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"Impressive... Jeffrey Ballard displayed a rich tenor with a delightful flair for comedy as well as for singing."
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"An excellent musician, a talented performer, and an exceptionally fine teacher of singing."
Thomas Houser, International Master Teacher of Singing

"I was a student of his at his first collegiate appointment and was so musically fulfilled with my vocal progress, I sought him out upon discharge from the United States Navy... I would not be where I am in my vocal career if it weren't for Dr. Ballard's guidance."
Mark A Boyle, Award-Winning Singer and M.M. Candidate at Ball State University

"Dr. Ballard's students, male and female, sing with consistent focus and exceptional beauty of tone."
Mary Hagopian, Voice Faculty Anderson University and Retired Chair of the Voice Faculty at Ball State University

"His capacity for diagnostic insight is better than anyone with whom I have worked."
Eric C. Wilson, M.M. in Voice Performance, Ball State University

BALLARD MUSIC STUDIO is the collective name for the students of Dr. Jeffrey Ballard who study at three distinct teaching locations.  These three locations are in three Indiana cities - Muncie, Indianapolis, and Anderson - and all have one thing in common: Dr. Jeffrey Ballard is the teacher. The teaching philosophy and studio mission of Dr. Ballard remains consistent throughout these locations.

To become a part of Ballard Music Studio at any of these locations, contact Dr. Jeffrey Ballard to schedule lessons.
 

Studio Mission
Ballard Music Studio

• to provide high quality instruction to individuals of all levels and ages who wish to develop their performing potential to the fullest

• to establish a solid foundation in technique that builds the voice while keeping it healthy, flexible, and beautiful

• to promote musicianship and creativity on the highest level

• to instill confidence and self-reliance

• to respect each student’s abilities, tailoring lessons to the individual person and voice

• to focus, as appropriate, on postural alignment and movement for optimal performance, through principles of Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais Method, and Yoga

• to have students leave each lesson feeling confident and motivated, with a stronger voice than when they arrived

Teaching Philosophy

Jeffrey Ballard, DMA
Lyric Tenor - Pianist

Teaching singing is an art as well as a vocation. At its best, it can be one of the most creative, challenging and rewarding professions. In the years that I have had the privilege of teaching singing, I have found several principles and goals that I try to keep in mind as I work with singers, regardless of their skill level, age, or background. These principles and goals represent my "persona" as a voice teacher (i.e., my teaching philosophy). They are as follows:

1) Be enthusiastic! Exude the kind of excitement for the art of singing and for the process of vocal discovery that is desired from the student. I have found that students, regardless of age or skill level, respond best to positive energy. On many occasions I have been pleasantly surprised when an unresponsive student has a sudden change of attitude and/or burst of progress as a result of being encouraged. Of course, high standards must be fostered through organized instruction, criticism, and discipline, but they are best achieved in a paradigm that includes the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. Therefore, providing an atmosphere of positive energy, both for the individual student and for the art of singing, is paramount with each student who enters my studio.

2) Approach each case individually. No two personalities or voices are exactly alike. While certain fundamental principles apply to all voices, there are infinite ways to achieve desired results from individual students. My "method" then is that I have a different and flexible approach with each student, tailored to that individual's learning style, personality, and unique vocal qualities. My approach is essentially holistic and creative in style.

3) Establish and maintain a solid foundation in technique based on principles of efficiency, coordination, flexibility and natural sound production. This is the most important goal after establishing a good rapport with the student.

4) Foster musicianship and creativity on a high level. Good musicianship is inseparable from good technique, and vice-versa; each enhances the other. Singing is "energy in motion, stimulated by e-motion." (Thomas Houser, Ph.D.)

5) Strive to instill confidence and self-reliance. These qualities are imperative for any successful singer and musician.

6) Incorporate kinesthetic awareness and structural alignment for optimal performance based on concepts taken from Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais Method, and Yoga.

7) Send students out from every lesson vocally stronger than when they arrived, feeling confident and motivated.

Twelve Steps to Vocal Development

Jeffrey Ballard, DMA
Lyric Tenor - Pianist

• Step 1: Get a good night's sleep every night! This is THE MOST IMPORTANT step, bar none. It cannot be over-emphasized. Singers need rest and can only sing well and stay vocally healthy if they get quality sleep, and plenty of it, to rejuvenate the voice and energize the whole body.
• Step 2: Have a reliable, simple warm-up routine that gets your voice placed well and feeling vibrant - one that you follow early in the day before you've talked much - do this every single day.
• Step 3: Speak as you sing and sing as you speak - with proper postural alignment, breath support, and clear, well-placed, modulating tone production.
• Step 4: Practice vocal exercises daily. You get out of it what you put into it, always! Have at least one song (or aria) in your repertoire that you can rely on even on bad days to help focus the tone and keep your voice functioning well.
• Step 5: Drink plenty of pure water (not soda, caffeine, alcohol) throughout the day, 8-10 glasses a day. If you do drink soda, caffeine, and/or alcohol, then you must drink even more water to compensate for the dehydration. Know your body and what your issues are if you have any (i.e., reflux, allergies, etc., can cause significant problems for singers and must be appropriately treated to keep your voice in optimal shape). If you have serious GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux) all these steps are of limited use until or unless you get it properly under control.
• Step 6: Have a time during the day, even if brief, for meditation and/or relaxation (see Step 7) Everyone needs alone time, some more than others, to center the body, mind and spirit. Give yourself this time - you deserve it, and your voice will thank you.
• Step 7: Stretch your body and breathe into these stretches to release muscular tension - one excellent way to do this is through basic YOGA postures. Muscular tension in the back, shoulders, neck, jaw and tongue are common and can impede the free functioning of the voice. Releasing these tensions can be accomplished through simple stretches performed daily and can reap huge rewards in terms of freeing the natural voice. Sometimes a few concentrated stretches done for five minutes (especially for tightly wound singers) can do as much or more to free up the voice than an hour of vocalizing!
• Step 8: Listen to GREAT singers singing GREAT music - too many people don't do this. I'm always amazed when I ask my university students who their favorite classical singers are and some of them can't name a single artist, and yet they're studying voice as their major instrument. How can you reach for the stars when you've never seen or heard one! Much can be gleaned from listening to great music sung by great artists while simultaneously studying the score. You can get many voice lessons worth of information (and inspiration) out of listening (better yet, watching on DVD or in person!) great singers. There is simply no substitute. This step, along with Step 7, are the ones most often neglected by voice students, and why? They can make voice study infinitely more productive and meaningful! Ten minutes a day of focused stretching, twenty minutes a day of quality vocalizing, and pop a CD of a great classical singer in the car stereo daily as you drive around town - do this every day for a month and see what it does for your vocal development and artistry - I dare you to try it!
• Step 9: Study voice regularly with an experienced voice teacher with whom you are compatible and who is effective in helping you achieve your goals.
• Step 10: Trust your instincts and best inner voice about what is best for your voice - ultimately, you can and must be your own best teacher.
• Step 11: Sing music that FITS your voice type, your personality, your interests - sometimes it's good to stretch yourself and sing music you don't like or don't understand, true. But ultimately, you will sing best that which you FEEL from the depths of your heart and soul. Music that speaks to you will awaken your best voice and musicality and will speak to the audience in a real way. Sing from your heart!
• Step 12: Challenge yourself. Try new things. Sing in public venues. Memorize your music. Know your translations backward and forward if in a foreign language. Know what you want to "say" with the piece of music, don't just sing notes. Sing often and sing well, but most importantly, sing with sound technique and from the heart.
   
  If you do all these things regularly, you will most certainly move toward achieving your potential as a singer.

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