Performance Singing

I grew up doing musicals, but never took lessons or had any formal training. When I started lessons with Pierce I hadn’t performed in over 10 years (I’m 28 now). He started me out slowly, teaching me warm-​ups and the general physical elements (e.g., hard palate, soft palate, diaphragm, etc.) of the voice. Over the last year, I’ve made great strides with my vocal development and recently performed in a production of Pirates of Penzance with confidence from his tutelage.
Pierce bases much of his instruction on his own experience. As a performer himself, he can expand beyond typical voice instruction and offer tips for performance as well.
His studio is also a nicely private setup that makes for a safe environment to «make mistakes» or to make discoveries.
I’ve greatly enjoyed working with Pierce and highly recommend working with him.

I took 8 lessons with Pierce for preparing a surprise performance for my daughter’s wedding. Initially, I thought I was too old to take singing lessons. With Pierce’s encouragement, I started to learn the correct breathing exercise, how to do the vocal warm-​up, the drill exercise, …etc. Though every technique was new to me, Pierce would always patiently explained them in great details. The most important part was that he provided me excellent tips of controlling my emotion on stage since it was my weakest point. He helped me fine cut each song I was going to sing and made a very smooth transition between songs. Not only I learned good singing techniques from Pierce, I’ve gained so much self-​confidence through his guidance. He made me understood one thing — it’s never too late to learn. Thank you, Pierce.

Pierce is incredible.
I learn each time I’m with him.
I highly recommend him for someone really looking to improve their skills, you will have a great time with him and learn valuable lessons for a lifetime, go see him!

I met Peter for the first through a Performance Singing Workshop I took of his in Berkeley. The process he taught to really get inside and behind a song was very useful and added more dimension to every participant’s performances of their songs. It was neat to see my and my fellow singer/​classmates’ performances evolve over the weeks we worked together. I especially loved that Peter provided a space to experience ourselves in new ways — a must for performers, I believe! He is a real professional and coach: positive, encouraging, and constructive.

I had a private session with Pierce to prepare for a callback for a musical. My expectations were neutral, I would say. I was very happy with how the session went, mainly because of his focus on the acting beneath the song. It was a very dramatic piece I was working on, and Pierce did not shy away from the subtext of the material at all! I actually found myself to be challenged to reach new levels of emotion, even in the single hour we worked on the two callback pieces. In fact, the piece I felt less confident in before we started became the piece I felt the most fired up about at the end of the session. Go figure.
His style is not for those wanting to just sing a pretty song, and glide across the surface of the lyrics. You do have to truly want to dig deeper into the real meat and meaning of what the song means to you, and not be afraid to expose yourself on as deep a level as you dare to. I am used to doing this in the past, as I have a degree in acting, but was really heartened to find someone in the Bay Area who is committed to taking musical theater performance to a more profound level. It’s not easy, but so worth it.
Did I get the part, you ask? No, but that’s out of my control. Did I walk out of that callback thinking I kicked a$&? Pretty much :)

I had the pleasure of working with Pierce in San Francisco at a «Performance Singing» workshop he conducted.
What I learned was incredibly valuable! Pierce has developed a wonderful approach to fully understanding the text and story of song in and out of context.
I felt completely comfortable in a group of wonderfully talented singers/​actors I hadn’t met before. It very quickly felt like family to me and it was through Pierce’s warm and inviting style that we could all feel each other growing in our repertoire.
Not only did the workshop help me grow in the music I worked on, it also gave me the space and freedom to try new ideas and look at the music in a completely new way. Very refreshing!
The workshop also boosted my confidence for auditioning. Wonderful experience!

A recent class on «Performance Singing» that I participated in was both inspiring and practical. I appreciated the thought and preparation that was put into the subject. The 5 class format was just right to enable implementation of the material. As a singer, I was aware of the importance of a «back story» in performance which can alter the «effect» of a song. But the detail and attention that Pierce brought to the concept was impressive. Thanks for lighting that path for us so clearly and keep up the excellent teaching.