Does anyone know of anyone in the Tokyo area who offers singing/voice lessons?

Thanks! Karen

I received this message back from Michael at the Tokyo Comedy Store:
"we have a wonderful voice teacher, named Eko, who comes to our studio in Minami Aoyama (check the homepage under workshops for a map) every Wed. from around 2pm until around 5:30pm. She works with everyone individually and she is classically trained.
We start with scales and vocal exercises, take a short break and move onto a song that you'd like to work on, or that she suggests. The cost is 3500 per class, but you can just watch for free."
Karen

from Admin: The web site is http://www.tokyocomedy.com/english/index.html

A couple of years ago I had to do some singing for some TV advertisements, so I got some voice lessons from the fellow in the ongoing ad in the Tokyo Notice Board. It looks something like this:
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090-9815-9299, 5291-1415 fax 5272-7531
Singing lessons given by voice experienced professional English teacher. R& B, jazz, gospel, hiphop... Voice singing technique, voice power for singing and talking. Breathing exercises, dancing rhythm technique, performance confidence, and to overcome shyness. Power to control fear and worries.
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Sorry, I don't remember my teacher's name, but he was a tall guy from England, gave me homework and asked me to bring a tape recorder to record myself and take it home to practice and listen to myself. I think it was 3000 yen an hour for the hour and we split the cost of the studio in Shin Okubo (which we rented for 300 yen an hour so I paid 150 yen). I stopped after I finished the recordings, since I'm not normally musically inclined at all.

This was in Tokyo.

P.S. Maybe his name was Joe.

I found a flyer in my mailbox, all in Japanese, with the following information:

Agnes Culture Village
Free Trial Lesson (30 minutes)
US Vocal School
Teacher is Ms. Kaoru Kanou, a veteren of the Gekidan Shiki Production Company (Lion King, etc.)
Myogadani station on the Marunouchi line - 2 minutes
3-1-6-3F Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
tel: 03-5940-3559, Hours: 11:00 - 20:00
Group lessons: 1 hour four times (per month) Y8000
Private lessons: 1 hour two times (per month) Y10,000

Cornelia, I just wanted to say thanks for the information about singing lesssons. My 13 year old daughter, like most her age, is waiting to be discovered as the next Brittney Spears while singing into her hairbrush and the mirror!

Of course my husband thinks she should learn to sing first.....hence the lesson information was helpful.

FYI, there is a person who speaks English at the school and who answers the phone, also a very good young teacher who has studied for years in the US at a range of leading Jazz schools.

Very worthwhile trip, my daughter loved it so we'll be continuing. Thanks.

We are looking for a singing teacher for our daughter who is four. It's quite common to hear children as young as four learning an instrument such as the piano or violin, however how about voice? Is there a recommended minimum age? Can anyone recommend a teacher who specialises in voice for young children?

Linda Gondo

Hello, here are some additions for Agness Culture Village above:
email: miwaworld[at]hotmail.com
web site (all in Japanese): http://www.agnesculture.com
Ms. Ai Ikegami is the other voice teacher there, but she only teaches in Japanese.

Linda, your message above is a bit old but I was wondering if you had had any luck finding a singing teacher for your daughter. Do you know of any choirs for kids? My daughter also likes to sing, and she did a lot of that at yochien. But at her new school, there doesn't seem to be much singing and she misses it. Group lessons would be best at this point I think. Any info? We live in Musashino-shi.

Caroline, As for private singing lessons in English for young children I did not not have any success in finding anything, but don't let that put you off as in the end I did very little research as I decided to wait until my daughter was older. I did not investigate any Japanese possibilities, but I have heard that there are loads of "talent" schools all over Tokyo where kids can learn singing ,drama, etc, although how young they can start I am not sure.

As for choirs, sorry no info on that either, except for the one that I know of in Children`s Castle in Aoyama which is probably too far for you. Sorry I couldn`t be more help.
Regards, Linda