Two Locations this year!
July 9-20, 2012 (2 weeks) Marlboro, NJ
August 13-24, 2012 (2 weeks) Bridgewater, NJ
Camp Triple Threat: Grades 6-12

In it’s third year, Camp Triple Threat is an intensive musical theater camp for all experience levels. Campers will be coached on their audition skills, be trained in singing, acting, and dancing by current working professionals in the musical theater world, have a chance to sing for current Broadway actors, directors, and casting agents, and much more! The camp will conclude in a showcase performance on Friday, July 20th at 7:00 PM. (See sample schedule below)

To register online click here

July 23-August 12 (3 weeks)
*Musical Production Camp: Grades 7-12
Marlboro, NJ

Work on a full-scale production to be performed at one of New Jersey’s most prestigious professional theaters, George Street Playhouse. In this three week experience, campers will learn what it’s like to produce a musical on a Broadway schedule. In fact, the campers will observe an Actors Equity Association (union) workday! Regular clinicians, consisting of Broadway actors, directors, and casting agents will teach master classes on improvisation, auditioning, and more!

Performances
Friday, August 10 at 7:00 PM
Saturday, August 11 at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM
Sunday, August 12 at 3:00 PM
on the Mainstage at the renowned George Street Playhouse

*by audition

To register online click here

Cast of "13" performing at George Street Playhouse (Summer 2011)

Camp Triple Threat  and Seussical Camp will feature daily voice, acting, and dance classes as well as several hour-long master classes by guest clinicians on skills such as:

-Improvisation
-Stage Makeup
-Audition Skills
-Performance Preparation
-Overcoming Stage-Fright
…and more

Broadway Director, David Alpert, works with campers on improvisation technique.

Sample Daily Schedule
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM: Physical/Vocal Warm-ups
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM: Improvisation and Acting Class
10:30 AM – 10:45 AM: Snack
10:45 AM –12:00 PM: MASTER CLASS- Guest Broadway Star Q&A
12:00 PM – 12:45 PM: Lunch
12:45 PM –2:00 PM:  Ensemble Music Rehearsal
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Individual and Small Group Voice, Acting, and Dance
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM: MASTER CLASS- Stage Makeup

Aaron Lenhart and Laura Cantwell, Artistic Directors

Broadway's Brad Bass (Wicked, Memphis, Jersey Boys) and Russell Fischer (Jersey Boys) pose with 2011 campers

Fine Print:

Camp Triple Threat ($600 for the two week session) -
Musical Production Camp ($900 for the three week session)

Registration is open as of March 1, 2012.  A non-refundable deposit of $150 for each camp is due upon registration.  Final payment of balance due June 1st 2012 via secure automatic debit. All payments are non-refundable. Registrations are accepted until the first day of camp, unless otherwise closed. If registration is closed, the student will be wait-listed.

*Families sending more than one child to camp will receive a 15% discount on each (lower-priced) tuition. Also, single children attending more than one camp with be given a 15% discount on the second (lower-priced) camp.

For more information, or to audition for Musical Production Camp, please contact us a support@voiceworksnj.com or (908) 248-4884, or to register online click here.

Check out the video report and article of 2010′s Camp Triple Threat!

• Audition Skills
• choosing repertoire
• finding a “cut”
• formatting a resume
• headshots
• etiquette
• Acting Technique
• Vocal Coaching
• Performance Practice
• …and more (of course)

To register click here – Class meets from 7-9pm each Monday through June 2012. $89/month

Aaron is also offering a limited number of Private Voice Lessons.  30/45/60 minute slots are available.

For info on Private Voice Lessons, contact us directly.

Classes held at Martinsville United Methodist Church
1949 Washington Valley Road, Martinsville, NJ 08836

VoiceWorks, Marlboro’s premier music and theater training organization is teaming up with the historic Old Brick Church for a night filled with music for Christmas to benefit Freehold Area Open Door.

The evening will feature performances by VoiceWorks’ vocal ensemble, Pitch Black, and Impulse Handbell Ensemble. The audience will also hear rousing music for brass and organ; all under the direction of area music director, Ryan Guth. The audience is invited to sing familar carols with the soaring voices of Pitch Black, the historic pipe organ of Old Brick Church, and regal tone of the festival brass choir.

Pastor Kent E. Huyck, of Old Brick Church, will inspire with readings of the Christmas scriptures within the evening’s program.

A free-will offering will be taken. Light refreshments will be served upon conclusion of the program.

Freehold Area Open Door’s mission statement: “In order to affirm the God-given dignity of all individuals, Open Door seeks to aid all the greater Freehold area residents in need to achieve their goals of self-sufficiency.” www.freeholdareaopendoor.org

Featured on Marlboro Patch http://patch.com/E-jxqX

A grown-up story about growing up! When his parents get divorced and he’s forced to move from New York to a small town in Indiana, Evan Goldman just wants to make friends and survive the school year. Easier said than done. The star quarterback is threatening to ruin his life and his only friend, Patrice, won’t talk to him. The school freak sees an opportunity for blackmail and someone is spreading the nastiest rumors. With an unforgettable rock score from Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown, 13 is a hilarious, high-energy musical for all ages about discovering that cool is where you find it, and sometimes where you least expect it.

July 11-15 (1 week)

Camp Triple Threat Junior: Grades 1-6

July 18-29 (2 weeks)

Camp Triple Threat: Grades 7-12

August 1-19 (3 weeks)

Broadway’s “13″ Musical Production Camp*

(*previous Camp Triple Threat Campers OR by audition)

To register online click here.

