TEACHING

Ms. Cárdenas runs the gamut from classical opera to musical theater to pop vocal technique. She specializes in the muscular and technical specificities of the human voice and, because of her own vocal journey, she is especially skilled in guiding singers from a classical background to a healthy contemporary belt sound and teaching a healthy way to switch between the two techniques. She is also skilled in language and can coach operatic repertoire in Italian, French, Spanish, and German. Ms. Cárdenas helps each student find their own unique voice and sound in a healthy and sustainable way. She guides each student toward increased vocal freedom, range, color, agility, finesse, and stamina with instruction tailored to their particular instrument. 

Ms. Cárdenas believes in nurturing the whole artist, which includes not only technical vocal instruction but also acting and performance training, spiritual energy work, self-awareness and self-empowerment, and career mentorship. She has seen first-hand how nurturing the body-mind-heart connection can help achieve a singer’s goals and a fully emotionally-connected sound free of tension.

Ms. Cárdenas encourages all students to find joy and play in singing and in the learning process. She believes the best results come from a mixture of dedication and play. After all, we sing because we love it and because it can be the truest expression of who we are as people.

She has been studying voice intensively for over 15 years and teaching students of all ages for more than 7. She began her training in classical opera vocal technique and pedagogy at a young age and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Classical Vocal Performance from the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. Throughout her career as a classical vocalist, she studied with renowned opera teachers, coaches, and directors all over the country. After graduation, Ms. Cárdenas rediscovered her passion for musical theatre and expanded her study to include contemporary belt/mix and pop musical theatre styles.

In addition to her performance degree, Ms. Cárdenas’ studies include: extensive acting training with Bobby Weinapple at Seydways Acting Studios in San Francisco, classical acting for Shakespeare at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, various audition/callback/casting director/career/Broadway creative workshops through The Growing Studio in New York City, and first-hand experience as an AEA actor in the New York City theatre scene. 

Throughout her performing career, Ms. Cárdenas has played roles ranging from Maria in West Side Story to Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie. Please feel free to browse the “Media” section of this website for videos of Ms. Cárdenas’ performing.

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(Yes, I am teaching Zoom lessons during COVID-19.)