Writing Residency at the Weston Playhouse

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Marisa-at-Weston

Marisa went to Weston’s Annual Writer’s Retreat to work with Jason Grote and new addition to the team – Erin Ortman (director) on the next draft of Scheherazade.  Reading of latest draft to happen in August.  Oh, this piece is so cool. (And, oh, the mountains in Vermont!)

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                    Beneath the Surface || Marisa Michelson and Miriam Parker – Toulmin Co-Fellows

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                    Margo Seibert Dave Malloy's OCTET || Broadway's ROCKY and IN TRANSIT || TAMAR OF THE RIVER

                    “With Marisa by my side, I have watched and listened to my voice unfold over the last 8 years. Together we have revealed its subtleties, challenging what I had previously assumed about placement, and voice type. I feel my voice has been liberated! And I have never felt more confident.”

                     

                    Sepideh Moafi HBO's THE DEUCE || Showtime's THE L WORD || FALLING WATER || ONE THOUSAND NIGHTS AND ONE DAY (musical)

                    "Marisa Michelson is a genius. I come from an opera background later pulled into musical theater and jazz, and this is my first time working with [someone] who is more interested in authenticity than anything else. She is somehow able to capture the purest form of music that erupts from an experience within our bodies and is never interested in imposing any sort of ideal sound on to the people with whom she collaborates. Her philosophy of music is unique, and it is a privilege to be in the same room with her."

                    J.D. Mollison Dave Malloy's OCTET || Malloy's and Rachel Chavkin's MOBY DICK

                    Marisa Michelson is a vocal Curandera of the highest order! Over the span of three months working with her, I've experienced more vocal freedom and growth than I thought was possible. Having had issues with longer runs in the past, I was  curious and relieved when Marisa was the designated Vocal Coach for the recent Octet by Dave Malloy which has a demanding a cappella score. Each session with her was profound in that I felt my habituated tensions bypassed by her knowledge of voice, body, and methodology resulting in a much healthier, free sound. Feels good to sing now. Big ups to MM, believe the hype, she's the real deal!

                    Jillian Walker Performer || Playwright || Composer || SKiN FoLK: AN AMERICAN SHOW

                    Working with Marisa has been a life-transforming experience for me. She embraced my voice wholly and fully from our first lesson, which allowed me to rediscover and remember the full beauty of singing — the mystery and simplicity of the breath, and many other things that have restored me through our time together. I use Marisa’s teachings daily to connect to the joy of singing. Her gift as a teacher is a rare combination of compassion and rigor; humor and steadiness. Knowing I was in such great hands allowed me to truly release and trust my body and voice to deliver their unique sound. These lessons have been such an important gift in my life and have propelled my work as an artist forward; opening me to greater creativity and freedom vocally and beyond. I recommend working with Marisa to any and everyone who wants to truly connect to the joy and power of their own voice.

                    Sarah Beth Pfeifer Clarisse, etc. - Broadway's THE LIGHTNING THIEF

                    "Studying with Marisa has taught me not just a vocal technique but a holistic practice of releasing tension, cultivating vulnerability, and seeking truth that has shifted and intensely deepened my approach to art making all together."

                    Ako Dachs THRONE OF BLOOD || KENTUCKY || TAMAR OF THE RIVER || Lucille Lortel Nomination

                    "When I arrived to NYC three decades ago from humid Japan, I lost my voice completely from stress and old bad habits. I studied with many vocal teachers and my voice somehow recovered, but not the way I wanted to. I met Marisa during the world premiere ‘Tamar of the River’ in 2013, and since then she has completely reconstructed my voice, leading me toward a kind of discovery of my "real voice" as opposed to always looking for a fabricated sound."

                    Ashley Bacon Frieda - ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

                    "Marisa focuses the artist on process rather than achievement; self awareness and relaxation instead of external validation and the clutches of self-control.  I came to her hoping to learn how to sing, but I ended up gaining insight about my own self worth, power, and the importance of breath."

                    Kevin Munhall ALLEGIANCE || ANYTHING GOES || ANASTASIA

                    “I’ve studied with several highly recommended voice teachers in New York City, but none have transformed my voice the way Marisa has.  In a short amount of time, she has inhibited several decades-old bad habits and consequently transformed the way I breathe and produce sound.  Her lessons are process, not product oriented, and as a result my voice has flourished for the first time in my life.  She’s intuitive, hand-on, holistically minded, and I couldn’t recommend her more.”

