Renee Root

Renée is the Singing Voice Specialist.  If you are experiencing vocal problems, please be sure to read INSTRUCTION FOR THE INJURED SINGING VOICE at the end of Renée’s biographical information.

To say Renée came out of the womb singing would not be an overstatement.  She has taken her passion for music and song and expanded her talents through extensive training and experience.  She received her Bachelor and Master degrees in Voice Performance from Indiana University’s famed School of Music, where she not only performed in their operas, but also was a member of their elite Chamber Singers.  She has twice won the Metropolitan Opera National Council District Auditions, and twice won the Colorado Young Artist Competition Award.  She has appeared professionally in opera, oratorio, music theatre, and concert performances.  For the past 30 plus years, she has maintained a private voice studio and has taught on several university faculties, including the University of Colorado at Denver, where she received two awards for teaching excellence.  She is also listed in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers 2000 for her outstanding work with students.   

Renée has had an avid interest in vocal pedagogy since she took courses at Indiana University with Dr. Ralph Appelman, who was on the cutting edge of voice science.  She added to her repertoire by working with the top talent in the field of voice science today, including Dr. Ronald Scherer.  She has served as a lecturer for Vocal Health presentations geared to professional singers and voice teachers with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and was the preferred voice teacher for singers touring with Broadway productions.  She also helped to establish the Voice Clinic at the ENT Clinic of Iowa, where she served as the primary Singing Voice Specialist on their Voice Team, and was instrumental in guiding many injured singing voices back to health. 

While Renée’s extensive training has been in the classical genre, she is well-versed and tremendously successful in teaching contemporary singing styles, as well, and boasts a studio of healthy voices singing in all styles working in the business literally across the globe, from Las Vegas to Nashville, from L.A. to Europe. She teaches both male and female singers, and is comfortable teaching all levels, from the professional singer to the beginner.  A former student wrote, “When I first got to Las Vegas (all those years ago), I wanted to keep up with voice lessons.  I was referred to a very prestigious teacher who taught the Seth Riggs method of singing.  To teach this method, a person has to get certified and go through personal training with the man himself.  After my second lesson with my teacher he said to me, ‘I don’t know who taught you, but they did an amazing job – there really isn’t anything more I can teach you.  You already have the technique and the ability.  You don’t need me.”’ -- Kathryn Lell-Chavez, singer and commercial actress, Las Vegas, Nevada

Renée’s involvement in music extends far beyond her studio teaching and performing.  She is in demand as a master class clnician and lecturer, an adjudicator for vocal competitions, and conductor.  She has been music director for professional, collegiate, and community theatre productions, preparing the singers, and conducting the stage band.  Currently, she is the Director of the Adult and Youth Choirs at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, serves as Virginia Supervisor on the Executive Board of the Eastern Federation of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians (EFGOCM), and was Guest Conductor for the EFGOCM Conference in October 2009.

Renée is excited to be expanding her voice studio into cyberspace as part of The RockSource360.com team.  This new frontier will be the perfect venue to culminate her career as a voice teacher and performer by helping the next generation of vocalists build their instruments in a healthy and vital way.

INSTRUCTION FOR THE INJURED SINGING VOICE

Whether you are beginning to experience vocal problems, or have been dealing with them for some time, you know the angst that accompanies every performance and rehearsal.  The best way to get your voice back to vocal health is to work closely with a professional voice team.  The voice team typically includes an otolaryngologist, a speech-language pathologist, and a voice teacher trained in working with injured voices.  Our singing voice specialist, Renée Root, has a proven track record having worked with professional voice teams to successfully aid singers with vocal problems, whether due to phonotrauma (abuse), illness, or surgery.

Your first singing lesson with Renée will be an evaluation, lasting one hour.  All students will be required to fill out the Vocal Assessment form prior to the evaluation, and to book 2 back-to-back sessions.  Also, you will be expected to provide (A) a release form from your otolaryngologist and speech-language pathologist indicating that you have been approved to receive singing instruction to aid your problem, (B) the name and contact information for these medical professionals, and (C) pictures or a video of your vocal folds (if available to you). The length of subsequent lessons will be determined by the severity of the vocal problem, usually beginning with 30 minutes, increasing incrementally to 60 minutes as your voice heals and stamina is improved.  Renée will work concurrently with your licensed speech language pathologist to carefully guide you back to optimum vocal health.

You may schedule an evaluation without having seen a medical professional, but to commence lessons, you will be required to see an otolaryngologist for diagnosis.  If you need assistance in locating an otolaryngologist and/or speech-language pathologist in your area, you may contact Renee.

Once you are back on the road to good vocal health and have been released from intervention by your otolarygologist and speech language pathologist, you may elect to continue your vocal studies with any of our highly qualified
RockSource360.com vocal coaches.