in the music business with SLS.  The studio is proud to participate in special events and programs, such as local events bringing in the best SLS teachers from around the world.  We go to  great lengths to make these opportunities available to our students, and feel these events greatly help our students grow and we strongly encourage our students to participate.

Getting the most out of your lessons....Weekly study is the fastest way for best results.  Your monthly Tuition guarantees a permanent weekly spot in the schedule. 

and Practicing, practicing, practicing...Also, practicing is KEY to training your voice.  The more you practice, the sooner you'll see results.

Attitude is everything.  Voices are different and some have to work harder than others.  The more you give, the better you become.  So lets not be afraid to work hard.

 

My training is from key people in the music industry!

Seth Riggs who is the key figure in developing this method and has been the vocal coach for Michael Jackson, Bernadette Peters, Natalie Cole, Julie Andrews, Josh Groban and Kelly Clarkson

Dean Kaelin trained and was the accompanist for Seth Riggs for over 2 years, while working in Los Angeles. Dean now lives in SLC and for over 20 years has coached many who have become professional.  He coached the group," She Daisy".  Carmen Rasmussen, (American Idol) 5th place 2005.   David Archeleta (American Idol) second place 2008 and (junior American Idol winner) and many others who have signed record label contracts and those who have toured and sung on Broadway.

About Me:  I grew up singing and performing my whole life.  At the age of 13, I began singing lessons.  I went on to perform in many high school music groups, school plays and musicals.  I received a 4 year VOCAL SCHOLARSHIP to Utah State University, where I studied Broadway singing and some classical and opera.  I studied both Voice and Theatre.  While there I performed and soloed in various musicals and choir productions.  I was a participant in the Miss Utah pageant in 1976 and again in 1977.  I married Doug Vandegrift 1979.  We started a band in 1980, called "Starflite".  We performed all over northern Utah from 1980 until 1994.  During that time we also were very involved in local theater productions, as a family.

I began to study with Dean Kaelin in the Fall of 1997 and began teaching SPEECH LEVEL SINGING in the Fall 1998 and I continue my education with the many training sessions and seminars put on by the Speech Level Singing Association. I am currently a certified teacher of SPEECH LEVEL SINGING. In my lessons I also coach theatre audition technique, theatrical character & performance technique.

MY Students success in school and local theatre: I have seen rewarding vocal success come to those I have taught.  Many have been selected to be in the Madrigal and Chamber choirs.  They have received leading roles in high school musicals and at Rogers Memorial, Bountiful Performing Arts, Hale Theatre and other community productions. Students have received full tuition Musical Theatre Scholarships to both Colleges and Universities. 

Arianne Green performed her Senior year (2008) as Dorothy in Viewmont High School, production of "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and as Kim in Rogers Memorial Theater production of Bye, Bye Birdie

Gentry Glaittli performed her Senior year (2007) at Viewmont High School, as Jane Eyre - She also performed in her ninth grade year (2003) as "Winifred" in Bountiful Junior High, Once upon a mattress

Seth Jerome in his junior year(2007) at Woods Cross High School, He performed the role of both Joseph and the Pharaoh in Joseph and the Technicolor Dream coat.  In his Sophomore year (2006) he performed as the Zoser (father of Aida)..

McKenna Walker (age 10) performed as Mary in Bountiful Performing Arts production of Secret Garden in April of 2006.

Natalie Bigelow in summer of 2006 won the city of Syracuse - "Syracuse Idol"

Lindsey Harding performed in her senior year (2005) at Morgan High School, the role of Dolly in Hello Dolly

Mary Cleverly performed her senior year (2003) at Bountiful High School, the role of Eponine in the musical Les Miserable

Aimee Pettegrew Geddes performed in her senior year (2002) at Davis Davis High School played the role of Anita in West Side Story.

  Angel Vandegrift performed her senior year (1999) at Bountiful High School in the role of Marian the Librarian, in The Music Man.

My Students with professional music and theatre experience:

Erik Ward (age ten)  Auditioned here in Salt Lake City and was chosen and performed the role of "Gavrosh" with the Les Miserable Touring Company in 2003, traveling all over the world for a year.