                     

                    Shoshana Jedwab Singer-songwriter of Jewish and World Spiritual music, percussionist, and prize-winning Jewish educator

                    “Voice work with Marisa is transformational.  I recommend Marisa Michelson for anyone interested in reclaiming their voice and their body as a vessel of beauty, breath and spirit. Muscles locked in fear for decades open to Marisa’s ridiculously effective exercises. My singing has improved in leaps and bounds and the process is liberating. Marisa is a gifted midwife of the human spirit.”

                    Jillian Paige Actor, Singer, Personal Trainer, Certified Mermaid, Passionate Artist

                    Marisa has re-introduced the idea to me that we’re all born singing and that it’s the closest form of human expression to crying and laughing that we have.  Singing is an outburst of emotion and sometimes in learning the technical aspects of it, singers lose that.  Marisa has helped me blossom in my love of music despite the beat-downs of New York auditioning.’”

                    Jenny Piersol Actress, Singer, Songwriter || Second National Tour of SOUTH PACIFIC

                    Marisa is made of magic. She has helped me release my attachment to how my voice “should” sound and helped me build a nuanced relationship with my body in order to create sound from an authentic and liberated place. I just finished my first principal musical theatre contract in three years and it’s the first time in my life I have been able to listen to recordings of my voice and think constructively about trouble spots without shame spiraling out of control. She has given me tools to be a true singer. Prepare to go on a wild vocal journey with Marisa - it is a healing, holistic, sometimes frustrating, ultimately triumphant ride to a healthier way of producing sound.

                    Theresa Burns Actress || Singer || Choreographer || Dancer || Joy-Seeker || Cat Lover

                    I started working with Marisa in 2014. Before then, my approach to singing had been very imitation based. I was trying to manufacture a specific "musical theatre" sound and trying to sing songs "the way they are supposed to sung" (whatever that means), by squishing my voice into a rigid container and putting a million filters and coats of paint on it. Because of this, I had no idea what I actually sounded like without any of that manufacturing. Marisa has gently and kindly helped me release so much of this, both physically and psychically. Now when I sing, I am singing. I am not micromanaging and bullying my voice into singing like someone else. And I am regularly surprised by what my voice is capable of. Working with Marisa has also changed how I think about auditioning and performing. When an audition comes up that involves learning new music, I honestly ask myself "Theresa, would you want to spend this entire contract fighting with your voice, managing and manufacturing every sound you make, so that you sound like what you're assuming the people behind the table want? Or would you want to spend this contract singing freely, as yourself?" The answer is always "I would want to spend this contract singing freely as myself." I was worried that this would mean fewer callbacks, but according to my audition spreadsheet my callback rate has improved. But more importantly, I am actually able to sing freely as myself.

                    Anahi Chicaiza Jazz Singer, Berklee School of Music

                    I started to sing when I was 18 years old. Most of my voice teachers too, advised me to DO instead of dispose my body towards singing. When I began lessons with Marisa, I suddenly understood I had never held communication with my body before. This new mindset gave a big impulse to my daily practice, my singing and my musicianship, and I look forward to exploring all the possibilities that my instrument has to offer.

                    Shawn Shafner Interdisciplinary Creator/Performer, Educator, Activist, The POOP Project

                    “Since studying with Marisa I have begun to feel that I am not just a singer but also a musician.  I regularly, when learning a new song now, count it out at different tempos, try new time signatures, or think about smaller sections (2-3 notes) at a time. It’s a very holistic approach to a song that makes me feel much more connected to and knowledgeable about the music.”

                     

                    Ethan Paulini Award-Winning Director, Actor, Singer, Career Coach

                    “Studying with Marisa has completely revolutionized my approach to singing. Music no longer comes from my throat or mouth, it comes from my whole body. This body/voice connection has given me a level of confidence in singing that I didn’t realize was possible. My singing is stronger, efficient, and more rewarding. My singing now possesses an ease that I had long admired in other musicians, and never dreamed I could achieve.”

