Free Your Voice

Gain confidence and power in your vocal expression

Private Singing Lessons with Holistic Voice Coach, Heather Houston

Please reach out to inquire as to whether I’m offering private sessions. I open my doors sporadically when I feel I have the spaciousness to do so.

Ready for a break-through with your voice?

All ages, genders, and ability levels are welcome!

Online AND in-person sessions are available:

  • In-person sessions will be held indoors at a private studio near downtown Santa Cruz, CA.
  • Online sessions will be held on Zoom

All sessions are 50 minutes.

Email Heather for pricing

If you must make a cancelation, you must do so more than 48 hours in advance. Any cancelations outside of that timeframe will not be refunded — except in the case of emergency, illness, or positive covid test.

Please email Heather to schedule: [email protected]

“Heather’s joy and enthusiasm about singing are contagious, and she is a magnificent teacher!” – Alison Scott

“Working with Heather enabled me to become a more effective and confident vocalist in a very short time…Her knowledge of vocal technique and ability to cater instruction to the individual is incredible.” – Megan Saunders

Born and raised in Santa Cruz county, Heather Houston is no ordinary voice teacher. She is a naturally gifted and highly experienced vocal coach who has helped thousands of students to free their voices and sing with greater ease, joy, and skill.

Heather has the training, experience, and talent it takes to help students at all ability levels with a wide range of aspirations —from feeling safe and comfortable singing to understanding how to sing with more relaxation, to addressing more advanced technical challenges.

Over the course of teaching more than 10,000 private voice lessons, Heather has honed a unique and powerful approach that creates a safe and supportive environment for students of all ages and ability levels to expand into their fullest vocal potential. Heather doesn’t just tell you what to do or correct you. She guides you on a journey of discovery — exploring your voice, noticing what feels and sounds good, and helping you understand what makes it possible for you to sing the way you really want to sing. With this foundation of safety and Heather’s skilled guidance, you can free your voice, cultivate your strengths, and address areas of challenge.

In addition to her on-the-job training from over 20 years of vocal coaching, Heather also has extensive training and practice in Western-style classical, Eastern-style classical, and jazz vocal techniques. This deep and varied background allows her to teach and coach a wide variety of vocal styles skillfully — from popular Western styles like musical theater, pop, jazz, soul, gospel, inspirational, and bluegrass, to the timeless Eastern traditions of ragas, mantras, and vocal meditation.

Heather’s strong background in jazz and a cappella harmony allows her to offer each student precise ear training, which in turn helps to refine pitch, intonation, and tone quality. She also draws on her training and experience with teaching yoga to help students connect more fully with their bodies and their breath, an essential foundation for singing.

Heather’s extensive training and experience emerges from a deep love for singing and helping others sing. This is her calling and her passion, and it shows!

Singing with Heather will make you a better singer, and much more. It will help you feel light and joyful, more present and grounded in your body’s intuitive wisdom, and more free to express yourself through singing and in other areas of your life. Come discover the power of freeing and loving your own voice!

For Beginning Singers

Would you like to learn the basics of singing or feel more comfortable with your voice?

Heather can help you:

  • Feel safe while singing (not just in the shower!)
  • Release painful experiences and negative stories and free your voice
  • Enjoy and even love the sound and feel of your own voice
  • Understand basic vocal techniques
  • Connect with your body, voice, and intuition

For Intermediate Singers

Are you an experienced singer who would like to hone your voice, fine-tune your technique, or sing with more power, grace, and ease?

Heather can help you:

  • Expand your range
  • Navigate your break or “passage” smoothly
  • Refine your pitch, intonation, and tone quality
  • Build intimacy and trust with your instrument
  • Create a home practice

For Advanced Singers

Are you a trained or professional vocalist who wants to reach a higher level of mastery or deal with technical challenges?

Heather can help you:

  • Use your voice sustainably
  • Sing more dynamically
  • Find more power, skill, ease, and grace
  • Experience the nuances of your own unique voice and unleash your authentic vocal expression
  • Connect with the deeper meaning of your songs and bring more feeling to your singing
  • Work on microphone technique if desired

Vocal Meditation and Voice Therapy

Do you want to cultivate more intimacy with your voice, or explore singing as a healing or spiritual practice?

