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, Brock University and Meisner Academie in The Netherlands. She has done on-set acting coaching as well as lots of individual voice, audition, accent and acting coaching. 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. She is a founding board member of the National Voice Association of Canada.
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!
Retreats
The next Fall Voice Retreat is scheduled for Sept. 19 to 21, 2025 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
Fall Voice Retreat
with Designated Linklater Voice Teacher
Sarah Weatherwax
Sept. 19-21, 2025
Kingfisher Bay Retreat Centre, North Kawartha, Ontario
Approx. 2 hour drive from Toronto. 5 hours from Montreal.
Enjoy an intensive learning experience in a beautiful environment. Let the clean air clear your lungs, your mind, your heart. Spend an entire weekend developing your talent. And doing little else. New and experienced performers welcome as well as Non-performers! Very limited enrollment. Private accommodations and plant forward meals included.
Not only is the landscape stunning - with 27 acres of forest and hiking trails – but the quiet lakefront beckons with kayaks and canoes. In the off-hours you can relax by the fire pit outside, play ping-pong or air hockey inside. Enjoy the hot tub or the screened in porch. Sit by the wood-burning fireplace or read in the library. This will be one of those weekends you never forget! Mark your calendars now!
Your Voice is your thoughts and feelings
moving from inside your body to
outside your body on
vibrations.
Develop your talent and take care of yourself
at this once in a lifetime weekend event.
Sept. 19-21, 2025.
The dates are definite. This is happening.
When you leave this retreat, you will leave simply feeling better about
your body, your voice, your gifts. A simple idea for a complex time.
Fee: $900 per person, incl. tax. $200 deposit due by April 15.
Included in this fee: Two nights stay in a private room at this absolutely incredible lakefront property, as well as all meals, Friday dinner to Sunday lunch. Also included: Hours of teaching & coaching time and full access to the centre's property and activities: acres of hiking trails, kayaks, canoes, paddle boards, hot tub, fire pit, ping-pong, air hockey, music room with a grand piano, library, art room, indoor fireplace, screened-in porch.
Deposits: $200 due by April 15, 2025. This now very popular retreat centre (it was a little known gem a few years ago) needs confirmation of the booking five months in advance or the deposit is forfeited. Deposits are non-refundable but your booking may be transferred to another participant for a fee, pending their application and acceptance.
To Register & Apply: email Sarah at sweatherwax@rogers.com a brief note of interest. Actors, send resume, non-actors, simply mention why a Voice Retreat interests you now. Feel free to request a free phone/zoom consult. Your registration is not confirmed until Sarah sends you an acceptance email and the deposit has been received.
Learn many exercises to release your specific vocal blocks and continue developing your voice long after this special weekend. Individual coachings will be offered throughout the weekend. Participants will select a short piece of text to check in with throughout the weekend.
A free voice leans our bodies towards health, our minds toward clarity,
our souls toward creativity, our voices toward sincerity. - SW
Your Voice is You.
Your Voice is Important.
You are Important.
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.
Drop In Style Online
LINKLATER VOICE CLASSES
with Designated Linklater Voice Teacher
Sarah Weatherwax
Develop your talent. Meet like-minded people. Feel good about your Voice.
These casual voice classes are offered to support actors & singers who are under-employed, but are open to all. If you have never worked on your voice and are curious, this is a good way to explore this method without a big commitment of time or money. No previous voice training required. Great refresher for experienced performers.
Now, more than ever, people are realizing the importance of a free, full speaking voice. For actors, this method creates easier access to talent. Learn to trust your instincts, let your voice be transformed and go where the text and character take it. For other creatives and artists, this work frees the creative voice and encourages ease and flow. For non-actors, a free voice means an easier time being clear, confident and spontaneous in interviews, meetings and public speaking engagements.
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.
Relaxed, professional environment. Online, live participation by way of Zoom.
Last Drop-In Voice Class for 2024:
*Wednesday December 4, 5 to 7PM ET (*Re-scheduled from Thurs. Dec. 5.)
Register with a brief email mentioning the date of the class you want to attend & pay no sooner than one week before the class, and no later than one hour before class start time. An email will be sent to you with all the details and the Zoom link.
Payments accepted in CAD by E-transfer from Canadian clients or in USD by PayPal or WISE for international clients.
E-transfer & PayPal payments go to sweatherwax@rogers.com. If paying by WISE, mention this in your email and the account details will be sent to you.
Class Price: $35CAD per class by E-transfer; $35USD per class by PayPal or WISE.
Maximum Effect. Minimum Effort.
Mean what you Say. Say what you Mean.
Your Voice is You. Your Voice is Important. You are Important.
Online VOICE & TEXT
with Designated Linklater Voice Teacher
Sarah Weatherwax
Well suited to those with previous experience of Linklater Voice Work, while also a very complete, approachable introduction to this world-renowned method for those with little or no voice training. Non-performers are welcome! Relaxed, professional environment 🙂
Tuesday evenings, 6PM to 9PM ET
Oct. 8 – Dec. 17, 2024 (no class Nov. 12)
** This class is in progress now and going very well!
Contact Sarah if you are interested in attending the Winter/Spring 2025 Session of V & T, which will likely be an afternoon class.
In the meantime, read below for a class description. **
All sections of the actors' warm-up will be explored 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).
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. Learn repeatable, practice-able exercises to deepen your connection to text.
By encouraging inner relaxation and outer activation of the body's musculature at the same time, this work leads to an open readiness for acting, making real listening and emotional accessibility easier, instinctive responses quicker and physical and vocal transformation more believable. Actors & VOs become more direct-able, spontaneous and flexible.Accent work & vocal character work improves.
Composers, writers and other creatives find their work flows with ease and efficiency after a voice warm-up. Freeing the speaking voice frees the creative voice.
Non-artists find improvements with meeting management, public speaking & interview skills. Confidence, ease and variety in the speaking voice are beneficial to anyone and everyone for reasons too numerous to list.
“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: Tuesdays from 6 to 9PM ET. Oct. 8, 15, 22 & 29; Nov. 5, 19 & 26 (no class Nov. 12); Dec. 3, 10 & 17. Online, live participation class by way of Zoom. Live attendance is expected. *Arrangements can be made for those with one or two conflicts.
Class Price: Canadians, $575 CAD. International, $575 USD.
*Discount Price, ACTRA/CAEA/Straeon/Repeat V & T students: Canadians, $525 CAD. International, $525 USD. *Proof of current union/Straeon membership expected before discounts applied. Discounts will also be honoured for members of international Actors' Unions. Only one discount offer per person.
Registration: E-mail Sarah a brief note of interest and mention applicable discounts. Actors, send resumes. Please pay after Sarah has responded to your email.
Payments: Canadian clients pay in CAD, all others please pay in USD. Payments accepted by E-transfer from Canadians and by PayPal from internationals at sweatherwax@rogers.com. Payments also accepted by WISE. If paying by WISE, mention this in your email and the account details will be sent to you. Price includes tax & Paypal/WISE fees.
Deadline: Please register & pay by Oct. 4. Enrollment is limited. **Inquiries are welcome until class start date, pending availability.**
“Sarah’s Voice and Text class is transformational. Throughout the class, 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.
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.