We ask our members share a few thoughts: to introduce themselves to fellow members, and those who are interested in our community.
In this instalment, we interview Nancy Mayer of Nancy Mayer Voice Lessons.
Tell us about your business:
Singing lessons for choir singers, shower singers, pop singers, opera singers, I-never-thought-I-could-sing singers, and speaking lessons for lawyers, lecturers, teachers, and workshop givers. Breathing and posture are essential elements.
What are your most popular products or services?
Audition preparation, weekly voice lessons, confidence building for speaking, breathing lessons, and a little bit of psychology thrown in (for free).
What do you like best about owning a business:
I set the tone of my business. It’s up to me how I relate to my students and clients, which in turn brings in the people I enjoy working with.
What makes your services special?
Every voice teacher is different. So is every voice and every person that walks into my studio. I love the challenge of finding out who you are, how your voice works, and what language and images will best bring out the fantastic voice that lives inside you. I do it with positive reinforcement and a dose of humor, so that the lessons are hard work, but also revelatory and fun.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced?
My greatest challenge in business is having enough students and clients coming every week, even though I have a good number of students. I teach a lot of working adults who have changing schedules and vacations, which makes it difficult to have a full week of lessons sometimes.
How do you relax?
I love to read fiction and The New Yorker magazine, so I do that whenever I can. I particularly like the books of Marilynne Robinson, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Nicole Krauss. Meditation and running are two runners-up.
People may be surprised to know…
Although I have lived in the Netherlands for 20 years, and I have ridden a bakfiets (3-wheeled bike) for a long time (when my kids were small), I do not ride a regular bike. I have a biking phobia, so I take the bus and the tram a lot!
What are your future plans?
My husband and I are about to work together, to help a client who gives presentations in a monotone. I will help her with her voice, breathing, and posture and he will assist her with her presentation skills. We’re looking forward to collaborating!
Thank you, Nancy!
For more information about Nancy Mayer and Nancy Mayer Voice Lessons, please visit www.nancymayer.com