  • Experience profound safety, relaxation, and inner peace
  • Release painful stories, old limits, and energetic blocks
  • Support physical and emotional healing
  • Deepen your focus, presence, and intuition
  • Learn simple mantras and chants that will open you to the Divine light within

Details

Online lessons are held over Zoom. In-person voice lessons are held at a private studio in Santa Cruz — serving people of all ability levels, ages 10 and up from Santa Cruz County and surrounding areas (UCSC, Santa Cruz, Live Oak, Capitola, Soquel, Aptos, Felton, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek, Bonny Doon, and beyond.)

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Testimonials

“Heather Houston is the Voice Whisperer. Yes, Heather’s teaching/coaching brings out our best voice and creates an arena where we can have fun singing. Heather invites you to discover your voice, how to nurture the parts of your body that create your unique sound, and learn ways to access your breath to allow your beautiful voice to flow. As my voice gets exercised and stronger, and feelings are awakened and honored, I’ve learned that singing can be healing, nurturing, and therapeutic. In these unprecedented, uncertain times, singing has been a way to come together as a community, as well as heal myself and the world.”

– Vicki Wynne, Santa Cruz, CA

“Heather’s song leader training changed my life! I was searching for a substantial way to help others through music and to make a living at it. Heather helped me to get my own women’s circle going through fantastic repertoire, leadership tips and techniques, mentorship, and business coaching. My first intro night had 32 women. My first circle had 18 registrants!”

– Zoey Wren, Nelson, BC

“I must say, I have been taking private singing lessons for several weeks and I have gotten TONS more out of a single lesson in this Art of Mindful Singing course than I have through all my weeks of private lessons! I would sincerely love to just continue learning with you online however that may be possible!”

– Anonymous

“I feel very blessed to have participated in the Art of Mindful Singing Online Class. I learned many tips, songs and postural techniques that taught me to embody singing and  will serve me throughout the rest of my singing life.  I practice many of her techniques every day.  My soul was nourished and I left feeling so open and giving of exactly that energy into the world.  I love singing, and now never worry that I am good enough, because I sing from the inside out. Thank you from my deepest being.

– Jackie, Madison, WI

“I was a part of Heather’s online Spring Session of The Art of Mindful Singing. It happened to coincide with the  time of shelter in place orders for Covid-19. Heather’s guidance in singing became my place of self care and grounding during a transitional time of great unknowns. I felt refreshed and protected by her calm, encouraging presence. The songs themselves became a meaningful shelter during the week when fear or stress would arise. I always felt that singing could be both a spiritual and deep somatic healing practice and longed for a teacher to guide me into the art with this as a focus. Heather’s approach supports this in spades. I’m so grateful.”

– Kathleen Cook

“I love Heather and the delightful, positive, encouraging manner in which she teaches. I love her voice and the light in her eyes. I loved the songs she taught from all over the world – uplifting songs, songs of welcome, spiritual songs. And she never put anyone on the spot.”

– Jayla, Santa Cruz, CA

“I love how Heather encourages women to sing and share their light. I love how excited she gets when we sing. There is such an appreciation and love that her energy surrounds us with, and it helps everyone feel safe.”

– Adora, Santa Cruz, CA

“I needed a versatile vocalist to headline my children’s music album. Heather exceeded my expectations in every way, sounding absolutely incredible on tracks ranging from Country Western, Calypso, Celtic, and Rock. Not only did she manage the entire project, bringing together a fantastic recording and studio crew, she even contributed her own original song to the mix.”

– Drew Freeman, Santa Cruz

“I started taking voice lessons with Heather because I thought it was time to get over my fears. With Heather’s instruction, I have already far exceeded my own expectations. I am finally experiencing the joy of singing! That’s me who you see driving around town singing – with a smile on my face, and in my heart!”

– Ted, Santa Cruz, CA

“I would like to tell you how much I enjoy your “Dis Moi” vocal music. Now I will tell you. Hold on -here it comes! “I REALLY LOVE IT!” THANK YOU SOOO VERY VERY MUCH! Your voices are so ethereal, other worldly and out right divine!”

– Ingela Sakkestad

“It’s been great to have such a safe and fun place to start to learn about how to hear my voice and mingle it with others. Heather is a total inspiration of how beautiful and full of emotional voice can sound and I am further drawn toward that journey. Thank you!”

– Katlin, Soquel, CA

Read More Testimonials…