Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Rosemond.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was your “typical” chorus-musical theater nerd in high school, singing every chance I got. I went to college and graduated with a degree in vocal performance. (Back then vocal performance was the only option for singers in colleges. That meant classical training. ) While I was in college, I met my husband and we got married halfway through college. After I graduated, I realized that I wanted to sound “different” than everyone else. I needed an identity as a singer. That was when I found a wonderful vocal coach and studied with her for many years. Her training was the opposite of “classical”. She taught me about improvising, singing with inflection…everything I was looking for. Around that time I had my first child and my second 2 years later. During that time I was still singing, teaching from my home, directing some musical theater and worship leading.
When my kids were young, my teacher (who I was still studying with) asked if I would be interested in teaching at her studio. It is a very high-profile studio here in Atlanta. At the time I didn’t want to leave my kids, but a few years later, I said “yes” and began the most rewarding and wonderful career as a vocal coach. I like to tell my clients that I’ve kind of had my career in reverse. I teach all genres and all walks of life and I love EVERY minute of it! My clients have ranged from ages 6 to 80. Sometimes I have clients who are older (35-45) and never had a chance to pursue voice lessons when they were younger. I tell them it’s never too late to invest in yourself and then tell them about my journey. I’ve been teaching professionally for 16 years and feel like I’m in the best time of my life!! Everyone’s path is different and there’s no right or wrong time to pursue a dream. A few years ago I lost my dad suddenly to a brain tumor. It was a very real wakeup call to me. I suddenly looked at life differently and realized that life is very short. I had been carving out a niche for myself at the studio I was at.
I became very good at teaching young kids and teens and became the “go to” person for that, especially for musical theater people and kids and teens professionally acting in tv and film. I realized that I had hit a plateau at the studio I was teaching at and decided that I wanted to do more. I wanted to continue to see what I could do as an individual teacher not under anyone’s “umbrella.” My job involves encouraging and inspiring my clients to pursue their dreams and I wasn’t doing that myself! It came time for me to act on that, so last February, I took a step in faith and started my own studio, “Vocal Coaching for Stage and Screen.” I’m not gonna lie…it was scary but everything fell into place so quickly that I knew it was what I was supposed to do and I never missed a beat. I’d do it all over again! My business is flourishing and I am able to do things I could never have done before. I am the initiator of new ideas and the builder of new contacts and relationships. And the encouragement and support that I got from my clients and people in the industry was amazing! I am thankful that I took the step to be on my own and not settle into just being “comfortable” where I was. Life is too short!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The struggle to go out on my own was tough for a bit. Leaving where I was did not turn out to be easy, but change never is. It was totally worth it! Sometimes people don’t understand the need to grow, but that’s no reason to stay where you are forever!
Vocal Coaching for Stage and Screen – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a vocal coach and a voiceover coach. Mostly vocal coaching though. I teach people how their voice works, how to take care of it, how to sing and perform better, vocal rehab, audition coaching, and throw in music theory, etc. I feel like a lot of what I do is encouraging and instilling self-confidence in people. If they know that they sound good, people feel better about themselves! I teach all genres and all ages, but at least half my clients are tv and film actors, young singer/songwriters, and musical theater people. That is probably what I am best known for. I have quite a few agents and acting coaches who refer to me. I am proud of everyone I teach and the level of excellence that they achieve. I operate from a very nurturing and non-threatening philosophy… Singing is scary for a lot of people. It makes them feel very vulnerable and I don’t want to add to their anxiety! The thing that makes me different from others is that I don’t have a set curriculum. I meet individually with each new client and evaluate them so I can figure out how to best help them.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
It’s funny…my proudest moments are not what most people would consider very exciting. I am proudest when a client who is very timid sings in public for the first time, or when a client who has never written a song before shares a song they wrote with me. My proudest big moments… being voted Atlanta’s Favorite Vocal Coach by Backstage Magazine, when my client Parker Jennings was the first person to ever win three Shuler Hensley Awards last year, when my client Linder Sutton was chosen to be a part of the King and I National Tour at 8 years old, and when Owen Vacarro was able to confidently walk into a studio and record the song he sang in Daddy’s Home 2.
Contact Info:
- Address: I am located in Atlanta Doppler Studios
1922 Piedmont Circle NE, Atlanta, 30324 - Website: lisarosemondvox.com
- Phone: Please contact me by email
- Email: lisa@lisarosemondvox.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisarosemondvox/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LisaRosemondVox/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisarosemondvox
Image Credit:
Headshots: Party of Seven Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
