Emily Wood

Thank you for your interest in voice or piano lessons with me! I am based in the Orange County, CA area. Please email me at esvmusic23@gmail.com for more information.

Yes, you CAN learn to sing or play the piano! Everyone has artistry in them, and as a teacher my goal is to instill in every one of my students a love for music and the arts. Some of us are naturally inclined toward music and pick it up quickly, and some of us take longer to do so because we just haven’t found the tools to express our artistry yet. I’ve taught ages 6 through 80s, and wherever my students are at in their artistic exploration, I’m here to encourage them, challenge them, and help them hone their skills.

To spark curiosity in my students and encourage them to own their artistry, we study a mixture of music that’s often new to them. A choir girl through and through, I specialize in classical, choral, and church music, and assigned repertoire typically includes a slew of classical and musical theatre pieces. From time to time, students also bring in their favorite songs of various genres, and it’s fun for me to learn something new and help them explore in depth what they already love. I also enjoy helping them prepare for auditions and concerts by working through sightsinging exercises and choral scores. Working together, we sing or play through a wide variety of music to make them well-rounded musicians. Variety is truly the spice of life. Practice is an important piece of the artistry puzzle, and as a teacher I encourage healthy habits and music reading, but I also know when to show grace when practice doesn’t happen. Just like in any relationship, our friendship with music has its ups and downs—what matters is that we keep at it and never forget how much we love it.

I love Bach and jazz and cool chords and songs about dancing tortillas, and I teach to not only share my geekery with others, but to give them the skills, confidence, and education for happy and lifelong artistry. When a shy student finishes playing or singing something and says “that was actually pretty fun,” and then later the language changes to “SO fun,” that brings me such joy. To get there, I focus on releasing tension, building foundational skills like pitch, breathing, and note reading, and fostering creativity through improvisation and asking questions. It’s wonderful to watch students overcome their psychological barriers, grow in confidence and get comfortable performing, and enjoy making art. They start to realize when they perform that they’re not presenting themselves to be judged, but they’re sharing a gift with others.

In voice lessons, we always start with stretching before vocal warmups and repertoire, and in piano lessons, we mix repertoire with other activities like improvisation and theory. I ask a lot of questions (and I often steal my students’ answers to expand on ideas with other students, because my students are brilliant and hilarious, y’all). In all lessons, we learn both by reading off scores and by rote. Because music is a gift, we love an opportunity to share it, so every year my studio celebrates their hard work and progress in a recital. Not only is this a concrete goal we can work toward, but it serves as a beautiful reminder of how our art can bless others and how each of us has our own unique artistry. Music is a gateway to both mind and soul, and I am eager to share it with anybody interested, whether they seek a career in music or the skill and confidence to sing around the campfire. I’d be honored to take part in your musical journey! 

For more details about my teaching background, please see my CV under "Resume."