Trudy Evans

Lessons Offered

Where are Lessons Offered

About Me

Currently accepting new online students! I have been studying many areas of music for the past 20 years, and knew from the first moment that I was in it for life. I studied voice professionally for over eight years with various coaches, and am able to teach every style of voice, including musical theatre, opera, jazz, folk, pop, and other modern styles. I also studied piano for nearly 20 years in many different styles, and have found great success both as a piano teacher and as an accompanist. I attended a performing arts conservatory called The Hartt School in Connecticut for two years as a musical theatre major in a Broadway-track program. It was an incredible experience and I studied with two professional Broadway coaches from New York City. After two years, I decided that I wanted to turn my sights toward teaching and I returned home to attend the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign as a vocal/choral music education major.



For three summers during college I was also involved in an intensive apprenticeship for vocal pedagogy with my wonderful professional voice coach in the Chicago suburbs. For over twenty hours a week, I helped to teach her students and learned the "ins and outs" of the professional coaching world. During the third summer, I also opened my own voice studio and taught many students in both voice and piano. I have been a full-time private teacher for six years now, and I have always found a great amount of success with all of my students.



In addition to my study of music, I have been involved in the study of the body and the effects of motion and intention on musical performance, particularly in voice. I incorporate this into my voice lessons as well as my more advanced piano lessons, allowing the student to learn the complete relationship of their body and mind as it relates to their performance. This fully integrated approach benefits the student in a myriad of ways and gives my students the added benefit of having a new level of awareness for their breath and movement throughout the day!



My current focus for voice is teaching at the beginning and intermediate level. I accept students beginning at age 12 and above, and will occasionally teach younger students on a case by case basis. I teach many adults as well! I can teach and perform voice in any style. I am often asked whether I will teach adults who have no experience, or who "cannot carry a tune." I definitely do! I have had enormous success with teaching people to sing on key and start from the beginning to make a comfortable and confident performer! It is never "too late" to start voice lessons! I have taught beginners from age 9 to age 70.



I am also available for piano lessons at the beginning, intermediate, and early advanced level. I accept students beginning at age 4 and above, including adults! I have studied many styles of piano for nearly 20 years and I work as an accompanist. I have studied, performed, and taught piano throughout my life. My strength as a piano teacher lies with teaching students who truly love to play music and are willing to commit to a good amount of practice time each week! I will teach any age or skill level. In my teaching, I take great care to cultivate very musical, expressive piano playing in my students. I also have many older students who are committed to working hard to achieve great results! I also am a songwriter, and I often help my more advanced students learn how to use a knowledge of chords to help them write music and to play from lead sheets. I teach piano in many styles as well.



If you would like to study with me, please contact me soon, as any available space fills up very fast!



My music studio is a welcoming and nurturing place where all students- young and old alike- can come to learn and to grow. I work with students who have a real love for music and a determination to grow through practice. I prefer to fill my studio with students who have great motivation and will practice daily. My students are required to attend lessons weekly. Lessons may be rescheduled if needed and I try to be as flexible as possible, but I always expect the students to be making it to their lessons consistently. My prices are reasonable and affordable, as I try to remain accessible to as many families as possible.



I look forward to getting to know you! Feel free to contact me at any time with any questions you might have.



~Trudy Evans~



BME- University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign Bachelor's in Vocal/Choral Music Education Dean's List all four years



2 years of Broadway-track professional musical theatre training at The Hartt School in Connecticut.



3 summers in an intensive apprenticeship for vocal pedagogy in many styles.



Advanced study for full integration and reeducation of the body/mind/heart system using integration of movement, voice, and emotion.

My Musical Education Background

B.M.E. - Vocal Music Education
University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign

Vocal Pedagogy Apprenticeship program
Cassandra Vohs-Demann: professional vocal coach

Musical Theatre program
The Hartt School

Genres and Subjects Taught

Voice: All styles! Classical, musical theatre, folk, pop, country, rocks, r&b, and more Piano: Students begin with lesson books and branch off into other types of music tailored to the student as they grow beyond the basics. Students are also taught how to read from chord sheets and write their own music as their understanding grows.

Ages / Skill Levels Taught

All ages!

My Certifications and Awards

Bachelor of Music Education - University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign

Vocal Apprenticeship Program Completion - 3 years
-with Cassandra Vohs-Demann: professional voice coach

My Musical Influences

My early influences when I began studying voice and piano were classical and musical theatre, and I pursued both of these heavily for the first six years of my vocal training. My voice teacher was very well-rounded and also trained me in folk, pop, jazz, rock, and R&B. Later, when I did my apprenticeship program, I studied all vocal styles as well. My training is very inclusive of all styles, so I can truly tailor my lessons to the individual student.

I began writing and performing my own music in college, and consider my own music-writing style to be a mix of folk and pop.

Service Area

Jasmine R
Gretna, LA

i really liked it but could she be a little bit closer to my area

Anke
West Sacramento, CA

Trudy is a wonderful piano teacher for my now 12 year old daughter. She is as systematic and consistent as she is fun, flexible, and caring and her love of music and of children shows in every lesson. We are really glad that we go und her!

Jen
Madison, WI

I have enjoyed taking piano with you so much! I like that you teach not just the music but also the theory behind it. I never understood this stuff before, so it's nice to feel like I know what I'm looking at!

Brianna
Madison, WI

I am so grateful to have found you! Teachers like you just aren't around. I feel like I've learned more in my first month with you than I learned in the past two years with the other teacher!

Allly
Algonquin, IL

I feel like I finally know what I'm doing now. Studying with my voice teachers at college has been confusing because my voice was always getting hoarse or sore. But now I feel like I can go back to school and know what advice to take and what advice to ignore!

Christine
Crystal Lake, IL

"My choir teacher keeps asking me who I've been studying with! He says my voice has improved so dramatically over the summer!"