Camp Triple Threat and CTT Jr. will feature daily voice, acting, and dance classes as well as several hour-long master classes by guest clinicians on skills such as:

-Improvisation
-Stage Makeup
-Audition Skills
-Performance Preparation
-Overcoming Stage-Fright
…and more

Sample Daily Schedule
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM: Physical/Vocal Warm-ups
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM: Improvisation and Acting Class
10:30 AM – 10:45 AM: Snack
10:45 AM –12:00 PM: MASTER CLASS- Guest Broadway Star Q&A
12:00 PM – 12:45 PM: Lunch
12:45 PM –2:00 PM:  Ensemble Music Rehearsal
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Individual and Small Group Voice, Acting, and Dance
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM: MASTER CLASS- Stage Makeup

Camp Triple Threat Junior ($300 for the one week session) – Camp Triple Threat ($600 for the two week session) – “13″ The Musical ($900 for the three week session)

Registration is open as of January 31st, 2011.  $150 for each camp due upon registration.  Final payment of balance due June 1st 2011 via secure automatic debit. All payments are non-refundable. Registration accepted until the first day of camp, unless otherwise closed. If registration is closed, student will be wait-listed.

*Families sending more than one child to camp will receive a 15% discount on each lower-priced tuition. Also, single children attending more than one camp with be given a 15% discount on the second (lower-priced) camp.

Hosted by Old Brick Church, 490 Rt. 520, Marlboro, NJ 07746

For more information, or to audition for 13, please contact us a support@voiceworksnj.com or (908) 248-4884, or to register online click here.

Check out the video report and article of last year’s Camp Triple Threat!

The evening’s program featured solo and ensemble works by members of an ecumenical and children’s choir made up of singers from Monmouth county churches, an orchestra, as well as professional vocalists.  Pitch Black’s program featured an arrangement of the Irish melody “Love Came Down at Christmas”, featuring soloists Lindsay Duva and Kyle Hayes.  Impulse Handbell Ensemble played two up-tempo arrangements of the familiar French carols, “He is Born the Divine Christ Child” and “Now the Green Blade Riseth”. They also combined with the ecumenical choir, orchestra, and audience for “Carol Fantasia”, a rousing medley of familiar Christmas carols.

Both Pitch Black and Impulse members were met with compliments from audience members, production staff, and musicians on both their musical sound and professionalism.

We are currently seeking vocalists, in grades 9-12, to audition.  Pitch Black is a “mixed” choir, with spots available for sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses.  In order to maintain high quality and balance, space is limited.

To schedule an audition, please contact us at support@voiceworksnj.com or call (908) 248-4884.

If you’re an aspiring singer, your voice is your most precious possession.  It’s yours!  It cannot be replaced! It’s really easy to destroy!  And, once the damage has been done, it’s very expensive to fix! (If it even can be fixed, that is…)

In my experience as a middle school vocal director, I have been to many recitals, heard lots of stories, and done a TON of cringing!  When I hear stories about 10-year-old girls with voice teachers that make them sing SCREAM the hits of the late Judy Garland or Ethel Merman, or call themselves “belters”, I just sit there with my mouth agape and my stomach in knots.  I cannot believe that their parents are actually PAYING hundreds of dollars to have their child’s voice destroyed! They are going to need that money for the costly surgery to remove the polyps from their daughter’s vocal folds.  “LOUDER” DOES NOT EQUAL “BETTER”!!!

The problem is…Kids hear their “idols” singing on the radio and television and think that it’s natural for them to be able to sing like that without the years of practice or the age that these idols have under their belts. The scariest part is that there are voice teachers out there that claim (by word or practice) that it is possible for anyone’s kid to be able to sing like that.

One of my favorite voice professors once said, “I wasn’t born to high jump. I’m not built for it. You could teach me, but I’ll probably hurt myself”. The same goes with singing. Spectacular singing is not for everyone. It cannot be forced out by even the best teacher. Sure, they will come away with a decent foundation of knowledge, and maybe even sing a bit better, but if they don’t have a quality instrument, they can only go so far.  This is why renowned violinist Itzhack Pearlman doesn’t use a Wal-Mart brand student model violin.

If you are a parent of a voice student, I have some questions for you. Note: This is not a comprehensive list of questions. Hopefully, they will get you thinking.

• What qualifies this voice teacher to teach YOUR child? (A “Yes” to all of these questions would be preferred)
  • Degree in Vocal Pedagogy, Performance, or Music Education?
  • Performance Experience?
  • Studying with a renowned teacher(s) themselves?
  • Background in various styles?
• What techniques does he/she use? Do they talk about…
  • low (non-clavicular) breath?
  • a balanced use of head and chest registers?
  • proper posture and alignment of body around the spine?
  • use of proper diction as it relates to producing a healthy tone?
  • achieving a supported sound by using the muscles of the abdomen, ribs, back, chest, and pelvic floor?
• Does this voice teacher…
  • have the ability to demonstrate concepts vocally?
  • use the piano as a tool, not a means of drowning your child out?
  • teach singing in varied genres (classical, Broadway, folk, jazz, etc.) to create a well-rounded singer.

  This is just the beginning… There is SO much more that goes into a proper vocal education.

A good voice teacher should be able answer these questions with a resounding “YES”. Unfortunately many voice teachers, when presented with this short list of questions, wouldn’t have any idea what you are talking about.  The general public doesn’t realize that ANYONE can call themselves a voice teacher. There is no certification process, degree requirement, or mental health exam. With so much at risk, that is SCARY to me.

–Ryan Guth

VoiceWorks’ motto is “Sing for Life!”, because our teachers can be trusted by their students. They can feel confident knowing that they will have a voice to use for their entire life.

Interested in lessons with a VoiceWorks teacher? Contact us