Voice Teaching
Sarah Weatherwax Voice Teaching
Bio
Sarah has taught voice for the actor for almost 20 years. During that time she has worked at numerous studios and schools including Shakespeare & Company in Massachusetts, Straeon Acting Studios in Toronto, Montreal and Boston, Humber Comedy College and Brock University. She has done on-set acting coaching, lots of audition coaching and she works with a wide range of private clients that includes actors as well as writers, lawyers and executives. Sarah is a member of VASTA, the Voice & Speech Teachers’ Association, and had an article about voice published in their highly esteemed academic journal Voice & Speech Review in 2020.
Sarah’s training with the world renowned Kristin Linklater took 5 years in total and included numerous private voice lessons and weekend teacher training workshops in NYC with Master Teacher Andrea Haring; Alexander Technique lessons with Kelly McEvenue and Nadia Kevan; singing lessons with Alexandra Garrison; piano lessons; basic anatomy; apprentice voice teaching at Shakespeare & Co. in Massachusetts; moving to NYC to observe Ms. Linklater teaching voice to her MFA Acting students at Columbia University; and a 6 week designation course with Kristin and 15 other voice teachers from around the world. She is very grateful for the generous grant from the Canada Council for the Arts to complete that final, most important part of her studies. In 2019, Sarah attended a one week Continued Professional Development Course with Kristin and an international group of Founding Member Teachers at the Kristin Linklater Voice Centre in Scotland and in 2020, she took a wonderful on-line voice & phonetics class with Master Teacher Louis Colaianni. In 2022, she took a movement class with Merry Conway.
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Private Lessons
Sarah is available for individual voice lessons by way of zoom or in-person. Online lessons include a downloadable recording so the client can review and
Retreats
Check back here in early 2024 for details about the next Fall Voice Retreat, presently scheduled for September 13 to 15, 2024 at the absolutely stunning Kingfisher Bay Retreat Centre in North Kawartha, Ontario!
Upcoming Classes, Workshops & Events
Sarah posts all her upcoming workshops here, you are looking in the right place! Read on for info about 2024 voice classes.
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Private Lessons
Sarah is available for individual voice lessons by way of zoom or in-person. Online lessons include a downloadable recording so the client can review and practice the exercises they learn on their own. In person lessons are offered in her new backyard studio in the east end of Toronto, equipped with HVAC and an air purifier with UV light. Her studio has heat and AC so her clients are comfortable. This lovely teaching space opens out to a covered patio area and is disinfected before in-person work. In person lessons will be suspended whenever it does not seem safe or reasonable to offer them, in which case clients can continue their work with Sarah online. Having a backyard studio has allowed Sarah to be more flexible about her work hours than when she was working in her living room, allowing her to work with actors from all over the world. Please email Sarah at sweatherwax@rogers.com for rates and availability for individual lessons online or in-person, to discuss health and safety protocols or to request a free consult online or by phone. And remember, a free, flexible voice is beneficial to anyone, not just actors.
Retreats
It's a little too soon to confirm the next Voice Retreat, but keep the weekend of Sept. 13 to 15, 2024 open and check back here in early 2024 for more information!
A free voice leans our bodies towards health, our minds toward clarity,
our voices toward sincerity and our souls toward creativity.
Upcoming Classes, Workshops & Events
Sarah posts all her upcoming workshops here, you are looking in the right place! Read on for info about 2024 voice classes.
Registration & Payment for this class is through Shakespeare & Company.
Questions about class content or text requirements may be emailed to sweatherwax@rogers.com.
VOICE & TEXT
with Designated Linklater Voice Teacher
Sarah Weatherwax
Develop your talent, meet like-minded people, feel good about your voice.
Although this class is well-suited to those with previous experience of Linklater voice work, it is also a very approachable introduction to this world-renowned method for those with little or no previous voice training. Non-performers are welcome. Relaxed, professional environment 🙂
10 consecutive Wednesday afternoons from 1PM to 4PM ET. Online, live participation class by way of Zoom.
All sections of the actors' warm-up will be touched on in this class, from the beginning (spinal alignment; breath awareness; open sound; humming) to the middle (releasing lower jaw tension; tongue & soft palate stretches; chest, mouth, teeth resonance) to the end (breath capacity, upper resonators, range, skull, articulation).
Text coaching is part of this class too. By working on a short piece from a published/produced play or movie, participants start to understand the direct effect of a freer voice on acting. This work encourages inner relaxation and outer activation of the body's musculature at the same time, leaving you ready for work. Whether you are a stage, screen, voice actor or any combination, this class has something for you. Vocal freedom means more choices in your acting. Let your voice go where the text takes it.
A free voice leads to an open readiness for acting, making real listening and emotional accessibility easier, instinctive responses quicker and physical and vocal transformation more believable.
The structure of this class is simple. There is enough time to teach - with some integrity - a practice-able approach to each section of the work. There is time to work with people individually on deepening their vocal connection to text so their acting becomes more instinctive. And time is allowed for the organic, spontaneous ebb & flow of a class in the performing arts. Every moment is a collaborative, creative act.
