After walking into Hartland Music, I entered his room, exhausted from a combination of homework, after school rehearsal, and my workout from the day before. With my voice already fried, we started our warmups.

Not only had I not prepared the songs that we were supposed to work on, but I was in no state to be singing at a high level. Understanding this, Dr. Weis stated “Let’s take it easy today.” Relieved, we ended up having a great lesson.

I moved to the area sophomore year, and was a bit lost in what I wanted to for the rest of my high school years. After playing baseball and being involved with a hip hop dance team my freshman year, I never would have imagined myself taking voice lessons, but here I was.

The only way to continue dancing in my new home was through a musical theater group at my high school called Broadway Company, which required singing. Although I had little to no singing experience, and a very deep vocal register, I was determined to become the best singer possible.

While most of the songs at school were way too high for my voice at the time, Dr. Weis understood what it's like to sing with a deep voice, and made it very clear to me to never push my voice in an unhealthy way. Not only did this give me a feeling of ease in rehearsal, but it has also led to great vocal development over the long run

Dr. Weis, who has a doctorate in singing and voice, has always prioritized my health above all when it comes to progressing forward. In less than a year, I went from clueless when it comes to singing, to earning singing solos with Broadway Company at school, and becoming arguably one of the best singers in the company.

At previous points in life, achieving this amount of success in a short amount of time would usually come with a coach who was very harsh and it would usually result in an unenjoyable experience. However, every time I step foot in Dr. Weis’ room, it always ends up being a great time and a positive environment.

He finds a great balance between taking things seriously and making sure that I improve with each lesson, while at the same time fostering an environment where I can become more confident with my singing voice. This can be half of the battle when it comes to singing.

Another reason why Dr. Weis is so great is that he understands that I am a very active person, and uses this to help me to improve my singing. One day when going in for a voice lesson, he had me try something new. He was trying to find creative ways to help me loosen up while singing to improve my voice quality and my vocal range. To do this, he had me dance while I sang. The results were like magic. I could now sing higher than I ever could before, with great quality in my voice. Overtime, I have been able to use this feeling to improve my singing even when not dancing as well.

Overall, I am very glad that I have ended up taking voice lessons. Although it may sound nerdy, and I never expected it for myself, I have ended up forming a great relationship with my voice teacher, Dr. Weis, and a great relationship with singing as well.