Aimee Pettegrew Geddes Was awarded a full tuition Musical Theatre Scholarship to Weber State University .  She was then selected to perform in a music/theatre troop that entertained guest coming off of the Cruise ships, in Alaska.  She was a finalist in the Star of the West competition for this year - here in Utah.  She is presently singing and acting in a local Hertz car commercial, seen on TV, this August 2008.

Angel Vandegrift  - received a full tuition Musical Theatre Scholarship to Western Wyoming College. She then attended Weber State.  She presently works fulltime at Disney World.  She performs the roles of Ariel, Snow White in the new Castle show, Mary Poppins and her favorite new role of Drizella, Cinderella's wicked step sister.  She has worked there for three and a half years and she has now  been promoted to also a "Princess trainer".  In July of 2007, she performed live at Epcot in there summer variety show, where she solo performed When You Wish Upon A Star.  She sang the song of her life dream and that was to perform and sing at Disney World.  She opened the show singing the song with tear filled eyes.

This is what my teaching is all about!  Making dreams come true through voice and song.  I love to teach.

Laurie

I Teach all ages from young children on up to Adults.

LESSON SCHEDULE

Lessons are 30 minutes __Taught on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday No lessons on school Holliday’s for students who are in school. 

PLEASE BE ON TIME, IF YOU ARE LATE YOU WILL HAVE TO BE GIVEN A SHORTER LESSON.

MONTHLY TUITION   ensures you a permenant spot in the schedule.

Monthly tuition is $100 per month for             (4 lessons) or $90 if paid by the first lesson of the month.  Tuition paid after, is the full amount of $100. and is due before the second lesson is taught.

If you are paying for 3 or less lessons, the tuition is $25 per lesson.

Regular individual lessons must be paid in advance or at the beginning of the lesson.

PERFORMANCE SHOWCASE

There are two (2) scheduled Showcases each year. Shows will be - Monday Dec. 15, 2008 and Monday May 4, 2009.  All students are required to perform in the Showcase.  Performing is a crucial part of learning to sing.  We will work during lessons on a song, performance and style technique to prepare you for the Showcase.  If it is not possible for you to participate in the showcase, please talk to me.

 

Policies

24 HOUR CANCELLATION POLICY:

1) Lessons must be cancelled or rescheduled 24-hours in advance; otherwise lesson time will be charged/forfeited regardless of attendance.  This policy is in force, with exceptions of extreme illness or emergency (to be judged per situation).

2)__For situations of true sickness or emergency, notice must be given AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

CANCELED LESSON MAKE UP! If you need to cancel a lesson, please try to call the day before.  Scheduled make up days, are on appointed Mondays of each month.   YOU MUST ARRANGE YOUR MAKEUP LESSON for any previous lessons that you have missed during the month or you forfeit your payment for that lesson.  There will be NO credit given to any missed lessons, without a one day notice, with the acceptation of an emergency.

SONG CHOICE We will choose songs together. Please feel free to suggest songs.  Many songs will be chosen from the music in my library, but you are also encouraged to bring a cd of any artist that you would like to learn and we can drop the singer’s voice and record your voice over the singers, onto your lesson cd. We want to choose songs that will “work” your voice and songs that you enjoy singing, so please feel free to suggest and choose songs.

LYRICS FOLDERYou will be given a folder.  This is to be brought to your lessons every week.  In this folder I will write notes that will help you with correctly practicing the songs.  The notes that I made the previous week, I will use to further continue working with your voice.  

 PRACTICING   Please, please  practice a little EVERYDAY!

It is important to be doing your vocal warm-ups everyday.  I know it is much more fun to sing songs and I encourage you to practice songs, but don’t overlook the importance of doing the warm-ups each day to get your mind and voice strengthened and to develop increased control.  I try to give you warm-ups each week that are best for where your voice is at that particular time, so the last lesson’s exercises would be the best to practice vocalizing with.

 

 

© 2007 Doug Vandegrift StarFlite Studios