Our Philosophy
"Everyone has a beautiful voice. You just have to know how to use it." ...Jo Estill
Can it be any simpler than that? And “vocal beauty” is defined by you – not anyone else. What would having a “beautiful voice” mean for you?
- A voice that commands the attention of crowd?
- A voice that sounds like your favorite recording artist?
- A voice that works hard all day on the telephone and still feels great for an evening out with friends?
Our courses and teachers are dedicated to seeing you reach your personal vocal goals.
Vocal Versatility and Vibrant Health
There is no cultural nor aesthetic bias in Estill Voice Training, but there is a bias for vocal health! Estill Voice Training encourages those who seek vocal versatility to explore the full range of expression in the human voice, but not at the expense of vocal well-being. One way that Estill Voice Training does this is by promoting “Most Comfortable Vocal Effort” at all times.
Efficient Voice Training separates Craft, Artistry, and Performance Magic
Craft is learning how to control the various structural components of the voice. Each structure contributes to sound and feeling of the voice. Control of these structures leads to unlimited options for changing – or maintaining – voice quality, without vocal strain. Craft is the foundation.
Artistry requires knowledge and demonstration of the stylistic elements of a performance practice. Artistry gives you the know-how to make your performance vision a reality. Commonly this principle applies to dramatic and musical endeavors, but there is also “artistry” in effective communication in a lecture, sales presentation, or customer service call.
Magic encompasses the indescribable experience of becoming one with your audience. Magical performances are breath-taking, goose-bump-raising, transformational experiences for both vocalist and audience. But these magic moments can be rare, unpredictable, and fleeting. Having a strong foundation of Craft and Artistry improves your chances of experiencing performance magic, finding that “zone” more frequently.
Benefits of Estill Voice Training™
- Replaces mystery with knowledge
- Reduces performance anxiety
- Promotes confidence
- Empowers students to make choices
- Provides vocal variety (listen to some examples)
- Leaves nothing to chance
- Leads to a balance of vocal health and aesthetic freedom
"Why am I an Estill Voice Training practitioner? Obviously, I respect the quality of Jo Estill's research. She has produced a systematic approach to voice training that I have used successfully for the past twenty-two years in my work with undergraduate singers. It is one thing for Jo Estill to have been named one of the most significant voice scientists in the world today. She joins the ranks of many such gifted scientists. However, it is quite another thing to have fine tuned her research in such a way as to offer singers a disciplined approach that meets the demands of the profession today; namely, the ability to sing a variety of voice qualities with confidence, endurance, and artistic sensitivity. My colleagues and I think so highly of Jo Estill's work that we have developed a four-year undergraduate voice curriculum using her published materials. There is no greater "testimony" as to the trust we have in this approach to the training of the singing voice than to offer it to the next generation as a foundation for their professional careers."
Julie T. Fortney
DMA Professor of Voice,
Voice Division Coordinator
Mars Hill College, Mars Hill, NC
©2010 Estill Voice International, LLC | 55 Standish Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15228 | Phone:412-341-0316
