Online Voice Lessons with Yiwen 

Yiwen - Teacher #3140

Instruments:
- Voice

Services:
- Ear Training
- Music Theory (Beginner-Intermediate)
- RCM
- RCM - Advanced Rudiments
- RCM - Basic Harmony
- RCM - Basic Rudiments
- RCM - Counterpoint
- RCM - Intermediate Harmony
- RCM - Intermediate Rudiments
- Solfege

Languages:
- English
- Mandarin

Teaching Philosophy

My education in music, mostly in singing, has made me a firm believer in the idea that every individual is unique and has their own unique potential. Just as each person has a different personality, each singer as an individual has their own strengths and weaknesses, and the distinctive quality of individual voice sets one singer apart from another. A healthy vocal technique serves as a crucial foundation for vocal music-making and should come prior to anything else. Once a good technical foundation is established, I then dig deeper into musical interpretation. I introduce interpretative tools and ideas, such as the usage of dynamic markings or word painting, and explore those with students briefly in lessons, but especially for beginners, the basic technical is what I focus on the most. I also dedicate myself to guiding my students and helping them to pay close attention to what’s happening in their own bodies, not only their vocal cords, so they can maintain healthy habits and sing with vocal freedom. On top of learning the songs, I strive to help students release any tension in their singing so they may sing as freely and beautifully as they possibly can. Students are more than welcome to email me any questions that come up in their own practices between lessons, too. I cheer students up, especially younger students, with positive comments constantly so as to enhance the motivation for music-making while working on details and give students confidence when they get to perform on stage! After all, I value the potential of each singer and concentrate on helping them discover their own capabilities and grow as individual artists.
EVERYONE has the ability to sing beautifully! I am so excited to make music with my students, guiding them to healthy habits of singing and giving constructive feedback.

Musical Education

I am a classically trained mezzo-soprano who obtained a Bachelor of Music in Voice from Queen’s University. Under the guidance of a number of musical experts, I worked on vocal technique and interpretation in Classical vocal music, ranging from the Baroque period to the 20th century, as well as in Musical Theatre. As a student, I consistently sought out opportunities for involvement in various musical communities, performances, and ensembles. I was a part of the university Opera, Musical Theatre, Choral and Chamber Ensembles where I had a lot of fun working on and performing music in each category. I also joined the cathedral choirs of St. George’s Cathedral and St. Mary’s Cathedral successively where I had chances to practice singing sacred music in liturgical settings. My education at Queen's University enhanced my love of Classical singing, so much so that I proceeded to pursue opportunities for performance and musical growth after graduation. I continued to work on solo repertoire and choral singing in concert and sacred settings. I have basic knowledge of the Royal Conservatory of Music Exams; with my teacher who also adjudicates exams, I am currently working towards completing my Voice Exams, aiming at completing the Level 10 Exam within the next 5 years and eventually finishing in higher levels. I was a part of Coro Spirito (the adult Women's Choir) of the Cantabile Choirs of Kingston for 3 years. I am still a member of the St. Mary’s Cathedral choir to this date. I have also developed interests in conducting and music directing. After studying conducting during my studies at Queen’s University and afterwards privately in Kingston, I successfully music-directed and co-vocal-directed “Footloose, the Musical” and vocal-directed "Happy Days, a new musical" with Blue Canoe Production Inc.

Awards and Distinctions

I held a Choral Scholarship at St. George's Cathedral from 2016 to 2018 when I was a part of the Cathedral choir. I was also one of the semi-finalists of the Baroque Idol Competition in 2016 hosted by Melos Choirs and Period Instruments.

Not much yet but More to come !

Special Skills and Training

Coming from China, I feel blessed to be able to learn a completely different language than my mother tongue, Mandarin, and to be able to complete my post-secondary education in such a lovely country as Canada. While my main language of teaching is English, I do offer to teach in Mandarin if there is any request. My earliest music education traces back to when I was 3-years-old when I started to take piano lessons with an instructor who was a former student from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music; and in elementary school when I first joined a children’s choir. I was just doing those things for fun, but I am glad that I was able to start my music education back then alongside the heavy domestic Chinese education that I had to complete. Who would have thought back when I was a kid that I would go ahead and pursue a degree in music? The one thing I know was that my singing experiences enriched my life as a student. My favourite events at school included music courses, choral competitions and art and music festivals. I sometimes was discouraged by my class-teachers who stopped me from attending any of those. My teachers back then cared more about how I was doing academically than my singing, which was considered by them as my “hobby.” While my teachers thought I should be focusing on my schoolwork and focusing on boosting my marks on exams, I felt a need for music in my life so I still went for all the music courses and competitions and impressed my teachers by how I was singing. Things started to turn around in high-school, when I had teachers who saw my artistic abilities and encouraged me to follow my passion. Having that in mind, I went ahead to take voice lessons and continue my music education until now when I am pursuing music as a professional career.