Raise a voice

by Sean McCarthy

Your voice is an instrument like any other. So whether your goal is karaoke or Madison Square Garden, auditioning for a high school production or making it to Broadway, you would be wise to invest some time studying how to improve and care for your voice while becoming a better performer.

As she approaches the 20th anniversary of the Vocal Development Studio, Debra Perry has established a reputation of excellence for people of all ages in an array of fields and genres. There’s a lot more to successful singing than many people realize, but it’s an endeavor that is open to almost anyone who possesses the motivation.

“Vocal lessons are positive – there’s nothing to fear,” Perry says.

“Increasing your knowledge will increase the health of your voice. Understanding your instrument and how to care for it is how we keep it sounding its’ best. It’s just like learning how to tune your guitar or change the strings. It will add to the longevity of your career.”

Located at 138 River Road in the North End of New Bedford, the Vocal Development Studio specializes in singing lessons, but also offers piano and guitar lessons. They feature spacious sound-deadened practice rooms with state-of-the-art acoustic ceiling tiles for an optimal experience, in addition to a main room with a professional-caliber stage and sound system.

A unique component of the studio is the classes and workshops they offer in areas of performance technique that help students hone their craft. The main room is large enough to hold an audience of 50.

“Just about anyone can learn to sing,” Perry says. “It’s all about working on correct breathing technique and vocal exercises to develop the voice through eliminating muscle tension and developing precision of muscle movement. Then we apply that to songs. Singing is a physical activity so stress will affect your voice. The approach I use is all based on how the body works for sound production.”

Perry says that the number of lessons an individual takes is based on their goals.

“Some people come in for a very short period of time, maybe looking to do something new and fun. It’s one of their bucket list goals. But some people are looking to do this as a career, and I can help. If you continue to work with your voice, doing the exercises and keeping the voice healthy with vocal hygiene on a regular basis, you can sing well into older age. Vocal lessons are a way to protect your voice.

“Everything is predicated on how much you practice. You should see results within the first month. After that you can decide how much further you want to continue.”

Choral community

Among Perry’s most notable students are Devin Lima of the pop group LFO, Shawn Gallagher of the heavy metal band Beyond The Embrace, and Irish folk singer Aoife Clancy.

Perry also provides vocal rehabilitation classes, working with medical professionals who recommend clients to her. The studio also offers Zoom lessons. Open Tuesday through Saturday, students have the option of weekly half-hour or full-hour lessons.

Perry’s resume is rich. Singing since the age of nine, and professionally since the age of 18, she studied Classical Voice at UMass-Dartmouth with Jacqueline Colbert. She also did a pair of apprenticeships in Music Education – studying jazz and pop with Katie Tetzel in New Bedford, as well as working with the late Jeannie Deva at the Voice Studio in Boston. During her three-and-a- half years with Deva, Perry led a satellite vocal studio on Cape Cod, The Voice Studio at the Musician’s Development Institute that gave her the opportunity to work with Denny Dias of Steely Dan and Dinky Dawson, soundman for Fleetwood Mac.

Perry has performed with a variety of general business bands as well as contemporary Christian bands, and The Saints & Singers Chorus. She has performed throughout New England, as well as at Carnegie Hall in New York City, in the Soviet Union and Hungary. She has sung in church folk groups and choirs since the age of 18 and is currently the Cantor at St. Mary’s church in Fairhaven.

Perry began her teaching career a year after her graduation from UMass, at the Music Center in New Bedford.

Her roster of students grew quickly, but she always aimed to give people a greater experience that studios in the area didn’t offer. So in September 2003, she opened the Vocal Development Studio.

“I always wanted my own place where I could do a variety of things, but I didn’t have enough room to do it,” she recalls. “I wanted to put on shows and do workshops that weren’t available around here and teach people about performing and helping them overcome stage fright.”

For 15 years, the Vocal Development Studio has put on a concert showcase by and for students and their families, known as the Student Vocal Showcase. The concert is a confidence booster for the singers. Their last show, prior to COVID-19, was held at Rick’s Music World in Raynham and attracted a sold-out audience of 125 people.

“We’ve created a very supportive atmosphere for each other – it’s very friendly and family-oriented,” Perry says. “A lot of people have made friendships with one another with a lot of good networking opportunities. People are always happy to see each other and they become connected outside of the studio on Facebook and Instagram.

“Our shows are pretty lively. We encourage each other,” Perry says. “There’s a lot of clapping and hollering for each other. Our studio has a lot of plants and it always smells like Pumpkin Spice candles.”

But this year is special. Perry wants to celebrate her second decade of the Vocal Development Studio with a 20th Anniversary Show – a concert for charity that will include past and present students. Plans for the event are soon to be announced.

You can contact the Vocal Development Studio at vocaldevelopmentstudio.com, by calling (508) 998-9550, and through Facebook.