I was so unnerved in the beginning. Sure I’ve had other teachers before, but it’s stressful when you start fresh, especially after a few years. I think the reason was because this is what I care dearly about. It’s not some online reading course I have to take for the credit, this is something extra. Not a credit needed to graduate, but needed to succeed.
I talk about him all the time. Before my friends had met him, they knew his description. His personality is so infectious I need to share it! Pass on the good ju ju to as many people I can get my hands on.
I am a singer. I am loud and boisterous. And without my guide, my voice would be invisible in an abyss of lost dreams. I was an introverted person, but when I first sang for him, it was like I was singing for fun with one of my life long friends. He not only listened to my voice, but he also got to know me as a person.  That’s how it started, and that’s how it has been, and I’m sure it will be the same at the end of this summer.
Todd Fortier teaches people the art of classical singing. Varying in ages, he helps all that come to him. He believes if you were meant to study with him, then you will, and I am so glad the universe threw me in his direction. He is my friend, but strict when he needs to be. I respect him more than anyone in the world, and sometimes there is nobody else I would rather talk to.
I have studied with him for four years now, and there is always more that I can learn from him. Todd works hard to make us realize our true voice, instead of a copycat version of a singer on the radio. I feel like that is rare in our society, to find a person who wants you to shine, for you. He helps us realize ourselves, and our potential.
He has exceptional intuition for emotions; he knows what you are feeling, even before you tell him about it. With singing, this is so important. I would not have guessed that singing is not only a gesture of the body, but a connection to the deepest parts of your core; everything in your life has an effect.
He guides me in all aspects of life, and I know even after I leave for college, he will always be there for me. He takes the time to make a connection with every student, not because he has to, because he wants to; just like a cup of tea, warms you up right then and there, but the lessons stay with you, reparing from the inside out.
He is my teacher. He takes pride in what he does, and I would be lost without his guidance.