Teacher Bios

Debra Lee, Piano, Vocal
"I love teaching and providing a supportive and creative environment where my students have fun learning to make music. I work with students at their own pace to make their musical experience both enjoyable and educational. My students look forward to their lessons, and our time together each week passes by quickly!"

Teacher, pianist, singer, songwriter, performing and recording artist, Debra Lee is a West Chester University graduate, and a certified Voiceworks™ Associate for the TOTAL SINGER method. She teaches techniques that enhance singing for all musical styles, pop, jazz, rock, blues, country, R&B, musical theater, choral, and classical. She is knowledgeable about basic vocal physiology and health. She has taught and coached aspiring young singers, choral singers, hobbyists and professional singers. She is effective in teaching techniques for everything from pitch correction to optimal vocal health, relaxation and performance techniques for both on stage and in the recording studio. Ms. Lee's students and vocal clients have included children as young as 5 to award winning recording artists.

A classically trained pianist, Ms. Debra is a member of MTNA (Music Teachers National Association) and continues ongoing piano pedagogy studies to keep current and fresh in her approach to teaching piano. Ms. Lee's piano teachers and mentors have included the late Mary Theresa Soper, and Marvin Blickenstaff, both recognized classical pianists, educators, and pedagogues. She is skilled in playing classical music, and as an accompanist for musical theater and pop music . She has developed a method for teaching current Pop-style piano, vocal, and songwriting to pianists and vocalists, through ear development, music theory and chord structure.

She performs piano-keyboard in her singer-songwriter duo, Lyra Project, and also performs professionally at events, singing jazz standards with a jazz trio, and playing piano in a piano/flute instrumental duo. She also performs regularly with the SouthRidge Band of First Presbyterian Church in Ambler PA. Ms. Debra also sings professionally as a background vocalist for recording artists at Boffo Recording Studio.

Ms. Debra is patient, encouraging and friendly, often integrating piano and singing into lessons and encourages creativity through songwriting.

Performance recitals are in important part of lessons and are offered several times throughout the year. Students also have the opportunity to record CDs at affiliate StarzProductions Recording Studio, which shares the same facility as Ms. Debra's Piano and Vocal Studio.

In addition to teaching voice and piano, Ms. Debra facilitates songwriting workshops as a volunteer coordinator for the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International).

Rick Denzien, Guitar, Songwriting, Vocal, Sound Engineering, Music Production

Rick is a lifelong musician, recording artist, an award winning singer-songwriter, and a record producer who has worked with well-known bands, artists and musicians over the years. He is owner of Bah-fo Recording Studios in Ambler PA, where he teaches guitar and songwriting, as well as voice, to teens and adults.

He offers an artist development program for students with an interest in becoming recording artists, with training in performance, guitar/keyboard, vocal, recording, and songwriting studies.

He teaches songwriting, singing and performance, working with teens and adults in the craft of lyric & music composition and production for recording commercial music.

Rick has taught college level classes in recording, production and engineering. He's a featured panelist in music industry conferences, has facilitated numerous workshops on songwriting craft and music business, and has expert knowledge and experience in music publishing and law.

He brings his years of recording and production experience into the lesson with humor and inspires creativity in students who wish to learn and progress in the craft and performance of original music. His teaching integrates traditional guitar playing technique and music theory; vocal technique and microphone technique for singers; and for songwriters, he teaches song structure, lyric writing, melody, rhyme, music theory, chord progression and voicing, and elements that make a successful commercial song.