Voice & Piano Instructors

Manda Gervase

VOICE
630.730.6762, mandagervase@gmail.com
Availability: Monday, Tuesday
$32/30 minutes, syllabus

Manda Gervase holds a bachelor's degree in music education from Elmhurst University and a master's degree in vocal performance from North Park University.  She has a wide range of performing experience spanning musical theater, opera, and choral music.  Some of her favorite roles have been Lia in L’Enfant Prodigue and Alice in Falstaff.  Her favorite choral experiences have been singing back up for Andrea Bocelli and performing in Distant Worlds: The Music from Final Fantasy.  She has been teaching voice since 2010 and feels teaching is her true calling.  Her students learn how the voice works and proper technique through a variety of styles of music.  She also helps students prepare for musicals, ILMEA, solos, auditions, and college programs.

Christopher Jackson

VOICE
513.349.9944, christopherjacksontenor@gmail.com
Availability: Fridays after school
$35/30 minutes

Tenor, Christopher Jackson, is a versatile performer, voice teacher, and choral conductor  currently based in the Western Chicago Suburbs. Opera credits include (but are not limited to) roles in Mozart operas Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Così fan tutte, Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Il Tabarro. He has worked with the Northwest Indiana Symphony, New Philharmonic Orchestra, Cincinnati Opera, Toledo Opera, Toledo Symphony, Chicago Sinfonietta, DuPage Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonietta DuPage, and Metropolis Chamber orchestra. He is the voice instructor and choral director at McHenry County College and is on the voice faculty of Elgin Community College, Harper College and maintains voice studios at the multiple local High schools. For more information visit www.tenorchristopherjackson.com

Barbara Staley

VOICE
847.302.3256, ladysings4@yahoo.com
Availability: Monday-Wednesday lunch and after school
$25/30 minutes

Barbara Staley, an award winning dramatic soprano and musician who has been singing professionally  and teaching for over thirty years. Ms. Staley has been first place winner of the National Bel Canto Competition, National finalist Metropolitan Opera Competition, Meistersinger National Finalist, Eleanor Steber Competition first place winner, Musician Club of Women first place winner, National Association for Teachers of Singing Artist Award, National Association for Teachers of Singing Senior Women Award, Farwell Award.

Ms. Staley has performed opera and orchestral works all over the world. Some of the roles Ms. Staley has sung include The Countess “Marriage of Figaro”, Fiordiligi “Cosi Fan Tutte”, Cio Cio San “Madama Butterfly”, Floria Tosca “Tosca, Aida “Aida”, Amelia “The Masked Ball”, Abigaile “Nabucco”, Elizabeth “Don Carlos”, Miss Jessel “Turn of the Screw”, The Mother “Amahl and the Night Visitors. Soprano soloist in Dvorak “Stabat Mater”, “Brahms Requiem”, “Verdi Requiem”, “Faure Requiem”, “Rutter Requiem”, “Messiah”, “King David”, “Dixit Dominus”.

Ms. Staley has worked with major conductors such as Anton Guadagno, Hugh Wolff, Bruno Bartoletti, Walter Baracchi. Coached with Renata Tebaldi, Piero Cappuccilli, Mirella Freni, Carlo Bergonzi. Ms. Staley has performed at La Scala, Teatro di Verdi in Busseto, Italy, Graz Opern, Kassel Opern, Teatro di Parma, Oakland Opera, Opera North, Washington Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Grant Park Music Festival, Des Moines Metro Opera, Lake George Opera Festival. Worked with many coaches at the Juilliard School.

Ms. Staley holds a Bachelor of Music in voice performance and a minor piano performance from the American Conservatory of Music as well as a Master of Music with honors in voice performance and pedagogy from DePaul University. Ms. Staley also holds a post-graduate certificate from the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. Ms. Staley is a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda Honor’s Fraternity, Mu Phi Epsilon Professional Music Fraternity, Musician’s Club of Women, Society of American Musicians, American Guild of Musical Artists, National League of Penn Women, and National Association for Teachers of Singing.

Ms. Staley has taught at Illinois State University and is currently teaching at DePaul University. Many of Ms. Staley’s student are singing with the Chicago Symphony Chorus, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Ravinia Festival, Peoria Symphony, many are singing at opera companies all over the world, some are teaching at major universities.

My biggest passion of course, is teaching and have enjoyed the successes of my students and watching them grow and flourish. Some have obtained full scholarships to attend major universities, first place NATS winners, first place Schmidt Competition winners, Bel Canto Opera Competition first place winners.

I would love to work with you! I hope you will give some consideration to studying voice with me. I will look forward to getting to know you and start you on your journey of success.

Kecia Waldschmidt

VOICE & PIANO
847.372.9014, keciagerman@hotmail.com
Availability: Wendesday-Thursday lunch
$30/30 minutes

Hi! My name is Kecia Waldschmidt. I’ve been teaching piano and voice lessons for 20 years! I have a degree in Vocal Performance from Northwestern, and while it turned out I much prefer teaching lessons, I also enjoy performing professionally regularly as a pianist or soprano. Most recently, I’ve been singing for Mercy Home for Boys & Girls masses, aired on WGN every Sunday morning! I direct a senior home choir, a church youth choir, and music direct an annual church musicale, and sing with a professional caroling group. The coolest gig I ever had was to record a Chicago Bulls commercial - and then I got to sing the National Anthem at a Bulls game! I live in Lombard with my husband and three boys.

Piano Lessons

Whether you have never played piano, used to play and want to get back into it, or are wanting to take your skills to the next level, I can help you! I enjoy making piano fun, so we will play a mix of classical music as well as whatever you are into. We will incorporate music theory at any level, learning scales, chord progressions, and why they are interesting and important! We can work on sight-reading, composing, or any musical goals you have, big or small.

Voice Lessons

Although I have a background in classical singing, I have performed a wide variety of music, including jazz, liturgical, musicals, and pop, and am happy to explore all areas of singing that interest you, while encouraging you to expand your repertoire as well. We can work on any goals you have, such as learning to harmonize, blending as a choral singer, and learning to sight read. We will work on good vocal and posture habits, diction, breath support, and most importantly, singing what you enjoy!