Miss Jean Fordyce Music Studio

Did you know that Young Artists Ensemble provides opportunities for our children to perform in top shows throughout the year?

You bet I’m proud of my singers! I attended Colina Middle School’s first Choir Concert under the direction of Amy Rolniak, who also leads the Choirs at Westlake High School.

Take advantage of the incredible musical talent right here in the Conejo. NEWWESTSYMPHONY.ORG for Details and Tickets.

Take advantage of the incredible musicians who live and work right here in the Conejo. New West Symphony brings us exciting and first rate entertainment.

Here I am at Varenita of Simi Valley where two of my students played some wonderful Contemporary pieces for the residents - 8-24-24.

The sound of a piano is spectacular! Playing a piano fills my heart with joy, fires my imagination and lets me enjoy music even after I am too tired to sing or work.

Why is the piano called piano? Because its original name was “clavicembalo col piano e forte” which means a “harpsichord that plays both soft and loud”.

An Italian, Bartolomeo Christofori, invented the piano in about 1700. It was an improvement over the predecessors, clavichord and harpsichord, because the action of the unique felt hammers striking the strings could create both soft and loud sounds.

Harpsichords were limited in dynamic range because the strings were plucked.

I first started studying piano when I could name the finger numbers on each hand. Piano became part of my dual major of Voice and Piano in College.

My piano students must learn:

Proper posture and technique for playing piano. This produces more beautiful, expressive tone and protects the students’ fingers and bodies from injury.

How to read the notes through note recognition and intervals.

Comprehensive music theory.

Overall history of music and composers.

Be tested, perform for others and compete.

My piano students have the options to:

Learn to play melodies and accompanying chords.

Read the lead sheets used for rock, pop and worship music.

Learn to accompany themselves or others while they sing.

Play with other instrumentalists.

I teach -

My voice students to be good (and maybe be great) singers for life.

With understandable vocal exercises that build -

Vocal Support

Good Pitch

Free Tone

The Ability to Express

Basic Acting

Microphone Technique

Audition Skills

Performance Skills

All of my students end up with voices that are unique to them and their personalities. They are taught the ability to.”grab” an audience and correct problem vocal sounds during a show.

Jean Fordyce performing as Meg Page in the opera Falstaff at the Amato Opera in New York City. I was in my 20’s.

Yes, I did come from a family with many talented musicians - still! They just keep coming!

I sang as a 5 year old in my mother’s “Patti Plays Marimba” show in Washington DC.

Whenever I want to sing with my best sound I conjure up my Dad singing in his sweet and resonant tenor sound.

My brother still sings and plays drums in a couple choirs in Colorado.

It’s not easy to find a vocal teacher who is truly skilled and I did lose my voice for years from working with the wrong teacher.

I finally found Cornelius Reid, a master teacher of voice who restored freedom, power and beauty to my singing.

His exercises and ones that I have added have produced children, women and men from my studio who have voices and techniques that last for a lifetime.

Introducing Emerson Julian in a recent Professional photo.

I was her voice, piano, and theory teacher for approximately 9 years. Now she is headed off to College and I am so proud and happy for her!

It’s been an incredible honor for me to have been a big part of her life, week to week and month to month.

In that time she completely absorbed and built on all I have taught her in voice, music, auditions, performance, protecting one’s voice and health and having a positive attitude towards new experiences.

Thank you to Emerson and her whole family🎶