                    Jessica Grove Broadway’s A Little Night Music, Sunday in the Park With George, Thoroughly Modern Millie

                    “Marisa has helped me tremendously in releasing a lot of the tension that I carry in my jaw and neck. She uses bodywork to literally melt the tension away, in addition to using vocalizing techniques that help me to detach myself from the outcome of the sound. Marisa creates a safe environment where I can make mistakes and feel silly without feeling foolish!”

                     

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                    • Margo Seibert Dave Malloy's OCTET || Broadway's ROCKY and IN TRANSIT || TAMAR OF THE RIVER

                      “With Marisa by my side, I have watched and listened to my voice unfold over the last 8 years. Together we have revealed its subtleties, challenging what I had previously assumed about placement, and voice type. I feel my voice has been liberated! And I have never felt more confident.”

                       

                      Sepideh Moafi HBO's THE DEUCE || Showtime's THE L WORD || FALLING WATER || ONE THOUSAND NIGHTS AND ONE DAY (musical)

                      "Marisa Michelson is a genius. I come from an opera background later pulled into musical theater and jazz, and this is my first time working with [someone] who is more interested in authenticity than anything else. She is somehow able to capture the purest form of music that erupts from an experience within our bodies and is never interested in imposing any sort of ideal sound on to the people with whom she collaborates. Her philosophy of music is unique, and it is a privilege to be in the same room with her."

                      J.D. Mollison Dave Malloy's OCTET || Malloy's and Rachel Chavkin's MOBY DICK

                      Marisa Michelson is a vocal Curandera of the highest order! Over the span of three months working with her, I've experienced more vocal freedom and growth than I thought was possible. Having had issues with longer runs in the past, I was  curious and relieved when Marisa was the designated Vocal Coach for the recent Octet by Dave Malloy which has a demanding a cappella score. Each session with her was profound in that I felt my habituated tensions bypassed by her knowledge of voice, body, and methodology resulting in a much healthier, free sound. Feels good to sing now. Big ups to MM, believe the hype, she's the real deal!

                      Jillian Walker Performer || Playwright || Composer || SKiN FoLK: AN AMERICAN SHOW

                      Working with Marisa has been a life-transforming experience for me. She embraced my voice wholly and fully from our first lesson, which allowed me to rediscover and remember the full beauty of singing — the mystery and simplicity of the breath, and many other things that have restored me through our time together. I use Marisa’s teachings daily to connect to the joy of singing. Her gift as a teacher is a rare combination of compassion and rigor; humor and steadiness. Knowing I was in such great hands allowed me to truly release and trust my body and voice to deliver their unique sound. These lessons have been such an important gift in my life and have propelled my work as an artist forward; opening me to greater creativity and freedom vocally and beyond. I recommend working with Marisa to any and everyone who wants to truly connect to the joy and power of their own voice.

                      Sarah Beth Pfeifer Clarisse, etc. - Broadway's THE LIGHTNING THIEF

                      "Studying with Marisa has taught me not just a vocal technique but a holistic practice of releasing tension, cultivating vulnerability, and seeking truth that has shifted and intensely deepened my approach to art making all together."

                      Ako Dachs THRONE OF BLOOD || KENTUCKY || TAMAR OF THE RIVER || Lucille Lortel Nomination

                      "When I arrived to NYC three decades ago from humid Japan, I lost my voice completely from stress and old bad habits. I studied with many vocal teachers and my voice somehow recovered, but not the way I wanted to. I met Marisa during the world premiere ‘Tamar of the River’ in 2013, and since then she has completely reconstructed my voice, leading me toward a kind of discovery of my "real voice" as opposed to always looking for a fabricated sound."

                      Ashley Bacon Frieda - ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

                      "Marisa focuses the artist on process rather than achievement; self awareness and relaxation instead of external validation and the clutches of self-control.  I came to her hoping to learn how to sing, but I ended up gaining insight about my own self worth, power, and the importance of breath."

                      Kevin Munhall ALLEGIANCE || ANYTHING GOES || ANASTASIA

                      “I’ve studied with several highly recommended voice teachers in New York City, but none have transformed my voice the way Marisa has.  In a short amount of time, she has inhibited several decades-old bad habits and consequently transformed the way I breathe and produce sound.  Her lessons are process, not product oriented, and as a result my voice has flourished for the first time in my life.  She’s intuitive, hand-on, holistically minded, and I couldn’t recommend her more.”