“V&T has had a great impact on my voice. Sarah’s guidance through Zoom is amazing and although she is not in the same room with you, she sees and hears everything and her feedback is spot-on. The rich pallet of the exercises is built around a clear structure that Sarah encourages you to understand. So at the end of the course you have tools to work independently on your voice as an actor.” Ksenia Marasanova, Actor & Singer
CLASS DETAILS:
Dates & Times: 10 consecutive Wednesday afternoons, March 20 to May 29, 2024, 1 to 4PM ET.
(Please discuss with Sarah if you have one or two conflicts. Arrangements may be made to participate by way of the class recordings, if needed. In that case, participants need to view & review the recording before the next live class.)
Registration: E-mail sweatherwax@rogers.com a brief note of interest and mention applicable discounts. Actors send resume. Please pay after Sarah has responded to your email.
Payments: Accepted by E-transfer from Canadian clients and by PayPal from international clients. Price includes tax & PayPal fees. Payments go to sweatherwax@rogers.com
Deadline: Registration is now closed. Class is in progress !
*Class Price: Canadians, $450 CAD by E-transfer. International, $455 CAD by PayPal.
*Discount Price, ACTRA/CAEA/Straeon/Repeat V & T students: Canadians, $425 CAD by E-transfer. International, $430 CAD by PayPal. *Proof of current union/Straeon membership expected before discount is applied. Discounts also honoured for members of international Actors' Unions. Only one discount offer per person.
Brief Bio: Sarah has taught voice for the actor for almost 20 years, working at numerous studios & schools including Brock University in Ontario, Shakespeare & Company in Massachusetts, Straeon Acting Studios in Toronto, Montreal & Boston and Meisner Academie in the Netherlands. She has extensive experience as a theatre and voice actor.
Sarah Weatherwax - Member CAEA/ACTRA/VASTA/NVA
E-mail sweatherwax@rogers.com any questions or to request a free consult.
“Sarah’s Voice and Text class is transformational. Through the 8 weeks, I was able to find a deep sense of connection to my body and voice working with the Linklater technique. From there, the exploration of text is exciting and new; I found interesting depth over and over again.” Alexa Houle, Actor/Artist/Filmmaker
Experience the joy and the power of knowing you can express anything and everything through the vibrations of your voice.
Free your voice. Free your talent. Free yourself.
Pay What You Can Voice Classes, 2024
These PWYC voice classes are offered in support of under-employed actors & singers, but are open to anyone. If you have never worked on your voice and are curious, this is a good way to explore your speaking voice without a big commitment.
Sarah's PWYC classes will likely resume in Sept. 2024. Check back here in spring & summer, 2024.
Due to a busy schedule for winter & spring 2024, she has to postpone these classes for now, but feel free to email Sarah to express interest in attending these casual, inexpensive classes. And if possible, she will offer one or two PWYC classes in late spring, 2024.
In the meantime read below for a description.
No previous voice training required. Great review and refresher for experienced performers too.
Review/learn some of the basics: spinal alignment; breath awareness; open sound; humming; lip flutters. Open more space in your body for breath and voice. Gently improve the range & variety of your speaking voice.
On-line, live participation by way of Zoom. Relaxed, professional environment.
Register & pay: No sooner than one week in advance, send a brief email with your name and the date of the class you would like to attend. Then make a payment to sweatherwax@rogers.com no later than one hour before the class start time. Once you register & pay, you will receive an email with all the details and the Zoom link. Payments accepted by E-transfer from Canadian clients and by PayPal from international clients.
These classes are not continuous, they are stand-alone classes. Please register and pay for each one separately.
Class Price: Pay What You Can ! Suggested – $25 CAD per class by E-transfer, $5 more by PayPal.
Monthly PWYC classes, and the extended, in-depth Voice & Text class, will resume in the Fall of 2023.
*Check back here in spring & summer, 2024. PWYC classes will likely resume in Fall, 2024.*
If Sarah's schedule eases up, there may be one or two surprise PWYC classes offered in the Spring!
Some general notes about group online voice classes and private lessons.
The method Sarah teaches is designed - and proven effective - for adult clients. Children and teens are encouraged to work with acting & singing teachers. Work on their speaking voices can begin when they are in their 20s.
Sarah's schedule for group classes varies, as is the way with her multi-faceted career. She welcomes requests from acting studios for either her 4-week Basic Voice Class (a good intro for new clients, and a good refresher for those with some experience) or the more Advanced Voice and Text Class. She can also tailor a group voice class to meet the specific needs or schedule of a studio or group, so do not hesitate to request a free consultation.
Online classes are paused during the summer months, although work with private clients continues year-round. Please do not hesitate to email at any time regarding individual lessons, online or in-person.
Sarah is associated with Straeon Acting Studios based in Canada and the US and Meisner Academie in the Netherlands. Please enquire about special offers for members of those studios or members of actors' unions such as CAEA, ACTRA, AEA, SAG or AFTRA.