                       

                      Shoshana Jedwab Singer-songwriter of Jewish and World Spiritual music, percussionist, and prize-winning Jewish educator

                      “Voice work with Marisa is transformational.  I recommend Marisa Michelson for anyone interested in reclaiming their voice and their body as a vessel of beauty, breath and spirit. Muscles locked in fear for decades open to Marisa’s ridiculously effective exercises. My singing has improved in leaps and bounds and the process is liberating. Marisa is a gifted midwife of the human spirit.”

                      Jillian Paige Actor, Singer, Personal Trainer, Certified Mermaid, Passionate Artist

                      Marisa has re-introduced the idea to me that we’re all born singing and that it’s the closest form of human expression to crying and laughing that we have.  Singing is an outburst of emotion and sometimes in learning the technical aspects of it, singers lose that.  Marisa has helped me blossom in my love of music despite the beat-downs of New York auditioning.’”

                      Jenny Piersol Actress, Singer, Songwriter || Second National Tour of SOUTH PACIFIC

                      Marisa is made of magic. She has helped me release my attachment to how my voice “should” sound and helped me build a nuanced relationship with my body in order to create sound from an authentic and liberated place. I just finished my first principal musical theatre contract in three years and it’s the first time in my life I have been able to listen to recordings of my voice and think constructively about trouble spots without shame spiraling out of control. She has given me tools to be a true singer. Prepare to go on a wild vocal journey with Marisa - it is a healing, holistic, sometimes frustrating, ultimately triumphant ride to a healthier way of producing sound.

                      Theresa Burns Actress || Singer || Choreographer || Dancer || Joy-Seeker || Cat Lover

                      I started working with Marisa in 2014. Before then, my approach to singing had been very imitation based. I was trying to manufacture a specific "musical theatre" sound and trying to sing songs "the way they are supposed to sung" (whatever that means), by squishing my voice into a rigid container and putting a million filters and coats of paint on it. Because of this, I had no idea what I actually sounded like without any of that manufacturing. Marisa has gently and kindly helped me release so much of this, both physically and psychically. Now when I sing, I am singing. I am not micromanaging and bullying my voice into singing like someone else. And I am regularly surprised by what my voice is capable of. Working with Marisa has also changed how I think about auditioning and performing. When an audition comes up that involves learning new music, I honestly ask myself "Theresa, would you want to spend this entire contract fighting with your voice, managing and manufacturing every sound you make, so that you sound like what you're assuming the people behind the table want? Or would you want to spend this contract singing freely, as yourself?" The answer is always "I would want to spend this contract singing freely as myself." I was worried that this would mean fewer callbacks, but according to my audition spreadsheet my callback rate has improved. But more importantly, I am actually able to sing freely as myself.

                      Anahi Chicaiza Jazz Singer, Berklee School of Music

                      I started to sing when I was 18 years old. Most of my voice teachers too, advised me to DO instead of dispose my body towards singing. When I began lessons with Marisa, I suddenly understood I had never held communication with my body before. This new mindset gave a big impulse to my daily practice, my singing and my musicianship, and I look forward to exploring all the possibilities that my instrument has to offer.

                      Shawn Shafner Interdisciplinary Creator/Performer, Educator, Activist, The POOP Project

                      “Since studying with Marisa I have begun to feel that I am not just a singer but also a musician.  I regularly, when learning a new song now, count it out at different tempos, try new time signatures, or think about smaller sections (2-3 notes) at a time. It’s a very holistic approach to a song that makes me feel much more connected to and knowledgeable about the music.”

                       

                      Ethan Paulini Award-Winning Director, Actor, Singer, Career Coach

                      “Studying with Marisa has completely revolutionized my approach to singing. Music no longer comes from my throat or mouth, it comes from my whole body. This body/voice connection has given me a level of confidence in singing that I didn’t realize was possible. My singing is stronger, efficient, and more rewarding. My singing now possesses an ease that I had long admired in other musicians, and never dreamed I could achieve.”

                      Jessica Grove Broadway’s A Little Night Music, Sunday in the Park With George, Thoroughly Modern Millie

                      “Marisa has helped me tremendously in releasing a lot of the tension that I carry in my jaw and neck. She uses bodywork to literally melt the tension away, in addition to using vocalizing techniques that help me to detach myself from the outcome of the sound. Marisa creates a safe environment where I can make mistakes and feel silly without feeling foolish!”

                       

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